Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani Announces Transition Committee Appointments to Advance His Affordability Agenda

The Mayor-elect appointed more than 400 New Yorkers to 17 Transition Committees, who together will provide critical personnel and policy insights to the incoming administration

Committees to focus on NYC’s most urgent challenges — including housing prices, rising childcare costs, and transportation access — as well as emergency preparedness and economic development

NEW YORK, NY — TODAY, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his transition team announced the appointment of more than 400 New Yorkers that will help the incoming administration prepare to address New York City’s most urgent challenges — from skyrocketing rents and rising childcare costs to transportation access, business development, and emergency preparedness. Appointees will serve as critical advisors on personnel appointments, as well as provide insights on policy development, implementation, and agency best practices.

These committees bring together more than 400 esteemed leaders from across New York City — with backgrounds spanning local and state government, nonprofits, labor, academia, business, and more — united in a commitment to ensuring that the Mamdani administration is staffed with top talent and ready on day one to deliver the Mayor-elect’s affordability agenda.

“A love for hard work, a deep belief in the promise of New York City, and a commitment to the affordability agenda that New Yorkers are demanding unite the more than 400 experts we have appointed to our Transition Committees today. By helping us recruit top talent and develop smart policy, these committees will be instrumental to ensuring we hit the ground running on January 1st — and that our results align with the promises we’ve made,” said Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Each committee will be overseen by one of the transition co-chairs: Lina Khan, Grace Bonilla, Maria Torres-Springer, and Melanie Hartzog. With over 50 years of combined experience in city government, social services, and the legal field, these co-chairs will guarantee that committees are delivering results aligned with the values of the administration.

The committees will focus on the most pressing issues facing New York City under the current affordability crisis — housing, childcare, and transportation — as well as the essential functions of government. Of the 17 committees, two are entirely new committees that did not exist under previous Mayoral transitions: the Worker Justice and Community Organizing committees. These two committees illustrate the administration’s commitment to honoring and building upon the movement of working class New Yorkers that delivered the Mayor-elect’s historic victory.

“Excellence is the guiding light driving this transition, and today’s committee appointees are no exception. Together, these leaders will help prepare Mayor-elect Mamdani’s administration to take on the city’s toughest challenges—from housing access to emergency preparedness to the day-to-day operations of city government that must be exceptional,” said Transition Executive Director Elana Leopold.

The Mamdani administration’s 17 Transition Committees

• Committee on Housing
• Committee on Youth & Education
• Committee on Transportation, Climate, & Infrastructure
• Committee on Arts & Culture
• Committee on Community Organizing
• Committee on Community Safety
• Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Development
• Committee on Emergency Response
• Committee on Government Operations
• Committee on Health
• Committee on Immigrant Justice
• Committee on the Criminal Legal System
• Committee on Legal Affairs
• Committee on Small Businesses & MWBEs
• Committee on Social Services
• Committee on Technology
• Committee on Worker Justice

Committee Members

Committee on Arts & Culture

• Hiba Abid, New York Public Library
• Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, Mellon Foundation
• Suroosh Alvi, Producer/Filmmaker
• Jessica Baker, Vodoor Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
• Alexis Bittar, Jewelry Designer
• Rocky Bucano, Hip Hop Museum
• Gonzalo Casals, Culture & Arts Policy Institute
• Carolyn Concepcion, ARTNOIR
• Colm Dillane, KidSuper
• Caridad De La Luz, Nuyorican Cafe
• Kimberly Drew, Pace Gallery
• Atiba Edwards, Brooklyn Children's Museum
• Oskar Eustis, The Public Theater
• Kamilah Forbes, Apollo Theatre
• Lisa Gold, Asian American Arts Alliance
• Jenna Hamed, Curator and Book maker
• Kemi Ilesanmi, KG1
• Wes Jackson, BRIC
• Ruba Katrib, MoMA PS1
• Coco Killingsworth, Cultural Institutions Group
• Mino Lora, The Peoples Theatre
• Patricia McGregor, NY Theatre Workshop
• Shamim Momin, The Bronx Museum
• Lydia Pilcher, Cine Mosaic
• Victoria Rogers, Autodesk
• Hal Rosenbluth, Kaufman Astoria Studios
• Legacy Russell, The Kitchen
• Kenny Savoca, IATSE 161
• Mariko Silver, Lincoln Center
• Hannah Traore, Hannah Traore Gallery
• Diya Vij, Powerhouse Arts
• Dennis Walcott, Queens Public Library
• Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater

Committee on Community Organizing

• Elida Almonte, Dominican Taste
• Sherif Ahmed, Muslim American Society NY
• Ibrahim Ahmed, Yankasa Organization
• Abdul Aziz, Bhuiyan Hillside Islamic Center
• Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Urban Democracy Lab
• Lumuumba Bandele, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
• Marco Carrion, Consortium for Worker Education
• Catie Fireman, Astoria Worker Project
• Joanne Grell, Community Action for Safe Apartments
• Jasmine Gripper, Working Families Party
• Sumathy Kumar, Tenant Bloc
• Juanita Lewis, Community Voices Heard
• Aji Fanta Marenah, Muslim Democratic Club of New York
• Santosh Nandabalan, New York Communities for Change
• Anthonine Pierre, Brooklyn Movement Center
• Asher Ross, Democratic Socialists of America
• Wanda Salaman, Mothers on the Move
• Waleed Shahid, Strategist and Organizer
• Jagpreet Singh, DRUM Beats
• Celina Su, City University of New York
• Katie Unger, Consultant
• Julie Xu, CAAAV

Committee on Community Safety

• K Bain, Community Capacity Development
• Jonah Boyarin, Educator & Consultant
• Jasmine Budnella, VOCAL NY
• Erica Ford, LIFE Camp
• Kassandra Frederique, Drug Policy Alliance
• Rev. Charles Galbreath, Clarendon Road Church
• Daniela Gilbert, Vera Institute
• Elizabeth Glazer, Vital City
• Shamsul Haq
• Tom Harris, Times Square Alliance
• Rodney K. Harrison
• Susan Herman
• Rama Issa-Ibrahim, Center for Anti-Violence Education
• Joo-Hyun Kang, Organizer and Strategist
• Kevin Livingston, 100 Suits
• Jose Lopez, Make the Road
• Tamika Mallory
• Max Markham, NYU Policing Project
• Hassan Naveed, Naveed Consulting, LLC
• Justine Oldermann, New York University
• Dana Rachlin, We Build the Block
• Liz Roberts, Safe Horizon
• Mariela Ruiz Angel, Center for Innovations in Community Safety at Georgetown Law
• Maurice Vann, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Alex Vitale, Author
• Jo-ann Yoo
• Ken Zimmerman, Fountain House

Committee on the Criminal Legal System

• Dan Ades, Center for Justice Innovation
• Rachael Bedard, Physician and Writer
• Ana Bermudez
• Sarita Daftary, Freedom Agenda
• Meg Egan, Women's Prison Association
• Alice Fontier, Legal Aid Society
• Benjamin Heller, Vera Institute of Justice
• Michael Jacobson, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Dana Kaplan, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
• Zachary Katznelson, A More Just NYC
• Michael Klinger, Brooklyn Defenders
• Scott Levy
• Mysonne Linen
• Deb Lolai
• Janos Marton, Dream.org
• Lisa Ohta, UAW Local 2325
• Meghna Philip, Legal Aid Society
• Angelo Pinto
• Stanley Richards, Fortune Society
• Meg Reiss
• Vincent Schiraldi
• Jordan Stockdale

Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Development

• Margaret Anadu, Vistria Group
• Deyanira Del Río, New Economy Project
• Mark Egerman
• Gustavo Gordillo, Democratic Socialists of America
• Jack Gross, Phenomenal World
• Darrick Hamilton, The New School
• Reed Jordan
• Stephanie Luce, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Rich Maroko, Hotel and Gaming Trades Council
• Gregory Morris, New York City Employment and Training Coalition
• Regina Myer, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
• Larisa Ortiz, Streetsense
• James Patchett, Gilbane
• Emma Pfohman, The Association for a Better New York
• Blondel Pinnock, Bed Stuy Restoration
• Jeff Lee Romero
• Yasser Salem, OneNYC
• Anisha Steephen, Economic Security Project
• Julie Stein, Union Square Partnership
• Kathy Wylde, Partnership for NY

Committee on Emergency Response

• Andy Ansbro, Uniformed Firefighters Association
• Oren Barzilay, Local 2507 Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Inspectors
• Anne Bink
• Jill Eisenhard, Eisenhard Consulting
• Peter Gudaitis, New York Disaster and Interfaith Services
• Ayo Harrington, NYC Volunteer Orgs Active in Disaster
• Jonathan Logan, Vulcan Society
• Kelly McKinney, NYU Langone Health
• Daniel Nigro
• Michael Partis, Red Hook Initiative
• Rabbi Joe Potasnik, NY Board of Rabbis
• Jilly Stephens, City Harvest
• Vincent Variale, Uniformed EMS Officers Union Local 3621
• Jeannette Torres, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Committee on Government Operations

• Hector Batista, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Francesco Brindisi, Office of NYC Comptroller
• Dominic Campbell, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University
• Cynthia Conti-Cook, Collaborative Research Center for Resilience
• Nathan Gusdorf, Fiscal Policy Institute
• Charlette Hamamgian, Office of NYC Comptroller
• Shafeka Hashash, Economic Security Project
• Danielle Kavanagh-Smith
• Carol Kellermann
• Bob Linn
• Zara Nasir, The People's Plan
• Albert Pulido, New York State Executive Chamber
• Helen Rosenthal, Former NYC Council Member
• Marc Shaw
• Marla Simpson
• Ajeet Singh, Illinois Dept of Health Data Modernization Strategy
• Faiza Ali, NYC Council
• Laura Kavanagh
• Aliya Latif, Office of NYC Comptroller

Committee on Health

• Tahir Amin, Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK)
• Natasha Anushri Anandaraja, Public Health Practioner
• Yvonne Armstrong, 1199 SEIU
• Oxiris Barbot, United Hospital Fund
• Mary Basset, Harvard University Chan School of Public Health
• Elisabeth Benjamin, Community Service Society
• Barbara Caress, Baruch College
• Ebone Carrington, Manatt Health
• Demetre Daskalakis
• Traci Donnelly, The Child Center of NY
• Torian Easterling, Brooklyn Community Collaboratives
• Jen Gaboury, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Nancy Hagans, New York State Nurses Association
• Musaub Khan, Physician
• Michael Kinnucan, Fiscal Policy Institute
• Eric Linzer, NY Health Plan Association
• Patrick McGovern, Callen Lorde
• David Perlstein, St. Barnabas Hospital
• Ken Raske, State and Government Affairs Greater New York Hospital Association
• Ashna Shome, CIR/SEIU
• Dr. Carla Smith, NYC LGBT Community Center
• Wendy Stark, Planned Parenthood
• Rabbi Abby Stein, Rabbis for Repro
• Bruce Vladeck, Academic
• Marlene Zurack

Committee on Housing

• Nicholas Bloom, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Dr. Dedrick Blue, Church of Seventh Day Adventists
• Rafael Cestero, Community Preservation Corporation
• Beatriz De la Torre, Trinity Church NYC
• Charlie Dulik, Housing Conservation Coordinators
• Emily Eisner, Fiscal Policy Institute
• Carolee Fink, COO M Squared
• Moses Gates, Regional Plan Association
• Lisa Gomez
• Annemarie Gray, Open New York
• David Greenberg, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
• Adriene Holder, Legal Aid Society
• Olivia Leirer, New York Communities for Change
• Pascale Leone, Supportive Housing Network of New York
• Allison Nickerson, LiveOn NY
• Manny Pastreich, 32BJ SEIU
• Carlina Rivera, New York State Association for Affordable Housing
• Annetta Seecharran, Chhaya CDC
• Brian Scott, Pastor
• Alina Shen, CAAAV Voice
• Iziah Thompson, Community Service Society
• Jed Walentas, REBNY
• Matt Wambua, Merchants Capital
• Cea Weaver, Tenant Bloc
• Barika Williams, Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development
• Paul Williams, Center for Public Enterprise
• Rosaura Alicea, Carver Houses

Committee on Immigrant Justice

• Jesus Aguais, Aid for Aids
• Fahd Ahmed, DRUM Beats
• Farihah Akhtar, CAAAV
• Imam Shamsi Ali, Jamaica Muslim Center
• Dr Debbie Almontaser, Emgage
• Mohamed Q. Amin, Caribbean Equality Project
• Natalia Aristizabal, Make the Road
• Murad Awawdeh, New York Immigration Coalition
• Adama Bah, Afrikana
• Melissa Chua, NYLAG
• Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Bronx Defenders
• Stephanie Delia, Little Haiti, BK Inc.
• Yasmine Farhang, Immigrant Defense Project
• Emira Habiby, Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans, Inc.
• Marwa Janini, Arab American Association of New York
• Amaha Kassa, African Communities Together
• Rabbi Jason Klein, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah
• Peter Markowitz, Cardozo
• Yesenia Mata, La Colmena
• Jocelyn McCalla, Haitian-American Foundation for Democracy
• Christine Mendoza, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights
• Ruth Messinger
• Frankie Miranda, Hispanic Federation
• Bitta Mostofi
• Rabbi Rachel Timoner, Congregation Beth Elohim

Committee on Legal Affairs

• Tahanie Aboushi, Aboushi Law Firm
• Baher Azmy, Center for Constitutional Rights
• Richard Briffault, Columbia Law
• Twyla Carter, The Legal Aid Society
• Susan Chapman, Business Leader
• Catherine Christian, Liston Abramson LLP
• Jerry Goldfeder, Cozen O’Connor LLP
• LiJia Gong, Local Progress Impact Lab
• Ramzi Kassem
• Sania Khan, IN__SERVICE
• Seher Khawaja, Legal Momentum
• Jacques Léandre
• Donna Lieberman
• Kapil Longani, State University of New York (SUNY)
• Mandeep Minhas, Scott & Scott LLP
• Afaf Nasher, Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York
• Shaifali Puri
• Julissa Reynoso, Winston Strawn
• Derek Sells, Cochran Firm
• Zephyr Teachout, Law Professor

Committee on Small Businesses & MWBEs

• Afzal Ali Ansari, Staten Island Democratic Association
• Mo Attia, Street Vendor Project
• Arman Chowdhury, MUNA
• Jonnel Doris, Start NY
• Somia Elrowmeim, Women’s Empowerment Coalition of NYC
• Sandra Jaquez, NYS Latino Restaurant Bar Association
• Jeffrey LeFrancois, Meatpacking District Management Association
• Grace Mausser, Democratic Socialists of America
• Youssef Mubarez, Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA)
• Jamie Y. Nagi, Business Owner
• Imran Pasha
• Kavita Pawria-Sanchez
• Mary Pryor, Cannaclusive
• Shah Rehman, BHALO/ Musvote
• Andrew Rigie, New York City Hospitality Alliance
• Tuulikki Robertson, Black Institute
• Fernando Radhames Rodriguez, United Bodegas of America
• Urgen Sherpa, Chhaya CDC
• Lisa Sorin, Five Borough Alliance
• Melba Wilson, Melba's

Committee on Social Services

• Lilliam Barrios-Paoli
• Joel Berg, Hunger Free America
• Catherine Chen, Asian American Federation
• Maria Cruz, East Harlem Council for Human Services
• Dania Darwish, Asiyah Women Center
• Nat Fields, URI
• Orlando Findlayter
• Beth Finkel, AARP NY
• Lisa Fitzpatrick
• Sienna Fontaine, Make the Road
• Saratu Ghartey, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
• Dave Giffen, Coalition for the homeless
• Stephen Green, Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York
• Erum Hanif, APNA Community Center
• Judy Herbstman, Settlement Housing Fund
• Wayne Ho, Chinese-American Planning Council
• Michelle Jackson, Human Services Council
• David Jones, Community Service Society
• Jennifer Jones-Austin, FPWA
• Lorena Kourousias, Mixteca
• Vanessa Leung, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
• Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, Lab/Shul
• Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Kolot Chaiyeinu
• Kristin Miller, Homeless Service United
• Maria Lizardo, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp
• Dr. Sharon McLennon Weir, Center for the Independence of the Disabled (CIDNY)
• Masha Pearl, Blue Card Fund
• Christine Quinn, WIN
• Dr. Jocelynne Rainey, Brooklyn Org
• Bobbie Sackman
• Ann Maria Scalia, JCCA
• Catherine Trapani, Volunteers of America - Greater New York

Committee on Technology

• Sarah Aoun
• Ruha Benjamin, Ida B Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton
• Raul Enriquez, Community Tech New York
• Myaisha Hayes, MediaJustice
• Noel Hidalgo, BetaNYC
• Sam Jacobs, Food Fight Lab
• Katherine Jin, Democratic Socialists of America
• Amba Kak, AI Now Institute
• Huge Ma, Turbovax
• Matt Mitchell
• ReNika Moore, ACLU
• Alondra Nelson, Institute for Advanced Study
• Martha Norrick, Backbone Strategies
• Julie Samuels, Tech NYC
• Garfield Swaby, New York Public Library
• Julie Swoope, Democratic Socialists of America
• Haley Van Dyck
• Elyse Voegeli, 18F
• Chancellar Williams
• Maia Woluchem, Data & Society

Committee on Transportation, Climate, & Infrastructure

• Eddie Bautista, NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
• Amy Chester, Rebuild by Design
• Tabitha Decker, Spring Street Climate Fund
• Minelly DeCoo
• Michael Flynn, TYLin
• Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives
• Noah Ginsburg, New York Solar Energy Industries Association
• Eric Goldwyn, NYU Marron Institute
• Rhiana Gunn-Wright , Green New Deal
• Chris Halfnight, Urban Green Council
• Monika Hansen
• Meera Joshi, Greenwood Cemetery
• Benjamin Kabak, 2nd Ave Subway
• Marc Kagan, Public School Teacher at Bronx Science
• Sara Lind, Open Plans
• Nivardo Lopez, Gateway Development Commission
• Clare Miflin, ThinkWoven
• Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance
• Lauren Phillips, NRDC
• Betsy Plum, Riders Alliance
• Nancy Romer, PSC-CUNY
• Esther Rosario, Climate Jobs NY
• John Samuelsen, TWU
• Daphany Rose Sanchez, Kinetic Communities Consulting
• Siddhartha Sanchez, Bronx River Alliance
• Dennis Schock, Teamsters Local 831 - Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association
• Peggy Shepard, WE ACT
• Lise Strickler, Three Cairns Group
• Tyler Taba, Waterfront Alliance
• Tiffany Ann Taylor, Regional Plan Association
• Midori Valdivia
• Laurie Wheelock, PULP
• Justin Wood, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

Committee on Worker Justice

• Amit Singh Bagga, Public Progress Solutions
• Mohammed Karim Chowdhury, ASAAL
• Hidalyn Colon Hernandez, NICE
• Bhairavi Desai, New York Taxi Workers Alliance
• Rebecca Dixon, National Employment Law Project
• Rafael Espinal, Freelancers Union
• Kazi Fouzia, DRUM Beats
• Terri Gerstein, NYU Wagner Labor Initiative
• Brendan Griffith, NYC Central Labor Council
• Ligia Guallpa, Los Deliveristas Unidos and Worker Justice Project
• Chaumtoli Huq, CUNY School of Law
• Elizabeth Jordan, Make the Road
• Hyungwoo David Kim, Strategic Organizing Center
• Gary LaBarbera, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
• Sam Levine
• Rebecca Lynch, Office of NYC Comptroller
• Brandon Mancilla, UAW 9A
• Theo Moore, ALIGN
• James Parrott, Economist
• Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance
• Lorelai Salas
• Edwin Tablada
• Candis Tall, 32BJ SEIU
• Dennis Trainor, CWA District 1

Committee on Youth & Education

• Tazin Azad
• Rebecca Balin, New Yorkers United for Childcare
• Nyah Berg, Appleseed
• Evelyn Castro, Medgar Evers College
• Jason Cone, Robin Hood Foundation
• James Davis, PSC-CUNY
• Marielys Divanne, Futuro Solutions
• Mark Dunetz, New Visions for Public Schools
• Kesi Foster, Partners for Dignity & Rights
• Amy Freitag, NY Community Trust
• Tara Gardner, Daycare Council of NY
• Debra Ellen Glickstein, KidsRise
• Karin Goldmark, GreenLink Education
• Matt Gonzales, New Yorkers for Racially Just Public Schools (RJPS)
• Sharon Greenberger, YMCA Greater NY
• Brian Jones, Center for Education & Schools and New York Public Library
• John King, State University of New York (SUNY)
• Sebastian Leon Martinez YDSA
• Randi Levine, Advocates for Children
• Christine Marinoni, Public School Advocate
• Felix Matos Rodriguez, City University of New York (CUNY)
• Rashad Moore, Crown Heights Baptist Church
• Michael Mulgrew, United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
• Lori Podvesker, INCLUDEnyc
• Hasoni Pratts, National Urban League
• Grace Rauh, Citizens Union
• Arva Rice, NY Urban League
• Raysa S. Rodriguez, Citizens’ Committee for Children of NY (CCC)
• Henry Rubio, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA)
• Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Alliance for Quality Education
• Edie Sharp
• Felicia Singh, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
• Susan Stamler, United Neighborhood Houses
• Hannah Towfeik, Muslim American Society (MAS)
• Mark Treyger, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY)
• Mary Vaccarro, United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
• Joshua Wallack
• Eric Waterman, East Flatbush Village Inc.
• Terrence Winston, Coalition for Community Schools Excellence