Zohran Mamdani Appoints Dean Fuleihan as First Deputy Mayor and Elle Bisgaard-Church as Chief of Staff to Execute Bold Affordability Agenda

Fuleihan brings 40+ years of City & State management and policy experience to second-in-command post — from 2008 financial crisis to Covid-19, Fuleihan steered city through historic fiscal challenges with steady hand

After leading Mamdani’s Assembly team, Bisgaard-Church managed primary campaign’s historic upset & brings deep Albany and coalition-building experience to City Hall

Mayor-elect Mamdani: “We will build an administration defined by competence, boldness and an unshakable commitment to a more affordable, livable city for working people”

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani today appointed Dean Fuleihan, New York City’s most experienced budget director and a 40+ year city and state management veteran, as First Deputy Mayor. Mamdani also appointed Elle Bisgaard-Church, his chief advisor who steered Mamdani’s historic primary victory, as Chief of Staff. 

Dean Fuleihan brings more than 40 years of experience in city and state management to City Hall, and has led the city through numerous crises — including shepherding the City’s budget of over $100 billion through pandemic recovery alongside then-Budget Director and Mamdani transition co-chair Mel Hartzog. Serving as Budget Director in City Hall under Mayor Bill de Blasio, Fuleihan will bring deep experience and knowledge of City Hall to help drive Zohran Mamdani’s affordability agenda. As New York City faces the twin crises of affordability and an authoritarian Trump administration, government veteran Dean Fuleihan is battle-tested and ready to serve on day one.

Elle Bisgaard-Church steered Zohran Mamdani’s historic primary victory in June, helping the Mayor-elect to rise from under 1% in the polls to winning the primary and general elections with record voter turnout. Bisgaard-Church formerly served as the Mayor-elect’s Chief of Staff in the state Assembly, helping to create the office’s winning campaigns to secure debt relief for taxi drivers, defeat a proposed fracked gas plant and gain historic investments for the MTA, including a free bus pilot, with #FixtheMTA. She brings a bold progressive vision and a commitment to drive real change in City Hall.

Together, Fuleihan and Bisgaard-Church will lead the way in delivering on a new era of city government — combining experienced leadership with a commitment to reimagining city government to deliver for New Yorkers.

“The work of government begins here, by ensuring that those we choose to lead it do so with a singular goal: delivering for working New Yorkers,” said Zohran Mamdani. “With Dean Fuleihan as First Deputy Mayor and Elle Bisgaard-Church as Chief of Staff, I have no doubt we will build a powerful and competent administration that delivers an affordable, livable city for working people.”

“I’ve spent my entire career guided by a commitment to serving working New Yorkers. Today, we stand at an exciting moment of promise for our city. I’m grateful to help build and carry out this vision for a new era of leadership, and to ensure that City Hall deploys all of the tools at its disposal to deliver on Zohran Mamdani’s affordability agenda,” said Dean Fuleihan.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to lead the campaign that brought hope back to New York City. Now, with sleeves rolled up, I look forward to delivering on the Mayor-elect’s affordability agenda and demonstrating what a well-run City Hall can do for everyday New Yorkers.” said Elle Bisgaard-Church. 

Dean Fuleihan is a highly-regarded veteran of New York government, previously serving as First Deputy Mayor and Budget Director under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Overseeing a budget of more than $100 billion, he guided the city through pandemic recovery and led major reforms in equitable budgeting and workforce development. Fuleihan brings a wealth of knowledge in navigating both New York City’s and Albany’s fiscal terrain, along with institutional knowledge, a steady hand and a deep history of successful management of public finances through delicate economic periods.

Fuleihan brings extensive Albany experience, serving more than 30 years in various posts in the state Assembly, including 16 years as a policy adviser to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. He was also the chamber’s chief staff negotiator for the state’s $130 billion budget.

In 2014, Fuleihan was appointed Budget Director by Mayor Bill de Blasio, serving as the mayor's chief policy adviser and overseeing the city's $92.5 billion budget. During his time as Budget Director, Fuleihan built the City’s reserves and funded major policy initiatives including Universal Pre-K. In 2017, he became First Deputy Mayor, overseeing the city’s budget, labor, education, criminal justice, and sustainability portfolios.

Elle Bisgaard-Church began her career in Albany as Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. There, Bisgaard-Church helped shape core parts of Mamdani’s approach to governance — bridging the worlds of grassroots activism and legislative work. Bisgaard-Church played a critical role in some of Mamdani’s key achievements as an Assemblymember, helping him implement New York City’s first free bus pilot and leading a behind-the-scenes organizing effort with NYTWA that won $450 million in relief for taxi workers facing a devastating medallion debt crisis. 

Bisgaard-Church then served as the Campaign Manager for Zohran Mamdani’s historic primary campaign, overseeing day-to-day operations and serving as a chief architect behind innovative policy proposals such as the Department of Community Safety. As campaign manager, Elle helped transform the campaign from a little-known candidate to one that captured the city’s attention, running on an affordability agenda with a commitment to deliver for working New Yorkers.

Following the June primary, Bisgaard-Church served as the Chief Advisor to the campaign, laying the groundwork for building a City Hall ready to deliver on day one. She holds dual masters degrees in public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the London School of Economics.