Zohran Mamdani on Monday unveiled his transition team committees, which included former members of the Adams administration who were pushed out or resigned under the current mayor.
Former Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, ex-Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and Hassan Naveed, Adams’ former hate crimes chief who accused him of anti-Muslim bias after being fired, are all working on the transition team. Arva Rice, who headed the Civilian Complaint Review Board until Adams asked her to step down is also on the team.
In total, Mamdani has 400 people on his transition team across 17 committees. In comparison, Adams had about 700 people on his transition team, while Mayor de Blasio had just 60.
The members of the team, who serve in unpaid roles, will work to prepare for the start of Mamdani’s term on Jan. 1. Their work includes sifting through some 70,000 job applicants for potential roles in the administration.
“We stand here with a remarkable opportunity to create a better New York the kind of opportunity that arrives, if we’re lucky, once in a generation, And I could not ask for a better team to set that foundation,” Mamdani said at a Harlem press conference to announce the team.
Pro-business Kathy Wylde, chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, is serving on the economic and workforce development committee, as is Yasser Salem, who launched a PAC in Mamdani’s support during the election.
“I joined because I also know from experience that success comes not only from having a compelling vision,” said Annemarie Gray, the executive director of Open New York, who will serve on the housing committee. “It also requires being very serious about effective governance and what it really takes to make bold ideas happen.”
Mamdani’s Community Safety and Youth and Education committees were stacked with advocates, including advocates with VOCAL NY, Make the Road, We Build the Block, New York Appleseed and New Yorkers for Racially Just Public Schools. Rodney Harrison, whom the Mamdani campaign had considered as a possible police commissioner pick, is also on the team.
Josh Wallack, the architect of universal pre-K under de Blasio, is on the team, as is Grace Rauh of Citizens Union/5BORO, who has been at the forefront of the conversation of bringing the business community into child care advocacy.
None of Mamdani-rumored picks for public school chancellors, like Jamaal Bowman, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, former Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter, Councilwoman Rita Joseph and Kamar Samuels, a district superintendent in Harlem, were on the list.
Mamdani previously announced his transition co-chairs: Maria Torres-Springer, Mayor Adams’ former top aide, ex-Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan, United Way CEO Grace Bonilla and former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. Elana Leopold, a de Blasio alum, serves as executive director.
With Cayla Bamberger
