City & State Magazine, October 13, 2014

PHOTOS BY FILIP WOLAK

October 13, 2014

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NEW YORK CITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF P OLITICAL LEADERS

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Journal ad 2014_arshad 10/8/14 10:05 AM Page 1

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Tuesday, October 21st • BNY Mellon: 101 Barclay Street SUMMARY:

City & State convenes leaders in government, business, and advocacy to discuss the social and economic advantages of promoting diversity in both public and private sectors.

Alphonso David, Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights, NYS

Maya Wiley, Counsel to Mayor Bill De Blasio

Mecca Santana, Chief Diversity Officer, NYS

Scott Stringer, NYC Comptroller

Sponsored By: REGISTRATION: 8:00am Registration & Breakfast KEYNOTE: 9:00am Alphonso David, Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights, New York State INTERVIEW: 9:30am New York City Comptroller, Scott Stringer REMARKS: 10:00am Maya Wiley, Counsel to the Mayor PANEL:

10:15am City & State moderates a panel of private sector leaders discuss the economic benefits of promoting women and minority owned business, corporate board diversity, and expanded economic opportunities for all New Yorkers.

Claire Scanlon, Vice President, BNY Mellon Carra Wallace, Chief Diversity Officer, Officer of the New York City Comptroller Sandra Wilkin, President & CEO, Bradford Construction Susan Pease Langford, Partner, Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP

INTERVIEW: 11:15am NYC DDC Commissioner Feniosky Pena-Mora.

PRESENTATION: PANEL:

12:00pm Prime Contractors Perspective by Lou Coletti.

12:15pm Top officials at New York City and New York State Agencies and Authorities discuss the current status of M/WBE programs, and recaps the State’s annual MWBE conference.

Michael Garner, CDO, MTA Lash Green, Diversity and Civil Rights, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Lorraine Grillo, President, School Construction Authority Maria Torres-Springer, Commissioner, NYC Dept. Small Business Services

CLOSING KEYNOTE: 1:00pm Keynote by Mecca Santana, Chief Diversity Officer, New York State For more information contact Jasmin Freeman at 646-442-1662 or email jfreeman@cityandstateny.com

OnDiversity_CS101014_FP.indd 1

10/10/14 12:45 PM

NYSNA: Caring for ALL New Yorkers

Here in New York City and throughout our state, nurses are uniting to improve care for our patients.

We’re working together to end healthcare inequality and to raise standards so that every New Yorker has access to quality care. Through our union, the New York State Nurses Association, we’re creating a better future for nurses and our patients:

Æ Safe RN Staffing. Having enough nurses at the bedside is key to safe patient care.

In our union contracts and in the legislature, we’re working to ensure that every patient has access to the care of a nurse whenever they need it.

Æ Community Voices. We believe that our communities should have a voice in decisions that

impact their access to care. Healthcare decisions should be based on community needs, not on the bottom line. That’s why we’re advocating to strengthen community voices in care.

Æ Quality Care for ALL. Every patient deserves equal access to quality care regardless of

income, borough, or insurance coverage. We’re working with fellow healthcare unions, patients, community leaders, and elected allies to stop the devastating tide of hospital cuts and closures in underserved communities.

www.nysna.org

nynurses

@nynurses

CONTENT S

October 13, 2014 N Y C

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NEW YORK CITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF P OLITICAL LEADERS

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CITY

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The false benefits of inclusion

By Seth Barron

Missing the mark on M/WBE procurement

By Nick Powell

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STATE

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BUFFALO

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Can key polls in state Senate races be trusted?

By Jon Lentz The Jills are due: Will Cuomo make good on his Women’s Equalilty Agenda?

By Alexis Grenell Could SolarCity Flare Out?

By Jim Heaney

40 UNDER 40

City & State’s 2014 class of NYC Rising Stars

By Jeff Coltin, Wilder Fleming, Kerry Gillich, Ashley Hupfl, Jon Lentz Morgan Pehme, Gabe Ponce de Leon, Nick Powell

AGENCY FOCUS: NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch and NYSED Commissioner John King in their own words … Key issues and agency leaders … Analysis

by Citizens Budget Commission

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ROAD TO SOMOS:

How to empower Latinas

By Nydia Velázquez

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The state of upstate Latino politics

By Susan Arbetter

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PERSPECTIVES

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Michael Benjamin on where the 2013 NYC mayoral candidates are now

STRENGTHENING STRONG TIES

A Q & A with Consul General of Canada in New York John Prato

President/CEO Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com

PUBLISHING Publisher Andrew A. Holt aholt@cityandstateny.com Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@cityandstateny.com Chief of Staff Jasmin Freeman jfreeman@cityandstateny.com Business Development Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com Director of Marketing Samantha Diliberti sdilierti@cityandstateny.com Office Administrator Kyle Renwick krenwick@cityandstateny.com Distribution Czar Dylan Forsberg

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EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Morgan Pehme mpehme@cityandstateny.com Managing Editor Michael Johnson mjohnson@cityandstateny.com Albany Bureau Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com City Hall Bureau Chief Nick Powell npowell@cityandstateny.com Albany Reporter Ashley Hupfl ahupfl@cityandstateny.com Buffalo Reporter Chris Thompson cthompson@cityandstateny.com Policy Reporter Wilder Fleming wfleming@cityandstateny.com Associate Editor Helen Eisenbach Columnists Alexis Grenell, Nicole Gelinas, Michael Benjamin, Seth Barron, Jim Heaney, Gerson Borrero, Susan Arbetter

Art Director Guillaume Federighi gfederighi@cityandstateny.com Graphic Designer Michelle Yang myang@cityandstateny.com

PHOTOS BY FILIP WOLAK

October 13, 2014

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Marketing Graphic Designer Charles Flores, cflores@cityandstateny.com

NEW YORK CITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF P OLITICAL LEADERS

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Cover: Photography by Filip Wolak

Web Manager Lydia Eck, leck@cityandstateny.com Illustrator Danilo Agutoli

city & state — October 13, 2014

PRODUCTION

Letters to the THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF COMPROMISING ONE’S PRINCIPLES

Editor

AGENCY FOCUS:

NYS Department of Transportation

WESTWARD EXPANSION:

C&S Buffalo Bureau Launches

September 29, 2014

ALL IN

THE CASINO DEVELOPERS HAVE PLACED THEIR BETS.

WHO HAS THE STRONGEST HAND? CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

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city & state — October 13, 2014

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have to say that I genuinely enjoy City & State’s 40 Under 40 issues. While to some of our hard-boiled readers, this may seem like a gimmicky feature, to me it is a celebration of promise and idealism—two qualities given far too short shrift

By Morgan Pehme Editor-in-Chief by the world of politics, even though they are so often extolled by elected officials in their empty rhetoric.

I delight in perusing the profiles of these Rising Stars, wondering at the boundlessness of their enthusiasm and their earnest embrace of the notion that government and human beings can truly affect change for the better. I appreciate the opportunity to publish the unsung stories of these startlingly talented individuals who drive the headlines but are not yet (for the most part) the subjects of them. I am touched by the genuineness of their smiles, and refreshed by their lack of affectation.

Of course, our honorees are not doe-eyed children, wholly naive about the harsh realities of the cynical arena in which they operate. Nor am I so foolish as to assume that all 40 of these exceptional young women and men have assiduously averted succumbing to the temptations and concessions to pragmatism their positions often impress upon them. I am certain that more than a few of you reading this column right now are fixating upon one or more of our Rising Stars, gnashing your teeth and raving, “He’s/she’s no angel.” And perhaps you are right.

But the intention of this piece is not to lay bare anyone’s soul but to offer some counsel to those who have not yet wandered astray. Though few leaders in the public or private sector will explicitly offer the advice “Go along to get along,” that essentially is the attitude they prescribe to those looking to advance in their professional lives. Nowhere is this

calculation more prevalent than in politics, where the young and ambitious are warned to wait their turn, and those who ask too many questions are told to hold their tongues and accept the same old answers; where it is tacitly understood that those who rock the boat are the first cast overboard and those who speak up are those most likely to be silenced.

I can’t count how many times I have spoken with brilliant young aspiring elected officials who contort themselves into knots rationalizing why they have made a decision that conflicts with the core principles they otherwise espouse. In virtually every instance their explanation boils down to some permutation of “I have to compromise now, so I can reach such-and-such plateau, and then I’ll be able to stand firm in my convictions.”

Here’s the truth: 99 percent of the time that’s not how it plays out. (And that figure might be generous.) What begins with one compromise ends up as a lifetime of them, and before you know it you are so corrupted you can’t even recall what the ideals were that you compromised to achieve in the first place.

The activist sells out to become a Council member, the Council member sells out to go to Congress, the member of Congress sells out to become a senator, and the senator sells out to become president. And how many times in our history do you think a president has said, as Lyndon Johnson did when all his aides insisted that if he went out on a limb for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, it would be the death knell for his administration: “Well, what the hell’s the presidency for?”

Now, I don’t purport myself to be a paragon of virtue—and it would be the grossest of understatements to say that LBJ wasn’t either. I’ve made my fair share of compromises. But I don’t delude myself into depicting them as anything other than what they were.

If this year’s Rising Stars still believe the principles they so passionately expound, I hope they forever remain true to them. And if they have already begun to waver, it is my heartfelt wish that they understand it is not too late to turn back.

@CIT YANDSTATENY

In the magazine’s Sept. 29 cover story, City & State reporters Wilder Fleming and Jon Lentz wrote about casino expansion in New York and the factors that state officials may take into account in selecting the winning bids.

Which of the allegations have the developers of the East Greenbush casino shot down: that the site is between an elementary school and a Girl Scout camp and within walking distance of the high school? That the area is a zoned residential buffer? That the site is on an aquifer and contains federal wetlands? That the median income in East Greenbush is $78,000? Or the fact that East Greenbush has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state? Do your homework, people.

—Gloria Hollister Rodgers (via cityandstateny.com) Wilder Fleming and Jon Lentz respond: In our piece we wrote that all of the developers facing opposition or legal challenges to their proposals have “shot down” the claims against them. To clarify, not all claims or legal actions against developers have been refuted or settled.

The fact is that Empire Resorts does make money, but has been funneling millions toward the development of its new spectacular Montreign Resort Casino/Adelaar project.

Maybe you should learn how to read a financial statement?!?

—Gary Solomon (via cityandstateny.com) Jon Lentz responds: Empire Resorts has posted net losses for three straight years. The company’s latest annual report showed an operating loss of $4.34 million, which contributed to a net loss of $21.54 million, including investing and financing activities. The filing also cited approximately $17.9 million in total development costs for its potential expansion into a full-fledged commercial casino. While that is a significant sum, it is not large enough to account for all of the company’s financial struggles.

To have your letter to the editor considered for publication, leave a comment at www.cityandstateny.com, tweet us @CityAndStateNY, email editor@cityandstateny.com or write to 61 Broadway, Suite 2825, New York, NY 10006.

Letters may be edited for clarity or length. cit yandstateny.com cit yandstateny.com

RISING STARS OVER CITY HALL Class of 2012

In addition to members of this year’s 40 Under 40 class, a host of City & State’s past Rising Stars have found a home within the de Blasio administration.

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Class of 2013

RUDY S. GIULIANI Borough Director at NYC Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations

AMY SPITALNICK Director of Public Affairs, Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget

JON PAUL LUPO Director of Office of City Legislative Affairs

PAKHI SENGUPTA Special Project Manager for Program Planning and Budget Coordination, Office of Administration Children’s Services

ROBERTO PEREZ Deputy Commissioner, Community Affairs Unit

SADYE CAMPOAMOR Special Assistant to New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña

Class of 2008

JULIE MENIN Commissioner, New York City Department of Consumer Affairs

JOEY KARA KOCH Deputy Chief Asset Management Officer, Department of Citywide Administrative Services

city & state — October 13, 2014

EMMA WOLFE Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, City of New York

JEFF MERRITT Sr. Advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio

Class of 2011

LINCOLN RESTLER Sr. Policy Advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio

URSULINA RAMIREZ Chief of Staff to New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña cit yandstateny.com

The Must-Read in NY Politics Since 2006 See how it all started.

launches in 2008

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merge in Dec. 2011 to become

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City & State

The Way To Reach Elected Officials For advertising information, please contact Jim Katocin at 212.284.9714 or Jkatocin@cityandstateny.com

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After the success of City Hall News,

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Jan. 2014: magazine arrives!

CITY

D FOR CITY ON M/WBE PROCUREMENT STRINGER CALLS CITY’S DISMAL PERFORMANCE A “CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE”

By NICK POWELL

M

city & state — October 13, 2014

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ayor Bill de Blasio may be talking a good game when it comes to bridging the income inequality gap, but as far as diversifying New York City’s contract procurements, City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants the administration to put its money where its mouth is.

Calling it the “civil rights issue of New York,” Stringer released a report Wednesday issuing letter grades to 32 city agencies, including his own office, on how well each agency is procuring goods and services through minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs).

A tough grader, Stringer gave only two agencies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, a B grade, while 17 agencies received a D and four received an F. Stringer gave his own office a C, while the average grade citywide was a D. Stringer said the goal of the grades is to push agencies to redouble their efforts and “get more contracts into the hands of crucial job creators.”

“This is a watershed moment in New York City government; Growing the pie for M/WBE firms will increase competition in procurement, drive down costs for taxpayers and create jobs. But just as important, it will be a key weapon in our battle against income inequality,” Stringer said. “The challenge of diversity in procurement is the next big civil rights issue that New York must confront, because in New York diversity isn’t some buzzword: It’s a fundamental economic development principle.”

Stringer added that as of 2007, 3,800 businesses have been M/WBE certified, but said the procurement share of city contracts for those firms

Stringer was tough in his grading of his own office’s M/WBE procurement as well. has been less than stellar, even after the passage in 2013 of Local Law 1, which established new “citywide participation goals” in four industry classifications of city contracting. The M/WBE procurement share reached a high of 5 percent in 2012, then declined sharply to 2.7 percent in 2013, before showing a slight uptick this year to 3.9 percent.

The new standards for M/WBE

compared the total spending on contracts by each agency with each agency’s spending across each of the four industries targeted by Local Law 1: construction, professional services, standard services and goods under $100,000. It then weighted the results based on which of the industries the agency spent the most money on with M/WBE firms. For instance, if an agency spent 50 percent of its M/WBE

“The challenge of diversity in procurement is the next big civil rights issue that New York must confront.” participation served as the framework for Stringer’s grading system. Using data from each agency’s Fiscal Year 2014 spending on companies operated by black Americans, AsianAmericans, Hispanic Americans and women, Stringer’s office first

money on construction, 50 percent of its grade is based on construction spending. The grades for each industry were then averaged to determine the agency’s overall grade.

Stringer also made a number of recommendations to improve

the performance of each agency in hiring M/WBE firms, including expanding Local Law 1 to hold agencies accountable for spending further down their supply chain; increasing transparency by offering more robust information on city agency websites to guide business owners through the procurement process; and offering better classification of M/WBE contracts. As for constructive criticism of his own office, he said that it should expand its contracting with M/WBE firms to “serve as a model” for other agencies.

Beginning Oct. 8, Stringer said, his office would be meeting with some city agencies to discuss their procurement practices. He also seemed to issue a challenge to de Blasio, who has made addressing income inequality in the city his signature issue, to step up his administration’s efforts to provide greater opportunity for M/WBE firms, saying that everyone, including himself, should be held accountable: “You can’t champion this issue unless you’re ready to deliver in areas that you can.”

“A lot of what I agree with, with the administration, is, How do we deal with income inequality? And the fact that when you look at something like this, the real tragedy of this is so many of these firms, if they were able to access doing business with the city, many of these firms would be located in communities that need economic development, need more spending in terms of creating jobs and creating economic activity,” Stringer said.

“Through the lens of income inequality, it is important that within city government, where you can make fundamental change, this is a great place to start.” cit yandstateny.com

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COUNCIL WATCH:

THE MYTH OF INCLUSION

SETH BARRON

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rogressive Council members have taken the word inclusionary out of context in the current housing debate, sentimentalizing a legal term of art as they seek to engineer a social structure more agreeable to their outlook.

The question of “poor doors,” or separate entrances for market-rate and “affordable”—i.e., subsidized— tenants in large new developments, erupted last summer when a number of Council members expressed shock and dismay that such segregation

was permitted. Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, whose Upper West Side district contains a number of these separately entranced developments, explains (in a video interview with this magazine) their proliferation as the result of “a loophole that some of the developers are exploiting.”

The “loophole” was in fact plainly described in the 2009 law that the Council—including thenCouncilman Bill de Blasio—voted for unanimously. But Rosenthal begs a greater question by asserting that

these developments violate the spirit and intent of inclusionary zoning. “As the name of it is inclusionary housing,” says Rosenthal, “it is meant to increase the amount of inclusionary affordable housing, where you would have integrated buildings, with affordable housing tenants right next door to market-rate tenants.”

Inclusionary zoning, however, has nothing to do with “integrated buildings” or ensuring that subsidized and market-rate tenants are “right next door” to one another. As

Councilwoman Rosenthal surely knows, inclusionary zoning, as it exists legally in New York, refers to areas of the city where developers can build extra floor space in exchange for agreeing to build, rehab or preserve affordable units within the same community district, or within a halfmile (10-block) radius.

Developers may choose to build affordable units in the same building as their market-rate units, but the law is absolutely clear that assigning neighbors on the basis of income is

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Congratulations to on the opening of their new Buffalo News Bureau

Honorable Paul A. Tokasz, Partner 726 Exchange Street, Suite 815 • Buffalo, NY 14210 716-854-4100

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cit yandstateny.com

city & state — O c to b e r 13, 2014

Government Rel ations | Public Affairs

Cuomo’s Farcical Economic Development Plan Written by: Carl Paladino Western New York needs all of the State economic development money it can get.

Nevertheless, our State Legislators and Andrew Cuomo refuse to apply, for the benefit of the people of Western New York (WNY,) hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the retail sale of Niagara Power Project power which was allocated for Western New York (WNY) economic development but unused, sold at retail and converted to cash.

Over the last 50 years Albany has illegally converted billions of dollars of such New York State Power Authority (NYSPA) escrow funds into the State’s General Fund to balance its budgets. Those monies could have at least been used to eliminate local debt and thereby reduce property taxes creating an atmosphere accepting to development.

Our local legislative delegation, Republican and Democrat, has been too lame, lazy and complicit to understand the significance, let alone confront the “three men in the room cabal” on the issue.

Since he was elected, Andrew Cuomo has illegally swept over $1 billion of WNY escrowed funds to the State treasury. He owes WNY big-time. Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” is merely an attempt to mollify the inequity with smoke and mirrors.

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For three years Cuomo did nothing, but now that it is election time, he has suddenly found WNY and is smothering us with the political illusion that his Start Up New York and other farcical subsidy programs are creating an atmosphere which will result in economic development and jobs. Cuomo and his people are great at deception.

They deny truth and transparency, instead giving us a mountain of political rhetoric while they quietly trump up numbers and issue no bid contracts to Cuomo’s friends and family club.

At River-bend in Buffalo, Cuomo is subsidizing a solar panel company under Federal investigation with $750 million of taxpayer money to “buy” 1500 jobs ($500,000 per job.) The key word is “buy.” Subsidies do not create a permanent atmosphere for job creation. They only cause an unleveled playing field which frustrates development, burdens taxpayers and adds to a dysfunctional business atmosphere that forces companies like Tyson Foods to send 300 jobs out the back door.

Texas has no income tax. They don’t buy jobs. Businesses move to Texas without subsidy because Texas has a government that serves the people. Instead of commending them as an illustration of good government our small minded press criticizes them for stealing our businesses.

Permanent job retention and development will only be achieved by cutting taxes and debilitating regulation. We need culture change in Albany. Buying jobs in an election year to create an illusion of investment in WNY is just more sick politics.

city & state — October 13, 2014

Cuomo has prohibited Hydrolic-Fracking upstate which would have resulted in thousands of good paying private sector jobs and billions of dollars in tax revenue to State and local governments which, in turn, could have been used to lower taxes and create a lasting atmosphere for job creation and economic development. Out of 37 States that can Hydro-Frack, 36 do. Who’s laughing all the way to the bank?

How sick is it that one powerful, arrogant and vain man will selfishly deprive millions of people of an economic opportunity solely to advance himself politically.

Buffalo is the third poorest City in America with the highest tax rates and unbearable bureaucratic regulation. We are losing our youth in droves.

Is there any doubt that after the election Cuomo will again forget about Upstate and Long Island?

While Cuomo fiddles Upstate New York circles the drain.

But that is the problem with progressives and vanguardists generally: Leading from the front, they have only their visions to guide them.

Brad Lander, the Council’s master theoretician, spoke recently to Brian Lehrer about inclusionary housing, and said that the point of the progressive housing policy isn’t so much about who goes through which door or gets to use the gym or roof deck. “What matters to me more than the separate entrances,” says Councilman Lander, “is that neighborhoods in New York City … are portals for opportunity, or portals for problems. We don’t like to talk about segregation, but we still have a very segregated metropolitan region.”

It used to be that the affordable housing debate was all about developing inventory: building units where low-income people could live comfortably. But now, as Lander indicates, affordable housing is about population transfer. Neighborhoods are defined as “portals” through which the residents can gain entry to higher social and professional spheres, thereby eliminating income inequality and other societal ills.

A study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development tested this “portal” hypothesis through a decades-long experiment called “Moving to Opportunity.”

Thousands of low-income families were monitored after being moved out of very poor neighborhoods through a variety of modes of assistance.

The results were mixed: There was a slight improvement in the mood and general health of the subjects, but little significant change in income or test score outcomes.

New York City is tightly packed with people, and there isn’t a lot of space for planners to play around with.

And it still isn’t clear what makes one neighborhood essentially “better” than another: Good neighbors make the best neighborhoods, after all.

Shuffling poor people into rich areas may gratify the well-meaning impulses of the city’s political elite, but the evidence is lacking that population exchange will ameliorate our social problems.

Seth Barron (@NYCCouncil Watch on Twitter) runs City Council Watch, an investigative website focusing on local New York City politics.

cit yandstateny.com

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START UP NEW YORK

outside its purview.

It is ironic that politicians such as Helen Rosenthal acknowledge that getting a permanently subsidized “affordable” apartment is akin to “winning the lottery,” while at the same time bemoaning “legalized segregation.”

Rosenthal paints a tearful wordpicture of two children who attend the same public school but are forced to “use different doors” to get to their apartments in the same building, “because one child’s family has more money than the other’s.” Aside from the irreducible fact that everyone goes home through a different door anyway, is housing policy to be determined on the basis of an imagined child’s hurt feelings? What happens when the poorer child visits the apartment of his or her richer friend and discovers that the bathroom fixtures are nicer, that the refrigerator is stocked with fancier treats, that the television gets more channels, that the family garages a car, that no one shares a bedroom, etc.?

Short of mass collectivization, there is no way to ever shield Rosenthal’s strawchild from the heterogenous realities of urban life.

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez seconds Rosenthal’s point, minus some bathos, when he states, “Our city has always been one of inclusion.

We cannot let the income disparities that permeate throughout the five boroughs manifest themselves into a blatantly segregated apartment complex, especially one funded with city dollars.”

Aside from the fact that it isn’t quite true that 40 Riverside Boulevard (the building in question) was “funded with city dollars,” exactly which city is Rodriguez claiming to have “always been one of inclusion”?

Is there any characterization of New York City that is less apposite, that is more totally off the mark, than to describe it as historically “inclusive?” Since when? Ask John Jacob Astor—or Jacob Riis, for that matter—how inclusive their New Yorks were. New York City has always been known for the blatant distinction between its haves and its have-nots; for the ruthlessness with which it swallows up the poor and hapless; for the shameless and ostentatious display of wealth; for its pointed and often painful exclusivity.

It is fine to wish the city to be different than it is—but it is utterly ridiculous for Councilman Rodriguez to pretend that it has always in fact been as he wishes it to be.

S TAT E

CAN THE POLLS BE TRUSTED IN FIVE KEY SENATE RACES?

By JON LENTZ

cit yandstateny.com

State Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk, shown here at her swearing-in ceremony in 2013, is down by 10 points in a recent Siena poll. confident as ever.”

But a more comprehensive look at Siena’s track record offers less reason for optimism.

One detail that Gianaris failed to mention about those early October polls in 2010 is that while the four Democratic Senate candidates did ultimately gain ground, two of them still ended up losing (Michael Kaplowitz to Greg Ball, and Mary Wilmot to thenSen. James Alesi).

And while Avella’s comefrom-behind win in 2010 demonstrates the potential for this year’s underdogs to upset the frontrunners, his win is clearly an anomaly.

Of the eight state Senate races that Siena polled in 2010, Avella was the only candidate, Democrat or Republican, to overcome a double-digit gap. Lee Zeldin and Tim Kennedy were also behind in late September or early October polls and went on to win that year, but each one was down by no more than a few percentage points. The other three candidates with early double-digit leads—Sens. Alesi, David Valesky and Hugh Farley— were all handily re-elected in November.

The 2010 election offers the most useful point of comparison for this year’s contests. As in 2010, the ballot this year is topped

by the race for governor and there is no presidential contest. In presidential years voter turnout is typically greater in New York, which tends to boost Democratic candidates. But polling and voter data from the two most recent presidential years—including 2008, the year Siena began polling state Senate races—show similar trends.

Siena polled 11 Senate races in 2008, and only one candidate came from behind to take office after trailing by double digits.

William Stachowski, then an incumbent Democrat in western New York, was down by 13 points yet won reelection with 53 percent of the vote. Between 2008 and 2012, Stachowski and Avella are the only two candidates polled

by Siena who closed such a sizeable deficit.

Two years ago no candidate repeated that feat. Cecilia Tkaczyk might have been that far behind George Amedore at some point, but Siena waited until a few days before the election to survey that race. (Tkaczyk, who was down by 3 points, went on to win by 18 votes.) Ted O’Brien was down by 8 points in an early poll, then won his first term in office with 52 percent of the vote.

In that historical context, positioning five Democrats

to overcome double-digit disadvantages is no small task.

Even if two of the Democrats were able to defy the odds this year, that success would be unmatched since Siena began polling Senate races.

Calling into question the accuracy of Siena’s polls is central to the Senate Democrats’ take on their chances, yet with notable exceptions, the pollster has a respectable track record of predicting winners. Of the 25 state Senate races it has polled over the last three cycles, a total of eight featured a candidate who came from behind to take the lead by Election Day—evidence that Gianaris and others cite as a warning against putting too much stock in early polls. In these cases, though, the final result was not proof that a poll was wrong per se, since it was simply a snapshot in time of a race that was still fluid.

What should have more weight are the polls closer to the election, which are usually released during the final week of the campaign.

In six of the eight races in which one candidate overtook another, a second Siena poll closer to Election Day captured the shift in momentum and accurately predicted the eventual winner.

Only in the cases of Avella in 2010 and Tkaczyk in 2012 was Siena ultimately wrong, giving it an impressive 23 out of 25 record overall.

Of course, sometimes polls are simply wrong. As Gianaris pointed out, Lovely Warren was down by 36 points on the eve of her pivotal primary election for mayor of Rochester last year, according to Siena, but ended up winning by 17 points. Those results, the lawmaker said, should cast doubt on O’Brien’s 25-point disadvantage, especially since his district is in the Rochester area.

“I would take these numbers with a grain of salt,” Gianaris said, “and look forward to Ted O’Brien, just as he did last time when Siena had him down by 8 percent and he won by 4, I think they’re going to be off by double digits again and Ted O’Brien’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

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city & state — October 13, 2014

S

tate Sen. Michael Gianaris, the head of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, went on Capital Tonight in early October to dispute polls showing Democrats trailing in a handful of races that are crucial to the party’s chances of wresting control of the chamber from the Republicans.

The Siena Research Institute had just released polls indicating that a trio of upstate Democratic incumbent senators were facing steep uphill battles: Cecilia Tkaczyk was down by 10 points, Terry Gipson lagged by 12 and Ted O’Brien was behind by a whopping 25 points. The situation was even more bleak in the Republican stronghold of Long Island, where recent Siena polls had Republican State Sen. Jack Martins up by 25 points against his Democratic challenger, Adam Haber, and another Democrat, Adrienne Esposito, grappling with a 27-point deficit against the GOP’s Tom Croci in their battle for an open seat in Suffolk County.

The findings of these battleground polls called into question the Democrats’ ability to win enough races to secure a majority. Gianaris countered that his party has only just begun to spend heavily on its candidates and that there would be plenty of time to catch up. Republicans have already invested far more in at least some of the races, although Democrats say they will be on a more level playing field this year.

Gianaris noted that when Siena polled four Senate races in early October four years ago, the Democrats went on to perform much better on Election Day. Siena also projected Tony Avella losing to then-Sen. Frank Padavan by 24 points in late September that year. Avella went on to oust the incumbent with an 8-point victory.

“There’s a lot of precedent to not pay attention to these early October polls,” Gianaris told the host, Liz Benjamin. “Our own numbers are significantly better than whatever Siena put out [Monday], so we’re feeling as

B U F FA LO

THE JILLS ARE DUE

CHEELEADERS’ ORDEAL TESTS WHETHER CUOMO WILL SUPPORT WOMEN’S EQUALITY IN ACTION, NOT JUST WORDS

city & state — October 13, 2014

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AP IMAGES

ALEXIS GRENELL

D

uring the Buffalo Bills’ first home opener against the Miami Dolphins, Gov. Andrew Cuomo aired a campaign commercial exposing his Republican opponent, Rob Astorino, as a lifelong Dolphins fan. The ad simultaneously touted Cuomo’s efforts to keep the Bills in New York: “Governor Cuomo stood with us. He’s delivered for Buffalo and all of Western New York.”

Indeed, the governor has spent considerable time and taxpayer resources on behalf of the Bills. Most recently, Cuomo championed Kim and Terry Pagula’s $1.4 billion bid to buy the franchise to “ensure that the Bills remain at the core of the region’s identity.” Since the season began, both Cuomo and his Buffalo-based running mate, Kathy Hochul, have frantically tweeted their support on game days, tying their campaign narrative to the hometown heroes.

However, lost amid the governor’s rush to out-fan Astorino, is any mention of the Buffalo Jills, the team’s cheerleading squad. Along with five other squads across the NFL, including the New York Jets’ (the Giants don’t have cheerleaders), the Jills are suing the Bills for wage theft. The suit claims

Last year the Buffalo Bills earned $252 million, yet the Jills do not get paid to cheerlead.

that the Jills were uncompensated for over 800 hours of work, during which the Bills made onerous and sexist demands on them.

Last year the Buffalo Bills earned $252 million, yet the Jills do not get paid to cheerlead.

A

t the crux of the lawsuit is the relationship between the Bills, the Jills, Citadel Broadcasting Company and Stejon Productions, a management company incorporated specifically to run the squad.

The Jills have been the Bills’ cheerleading squad since 1967, when they wore white turtlenecks and had to be married to make the cut.

Today’s Jills are trained dancers who execute complex athletic routines. The Bills long ago recognized their value, trademarking “the Jills” in 1982 and

licensing them to various for-profit management companies under strict guidelines and profit sharing agreements.

In 2011, after a licensing agreement with Citadel ended, the Bills directly solicited a Citadel employee, Stephanie Mateczun, a former Jill, to manage the squad.

Mateczun formed Stejon, and the Jills signed “independent contractor” agreements, which stated clearly that they were not employees. In exchange for their work, each Jill would receive a ticket for game day and a parking voucher. They would not be paid for games, and they were entirely responsible for all related expenses such as uniforms ($650), transportation, hair and makeup.

According to the lawsuit filed in May on behalf of five former

cheerleaders, the Jills were required to attend twice-weekly practices, game days and 20–35 appearances at corporate, community and charity events, collectively totaling an estimated 900 uncompensated, or semi-paid, events. In addition to their mandatory unpaid work, the Jills could be fined for a broad array of infractions including “having a bad attitude.” Any opportunity for a paid appearance was at management’s discretion, contingent on the Jill being in good standing. A detailed handbook the Jills were required to abide by provided a set of expectations for on and off-field conduct.

Some choice excerpts: “Don’t ask for cash gifts as wedding gifts (in print), rely on word of mouth instead.”

“When menstruating, use a tampon cit yandstateny.com

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heerleading is high status display work, and the women who elect to do it are free to choose other work. That being said, according to Forbes the average squad’s capitalized value is estimated at roughly $1 million per team. Twentyfive of the 32 teams in the NFL have cheerleaders.

“It’s what anthropologists call a system of traffic,” says Ashley Mears, an assistant professor of sociology at Boston University and author of Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model. “When men exchange women and reap the benefits of the circulation and control of women, but women are not in a position to capitalize on the very value they create.”

It’s also illegal under New York state law. In July, Judge Timothy Drury rejected the Bills’ motion to dismiss, finding that “the minute control that Citadel and Stejon exercised over the work of the cheerleaders supports the conclusion that they were not independent contractors but employees.” The judge stated further that “there is a question of fact as to the Bills’ functional control over the activities of the Bills’ cheerleading squad.”

What is not in question is that the Bills benefited from the products of the Jills’ labor, without the burden of employment. That’s textbook exploitation.

“Women who are the most visible female portion of the NFL are paid less than the beer vendor,” said Marc Panepinto, one of the attorneys representing the Jills, and a current candidate for state Senate in Western New York. “I think that says something about how the NFL values women, and it’s wrong.”

How much are the Bills really fighting over anyway?

Based on New York’s $8 minimum wage, it would cost just $235,000 to pay every cheerleader for 20 hours per week, for 42 weeks per year (excluding appearances). That’s less than one one-thousandth of the Bills’ estimated annual revenue.

Instead, the Bills are countersuing cit yandstateny.com

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he Women’s Equality Act has become a centerpiece of the Cuomo/Hochul campaign, spawning the eponymous Women’s Equality Party, the goal of which ostensibly is to promote the passage of the 10-point legislation. The first plank of the Act is pay equity with a specific provision to maximize damages for litigants in wage theft cases. As a ticket, Cuomo and Hochul have been touring the state, boldly proclaiming their support for women’s rights.

But when asked to comment on the Jills, a spokesperson for the governor’s re-election effort said it wasn’t a matter for the campaign. When the Cuomo administration was contacted, it was similarly loath to respond.

So this columnist asked one of the campaign’s surrogates, particularly in regard to the Women’s Equality Party, former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who responded with characteristic frankness: “Seems to me cheerleaders show up and do a job, and it’s actually not an easy job. So they should get paid, and that should be worked out. God bless the cheerleaders who are going to court, but they shouldn’t have to.”

Lo and behold, two days later Kathy Hochul issued a statement to City & State: “I support the Jills. Where a woman works should not be determinative of whether she is entitled pay.”

The governor then weighed in through a spokesperson: “We support the right for a fair wage for the Jills and for all New Yorkers.”

But that didn’t stop either of them from attending a Bills Tailgate party just a few weeks later.

In 2012 Cuomo was intimately involved in negotiations to secure a $130 million-dollar deal to fix up the Bills’ stadium. He met twice with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who leveraged $95 million—the cost of 73 percent of the renovations—in taxpayer support.

Maybe doing something to help the Jills, rather than the organization exploiting them, could be the governor’s next campaign pledge.

Alexis Grenell (@agrenell on Twitter) is a Democratic communications strategist based in New York. She handles nonprofit and political clients.

Our Perspective Our Perspective Car Wash Industry Car Wash in Need ofIndustry in Need of Accountability Accountability

By Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, By StuartUFCW Appelbaum, President, RWDSU, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, RWDSU, UFCW he movement to win justice for car wash workers in New York has been going strong for he winand justice car wash overmovement two yearsto now, the for industry has been workers in New York has been going strong changing. Seven car washes have agreed to unionfor overwith two years now, and the industry hasabeen contracts their employees, and in March, changing.

Seven washes have agreed union multimillion dollarcar settlement for car washtoworkers contracts with their employees, and in March, a was negotiated between State Attorney General multimillion dollar settlement for car wash workers Eric Schneiderman and several high-profile car General was negotiated State Attorneywage wash owners forbetween numerous workplace law Eric Schneiderman and several high-profile car violations. wash numerous workplace wage law And yet, there areowners still carfor wash violations. operators who think they are above the There are still car wash there areworkers. still car There wash law, and And can yet, exploit their operators who think operators who thinkwho theyare aremore above the are still bad actors There areabove still car they are thewash law. law, and can exploit their workers.

There concerned with the bottom line than operators who think are still bad actors who are more paying their employees what they are they are above the law. concerned with the bottom line than legally owed. paying their employees what they On October 7, workers at are the Vegas Auto Spa in Park Slope, legally owed. filed a lawsuit against their boss Marat Leshehinsky, charging Brooklyn, On October 7, workers the Vegas Spaamongst in Park Slope, over $600,000 in stolen wages at – and that’s Auto divided only eight filed a lawsuit against their boss Marat Leshehinsky, charging Brooklyn, employees. Leshehinsky is accused of paying workers well under over $600,000 in stolenminimum wages – and that’s divided amongst only eight wage – sometimes as little as $4.50 employees. Leshehinskyan is hour accused of failing paying to workers well under – and pay overtime despite minimum wage – sometimes as90 little as $4.50 The Car Wash working employees as much as hours a an hour – and failing to pay overtime despite Accountability week. It’s possible that damages in this case The Car Wash working employees as million.

90 hours a Act is common could reach as high as as much over $1 Accountability week.

It’s all possible damages this sense legislation.

Despite of the that progress madeinby carcase wash Act is common $1 million. could reach as theft high as overrampant, workers, wage is still and the sense legislation.

Despitestill all operates of the progress made by oversight. car wash industry with little to no workers, wage theft is still rampant, and the But it doesn’t have to be this way. industry still operates with little to no oversight.

There is legislation before the city council that will correct some it doesn’t have toCar be this way. of these But problems.

Under the Wash Accountability Act, car washes in There is legislation before the council that will and correct some New York would be required to obtain acity license to operate, prove of these problems.

Under the Car Wash Accountability Act, car washes in that they are properly disposing of wastewater and chemicals that could New York would be required to obtain a license to operate, and prove be putting the health of our communities at risk. They’d also be required properly wastewater and chemicals that could that they are to obtain surety bonds,disposing to ensureofthat communities and employees are be puttinginthe communities atresulting risk. They’d also be required protected thehealth case of of our potential damages from lawsuits such to obtain bonds, toAuto ensure communities and employees are as the onesurety filed by Vegas Spathat employees or settlements like the protected in the case of potential damages resulting from lawsuits such one the State Attorney General reached earlier this year. as the one Auto Spa legislation employeesthat or settlements like the Thefiled lawby is Vegas common sense would provide one the State that Attorney reached earlierof this year. communities host General car washes with peace mind when dealing with Thethat law clearly is common sense legislation thatToo would provide an industry still has a long way to go. many players in the communities that host car washes with peace of mind when with industry have proven time and again that allowing car washesdealing to operate an industry that clearly still has a long way to go.

Too many players in without oversight isn’t working for our communities or working people.the industry have proven time and again that allowing car washes to operate without oversight isn’t working for our communities or working people.

B U F FA LO

the cheerleaders for legal fees.

T T

Visit us on the web at www.rwdsu.org Visit us on the web at

www.rwdsu.org

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city & state — October 13, 2014

that’s right for your menstrual flow. A tampon too big can irritate and develop fungus.”

“Do not be overly opinionated about anything.”

According to Mateczun’s lawyer, former Attorney General Dennis Vacco, the handbook is standard throughout the NFL.

B U F FA LO

COULD SOLARCITY FLARE OUT? with the state, and we have negotiated financial penalties if they fail to do so.”

A GROWING COMPANY

S JIM HEANEY

city & state — October 13, 2014

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G

ov. Andrew Cuomo is investing $750 million of taxpayer funds and the hopes of a community desperate for an economic recovery in a company that is losing money, weathering two federal investigations and facing, by its own admission, an uncertain economic future.

To hear Cuomo tell it, the construction of a solar panel manufacturing plant operated by SolarCity Corp. will be a “game changer,” a catalyst to reviving the Western New York economy.

Indeed, the company is regarded as a leader in the burgeoning solar energy industry, has acquired promising technology to manufacture solar panels and has enjoyed soaring stock prices since it went public in December 2102.

But company officials, in their most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, expressed reservations about SolarCity’s longterm prospects. “It is difficult to evaluate our business and prospects due to our limited operating history,” SolarCity said in its quarterly report filed with the SEC for the period ending June 30.

The company’s short history has been written in red ink. SolarCity has lost $452.6 million since 2010, including $88.4 million the first half of this year, according to its SEC filings. “SolarCity has been consistently unprofitable,” the financial magazine Barron’s declared in an

An artist rendering of the proposed SolarCity factory in Western New York.

August 2013 story entitled “Dark Clouds Over SolarCity,” which concluded that “the absence of sunlight surrounding SolarCity suggests that investors should steer clear of its shares.”

To this point SolarCity has focused on selling solar power to homeowners and businesses that lease rooftop solar energy units. The Buffalo plant will move the company into a whole new line of business and make it responsible for operating a large manufacturing plant that will employ 1,500 workers, and building a local supply chain that would generate an additional 1,500 jobs.

Is SolarCity up to the task?

“We only have limited insight into emerging trends that may adversely impact our business, prospects and operating results. As a result, our limited operating history may impair our ability to accurately forecast our future performance,” the company stated in its most recent filing with the SEC. That uncertainty has not stopped Cuomo from committing $750 million in state funds to build and equip SolarCity

on a restored brownfield near Buffalo’s waterfront. The governor has made the project the centerpiece of his Buffalo Billion program, aimed at rejuvenating the region’s economy.

Despite SolarCity’s losses and the words of caution expressed in its SEC filings, a spokesperson for the company said it is “in an extremely strong financial position” and “excited to build the largest solar facility in the Western Hemisphere in Buffalo.”

Peter Cutler, director of communications and special projects for a local arm of the Empire State Development Corp., pointed to what he considers positive indicators of the company’s financial health.

They include a recent analysis by the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System, commonly known as NASDAQ, that concluded, “SolarCity maintains a stable financial position” and “a favorable liquidity profile.”

Said Cutler: “We are confident that SolarCity will deliver on its agreement

olarCity, based in suburban San Francisco, was founded in 2006 by brothers Lyndon and Peter Rive and financed in part by their cousin, Elon Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur whose ventures have included PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Musk is SolarCity’s largest shareholder, owning 22.5 percent of the company’s stock as of this past April.

The company has grown into one of the largest solar energy providers in the nation with a 36 percent share of the residential market and 7 percent share of the commercial market. It had 141,034 customers as of June 30, with the largest concentration in California. It employs 7,500 people in 52 operation centers around the county, including three in New York State, which are located in Albany, Long Island and Westchester County.

The lion’s share of SolarCity’s business involves the company installing rooftop solar systems costing an average of $25,000 to $30,000. The company recoups the expense through a 20-year lease with homeowners, who are charged for the electricity their rooftop unit produces. SolarCity buys its solar panels from a variety of manufacturers in China, Europe and North America. In June it took a big step toward manufacturing its own panels by purchasing Silevo, a panel maker that had struck a deal with Cuomo last November to open a plant in Buffalo that would be built and equipped by the state. SolarCity officials say Silevo’s solar panels are cheaper to make and more efficient in generating electricity than rival products.

“It’s a really, really good technology,” cit yandstateny.com

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RISK FACTORS

he company that New York taxpayers are investing so heavily in has not been able to produce a profit for its shareholders.

The company’s SEC filings report net losses of $452.6 million from 2010 through June 30 of this year. The losses have grown larger each year, and if trends for the first half of this year hold, losses in 2014 will be nearly four times those of 2010.

Put another way, SolarCity is currently spending more than $2 for every $1 of revenue it takes in. The continuing losses have prompted more than one analyst to question SolarCity’s viability.

But Bass, the company’s spokesman, countered that “SolarCity has more than $3 billion in assets on its balance sheet, more than $3 billion in contracted payments remaining from customers, and has raised private funds to finance more than $4 billion in solar projects.

We are in an extremely strong financial position.”

Bass said the company’s losses are linked to the cost of acquiring customers.

The company absorbs the high up-front expense of installing the rooftop units and recoups it over 20 years.

“We have contracted with customers to provide us more than $3 billion cit yandstateny.com

B U F FA LO Gov. Andrew Cuomo was among the officials who broke ground on SolarCity’s GigaFactory facility.

in payments that have not yet been recognized as revenue in our GAAP financials, and that is the primary impact on the net loss figures,” he said.

Furthermore, Bass said the solar market has “significant growth potential” and that profits will come as the company scales up its operation.

As for the Buffalo plant, he said, “we’ll absolutely be able to execute this.”

SolarCity’s most recent SEC filing strikes a more cautious note, however.

“Our ability as an organization to integrate acquisitions is unproven. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions or any other future acquisition, or the acquisition may be viewed negatively by customers, financial markets or investors,” the filing said.

Elsewhere in the filing, SolarCity lists among its potential risks “the inability to successfully operate new lines of business in which our management team and personnel may have little prior experience.”

Are the concerns expressed in the SEC filings overly cautious?

“The risk factors are the risk factors,” Bass said. “I can’t comment on the risk factors beyond what is in the filings.”

The MIT Technology Review expressed caution in a Sept. 19 story that reported on SolarCity’s plans for Buffalo and Tesla Motors’ deal to build a plant in Nevada that will build batteries to service both

electric cars and solar panels.

“Both companies’ manufacturing plans are ambitious but also risky, given the recent track record of U.S. energy companies, and because unexpected technology advances could quickly render the components produced in those plants outmoded,” the story said.

SolarCity’s stock, meanwhile, is in a state of flux. Initially offered at $8 a share, it climbed to a high of $84.96 in February of this year and had dropped to $56.48 as of October 8.

T

LEGAL ISSUES

he company faces legal as well as financial challenges.

SolarCity is one of three leading solar energy companies under review by the U.S. Treasury and Justice Department to determine if each inflated installation costs to obtain federal tax credits and grants. The companies, according to press reports, charged customers considerably more than the industry standard to install rooftop units. In addition, the IRS has audited two of the investment funds SolarCity established with partner firms to finance portions of its work.

SolarCity insists it has followed all applicable laws and regulations. The government has not concluded its investigations, which could take up to another nine months to complete.

In another investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a preliminary determination in February that SolarCity miscategorized some hourly workers as salaried employees at a facility in Foster City, Calif. At issue is whether employees are due overtime pay. No penalties or damages have been determined.

The company is also defending itself against two lawsuits brought in March by shareholders who allege violations of federal securities laws. The lawsuits contend that the company and two of its officers issued incorrect SEC filings and press releases between March 2013 and March 2014 that misled shareholders about the company’s financial condition.

SolarCity contends the cases have no merit.

While SolarCity is fending off plaintiffs and investigators, company officials are also developing plans for their expansion into Buffalo. Whether they can succeed is a $750 million question.

Jim Heaney is the founder, editor and executive editor of Investigative Post, a nonprofit investigative reporting center focused on Buffalo and Western New York.

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city & state — October 13, 2014

said Jonathan Bass, vice president of communications for SolarCity.

After buying Silevo, SolarCity initiated talks with the Cuomo administration about building a larger plant in Buffalo in exchange for a bigger subsidy from the state. The resulting deal, announced Sept.

23, commits SolarCity to creating 3,000 jobs at its plant and through suppliers located in Buffalo, and the state to spending $750 million to help construct and equip the plant, which is projected to open the first quarter of 2016.

The state investment includes $350 million in cash and $400 million in loans that New York will cover through grants if SolarCity meets its employment goals. In addition, the company won’t pay state corporate taxes because the state Legislature, at Cuomo’s behest earlier this year, eliminated corporate taxes on manufacturers. A state entity will also own the plant, meaning SolarCity will not pay property taxes.

The companies that supply SolarCity will be eligible to participate in Start-Up New York, another Cuomo-initiated program, which abates state taxes for participating firms and their employees for 10 years.

R I S I N G S TA R S

N Y C

NEW YORK CITY'S NEXT GENERATION OF P OLITICAL LEADERS

Profiles by JEFF COLTIN, WILDER FLEMING, KERRY GILLICH, ASHLEY HUPFL, JON LENTZ, MORGAN PEHME, GABE PONCE DE LEON, NICK POWELL

16

city & state — October 13, 2014

W

hile New York City government might not yet accurately reflect the glorious melting pot that is the Big Apple, our 2014 NYC 40 Under 40 list definitely does. This year’s group of Rising Stars is our most diverse class ever, with three-quarters representing the city’s majority-minority population and half of our honorees being women.

That distinction was not intentional; our choices merely reflect a trend in leadership that only promises to become more influential in the years and decades to come.

This year’s class also accentuates the greater range of professional areas that impact city government and policy. In addition to the elected officials, agency heads, staffers, communications pros, journalists, lobbyists, activists, and union officials who typically fill out our list, there are tech leaders, figures from academia, representatives from the cultural world, and even crisis management experts. These 40 exceptional young people—selected from over 600 reader nominations—have already earned the respect of their colleagues and made a difference in the sectors and communities in which they work.

Our Rising Stars in years past have risen to become members of Congress, deputy mayors, commissioners, and titans of business. As accomplished as this year’s class already is, we are certain that they have much farther to go in their professional and personal lives. We invite you to meet these leaders of tomorrow today. cit yandstateny.com

R I S I N G S TA R S

DAN HYMAN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, MCKENNA LONG & ALDRIDGE LLP

AGE: 27

D

an Hyman knows the value of a mentor.

In high school on Long Island, Hyman got an internship with Michael Klein, thendeputy Nassau County Executive. In college he landed another internship with Klein, who was then running a private company. They now work together at McKenna Long & Aldridge, a top law and public policy firm. “It turned out to be a great thing,” Hyman said.

“He’s still my boss five or six years later.”

At McKenna Long, Hyman advises clients on the ways public policies, government officials and regulatory agencies can affect their businesses, and helps build relationships with stakeholders. Although he covers a range of policy areas, his focus has been on infrastructure and development, including clean energy. Lately he has been working on projects tied to Superstorm Sandy. “One project I’m particularly proud of is my firm’s role in helping our client, the Fire Island Association, secure hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to rebuild the shoreline, the dunes on the shoreline and to protect the coast, which will also by extension protect the entire South Shore of Long Island,” he said.

Outside of work, Hyman assists the Governors Island Alliance in developing a comprehensive public policy strategy as a member of its young professionals committee.

He is also involved with Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century, the American Jewish Committee and the Long Island Association, which keeps him connected to his roots.

“I’d love to go into public service,” he said of his future plans. “I’d love to take all the knowledge I have right now, all the relationships I’ve been building, and translate that into public service in some capacity.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would be working in marketing or community development for the NBA.” Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“To be honest, I haven’t traveled nearly as extensively as I would’ve liked, but considering my interests and the business I work in, Washington, D.C. I love the sense of history and history being made.” —JL

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MARY ELIZABETH ELKORDY PRODUCER OF THE GERALDO RIVERA SHOW; THE RIDE HOME WITH PAT KIERNAN AND RITA COSBY; AND THE JOAN HAMBURG SHOW

AGE: 24

If you were not working politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would love to pursue singing. It is something I literally do everywhere, whether it’s on stage, walking my dog, at work, at a karaoke place. Literally, as long as my lungs function, I will be singing.”

cit yandstateny.com

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Rome, because it’s a great city to explore without a map. You go through all these random streets and then out of nowhere you hit a piazza.” —AH

city & state — October 13, 2014

M

ary Elizabeth Elkordy started her career at a young age. “I had a very activist mother. She would put on comedy shows at hospitals and homeless centers, and I would help her produce them since I was, like, 4.”

Before entering the radio industry, Elkordy interned at various levels of government, including for then-U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner and on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, which she called an “adventure.”

“Getting to be around people that genuinely believe in a cause and just are so excited to be a part of it and willing to put in hours they can be sleeping, hours they could spend with their family, trying to change the trajectory of a country is just super exciting, and there’s an energy that nothing else can match,” Elkordy said.

She joined WABC in 2011, and last year began producing The Geraldo Rivera Show, going from booking one to two guests to 16 to 20 guests per day. She has also started a news email, Mary’s News You Can Use, sent out nightly Sunday through Thursday. Elkordy said it has been a fascinating journey to go from a local to a national show.

“I’m a big thinker; I have big goals,” said Elkordy, who aspires to be a White House press secretary or a prime-time TV reporter. “But that’s in the future—I’m not trying to give the impression I’m leaving my job! I would only ever leave to do tremendous things.”

R I S I N G S TA R S

RONALD CASTORINA JR. STATEN ISLAND REPUBLICAN COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

AGE: 34

R

onald Castorina Jr.’s claim to fame is firing his mom.

When he became a commissioner with the New York City Board of Elections this year, one of the first things he did was persuade his mother, a voter registration clerk, to quit her job.

“I strongly believe, as an attorney and an individual, in avoiding even the air of impropriety,” Castorina said. “I had a talk with my mother, and it was understood that this would be the better thing to do. I get teased about that by a lot of the local elected officials, but it basically proves the point that I really do want to stay above the fray, and I really do care about doing the right thing, even if it’s at a cost.”

Although he’s a Republican official, Castorina emphasizes the bipartisan work the BoE is doing on behalf of voters, from making voting booths more private to increasing ballot font size to improve readability.

Castorina got hooked on politics as a teenager in Bensonhurst, where a district leader in his neighborhood brought him to the local political club. After studying law in Buffalo, he settled in Staten Island. In 2011 he worked pro bono on a successful lawsuit against the city seeking to continue school bus service for seventh and eighth graders, particularly in Staten Island and a section of Queens. The case connected him with New York City Councilman Vincent Ignizio, and he was hired as Ignizio’s counsel, a post he held until joining the Board of Elections.

“I got the opportunity to work alongside a lot of the electeds and their staff in connection with that action, and forged a lot closer bonds with people,” he said.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“An airline pilot.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Giardini Naxos in Sicily. It’s where my father’s grandparents emigrated from. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.” —JL

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DANNA DeBLASIO MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL LOBBYING, PATRICIA LYNCH ASSOCIATES

AGE: 28

city & state — October 13, 2014

D

anna DeBlasio has politics in her blood—though she is not related to the mayor with whom she shares a surname.

Both of her grandfathers worked in county legislatures, and her father was president of a firefighters’ union.

At Union College she studied political science. When she graduated she was immediately hired at Patricia Lynch Associates’ Albany office. She eventually moved to the firm’s New York City office, then spent two years at its Panama City branch before returning to focus on the New York City Council.

“I love working with the clients,” DeBlasio said. “I love making sure their voice is heard and kind of connecting people … and really reading people and knowing what’s going to resonate with them in the effort to, obviously, advocate for my clients.”

Her work pushing for immigration rights on behalf of Legal Aid, a client of hers, is an area about which she is particularly passionate. When traveling during college, DeBlasio got a firsthand look at the Mexican-American border. She is proud to live in a city that is leading the way on immigrants’ rights, she said.

Patricia Lynch has been a great mentor, said DeBlasio, who believes she is in the position she is in now because she was given opportunities to advance within the firm. She says some day she might like to follow in Lynch’s footsteps and start her own business— “later down the road when I’ve had a lot of experience under my belt”—but for now her “goal is to serve my clients to the best of my ability. I think that delivering is really important. I think if I establish the reputation of delivering for my clients, the future is limitless.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d really want to be an interior designer.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Florence, because I’m Italian and I really appreciate the people, the food, the art and the culture.” —AH cit yandstateny.com

Mike Klein, Jonathan Ballan, Hon. Craig Johnson, William F. Plunkett, Jr, Amy Solomon, Timothy J. Plunkett Kathleen P. O’Connor, Tom Dwyer, and Victor Cruz

Congratulates our own rising star Dan Hyman for his hard work and dedication to our clients.

Congratulations, Dan, and to this year’s New York City Rising Stars: 40 under 40, on this well-deserved recognition.

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP New York Government Affairs team is comprised of former legislative and gubernatorial staff, prosecutors, and corporation counsel. We represent a wide range of clients in front of the executive and legislative branches of New York State and City

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government, including nearly every regulatory agency in New York, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State Comptroller, and many county and municipal governments across New York.

mckennalong.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

Albany l Atlanta l Brussels l Denver l Los Angeles l Miami l New York l Northern Virginia Orange County l Rancho Santa Fe l San Diego l San Francisco l Seoul l Washington, DC

cit yandstateny.com

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JESSICA TISCH DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

AGE: 33

H

er father is the CEO of Loews Corporation, her mother is the state Board of Regents chancellor, and she herself studied law and business at Harvard—but Jessica Tisch is not surprised she ended up at the NYPD. “I was always more interested in public service,” she said. “In law school and business school, I’d done the internships at the law firms and all that stuff, but none of it really ever sang to me. And when I graduated and took the bar, I really wanted to do something first that would be interesting and exciting, and where I could actually make an impact that I felt and appreciated.”

She went from Harvard straight to the NYPD, starting as an analyst. As director of policy and planning in counterterrorism, she oversaw the Domain Awareness System, which presents data from an array of sensors and cameras throughout the city. In February she was promoted to run the entire information technology division.

“I saw what a big impact doing a few practical, thoughtful things the right way in the IT space could make in this department, and I really loved it,” Tisch said. “I loved being out in the field, talking to the cops and understanding what their needs were and thinking about interesting ways to solve their problems.”

Today Tisch oversees a range of initiatives, from equipping officers with tablets or smartphones to building a new fiber network system to launching an alert system that detects gunshots.

“I’m very lucky to be able to work on a number of interesting, high-impact projects,” she said.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I went to law school and I went to business school, so I suppose there’s a bunch of different fields I could work in, but I really do love working in government, specifically at the police department, so I haven’t made any plans or thought beyond that.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Jerusalem! It is a city with, obviously, a lot of history and a lot of rich culture.” —JL

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EMMA WOODS SENIOR ASSOCIATE, BERLINROSEN

AGE: 27

city & state — October 13, 2014

T

he expansion of universal prekindergarten in New York City was a major legislative victory for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who made it a top policy initiative when he took office earlier this year.

It was also a victory for Emma Woods, who worked directly with advocacy groups pushing for the UPK effort.

Woods, a senior associate at BerlinRosen, was excited to see “something go from an idea that many people called impossible to now seeing more than 50,000 children benefit from this new funding and change in policy.”

She is equally proud of her work to pass paid sick leave in the New York City Council, another significant legislative victory. “It was really incredible to see that from something that felt immovable,” she said, especially in light of the recent de Blasio executive action to expand the measure to benefit even more workers.

Woods almost didn’t have a part in either battle, however. When she graduated from Hamilton College in 2009 after studying sociology and government, she joined the Women’s Media Center, a nonprofit that promotes women’s voices in the media. At the time she thought she would stay in the nonprofit sector, but in March of 2011 she left and landed at BerlinRosen.

“This is a firm that works on progressive issues, and issues of social justice, and works with a lot of nonprofits that are trying to change New York City and the country, and it happened to be a really good fit,” Woods said. “I’ve always been interested in writing and communications.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d probably be working in the nonprofit sector, working for one of our clients. Or doing something with food. I love to cook, and I love to feed people.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Amsterdam. I studied abroad there during college and lived there after I graduated. It’s a beautiful city with a much more small-town feel to it.” —AH cit yandstateny.com

Congratulations to Hilltop’s own

Sam Nagourney and all of the City & State Rising Star Honorees.

32 Court Street, Suite 2109, Brooklyn NY 11231

www.hilltoppublicsolutions.com cit yandstateny.com

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city & state — March 24, 2014

with the Today’s Challenges.

Tomorrow’s Strategies

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REBECCA GINSBERG RUTKOFF MANAGER OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, GOOGLE

AGE: 29

W

orking at Google has become so mythologized that it is refreshing to hear how Rebecca Rutkoff got her job: from a campus recruiter at Bowdoin College. “My friend was going to the information session, so I decided to go along as well, and thought, ‘Hmm, that kind of sounds interesting, maybe I’ll do that!’ ” That session kicked off Rutkoff’s career at the tech giant, where she has spent the last five years in New York City after a shorter stint in Ann Arbor, Mich. Google’s influence in Gotham has only been growing, and Rutkoff has helped promote a variety of the company’s projects from bringing free Wi-Fi to the main office’s Chelsea neighborhood to hosting Cornell NYC Tech’s inaugural classes until its new Roosevelt Island campus is completed. She was even there for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Five Borough Hangout” video chat in April.

Google has over 2,000 software engineers in New York, so a big part of Rutkoff’s job is translating tech-speak to common English. “I work with engineers every day, and I help them figure out how to communicate what they’re doing, which can be often be kind of technical and complicated,” she said. “So I help them communicate that to the rest of the world. I think they appreciate my skill set as much as I appreciate theirs.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would like to be a professional matchmaker. I have three weddings under my belt, and I always find it very fun to matchmake the old-fashioned way. I met my husband on a blind date, and I feel like I have to pay it forward at this point!”

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Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why? ”I would say my favorite city, or maybe town, is Stockbridge, Mass., in the Berkshires. I got married there last summer underneath an apple tree where my parents got married and my grandparents live. … It’s a wonderful place only a few hours away.” —JC

CONGRATULATIONS DANNA DEBLASIO!!!

OUR RISING STAR!!!

city & state — October 13, 2014

Public Affairs | Government Rel ations

One Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10119

www.plynchassociates.com

cit yandstateny.com

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SHADAWN NICOLE SMITH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

AGE: 38

S

hadawn Nicole Smith has found that success in politics hinges upon relationship building. “Everybody works hard. You have to look for strengths; it’s all about collaboration,” she says. “It’s not about me—it’s a ‘we’ thing. That’s how things get done.”

Smith originally planned to write and teach, but after getting her B.A. from South Carolina State University and M.A. from Virginia Tech, she decided her talents were better suited to public interest work. An M.P.A. at Columbia led to a job with the university helping it roll out its expansion plans to the surrounding communities. Three years as a community planner at the Department of City Planning’s Brooklyn office, covering Central Brooklyn neighborhoods followed.

Next up came a stint at the City Council’s Finance Division, where she eventually rose to unit head. For six years Smith monitored the budgets of 12 city agencies with a total of nearly $3 billion between them. With no formal training in finance, she dove in and found her own approach: “I realized I had to know the numbers, but the best way to communicate the information to the Council members wasn’t with data alone, but by telling stories.”

These days Smith is a government affairs specialist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It’s the greatest museum in the world. Two years in I still find myself in amazement that I work here.” Through her years in politics, Smith has developed her own interpersonal style: “I’m a quiet person; I can stay under the radar. People are used to a lot of yelling. I try to keep a level head and a level voice. It’s a different approach, so you get heard more.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“My dream job is working at the CIA, as a secret agent. People don’t want to share secrets, but they are always telling them to me. I’m great at secret keeping … and you get to travel.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“That’s hard. Right now, I would say Paris, because of the culture, the history, the architecture.” —KG

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ANTHONY THOMAS POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK CITY CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL

AGE: 32

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would probably be off teaching history and writing somewhere.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I don’t like the sports teams, but I’ll take Chicago ... in no small part because Chicago is the most American of our nation’s big cities. And I mean that both positively and negatively. All of our strengths, all of our positive faculties can be found in every neighborhood in Chicago. And unfortunately, many of our blind spots and our lesser evolved attributes also still live prominently in Chicago.” —KG cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

A

nthony Thomas spent his early years in Michigan, but he considers Chicago home.

“I’m from Michigan, but I cut my teeth politically in both Missouri and Illinois,” Thomas says.

His first job in politics was working for a state representative in Jefferson City, Mo. The job was eye-opening. “My family is pretty apolitical. When I was working on the state legislative side in Missouri, it became really clear to me quickly that a lot of the things that I believed in were very significantly impacted by the attitudes and/or philosophy of state legislators from all over the state. I was quick to see how much influence the legislators had, and how little input the general public typically has on these outcomes.”

When election season rolled around, he found working on campaigns a natural progression. He initially made the move to New York for a position at a union, and he currently finds himself working at the center of the labor world with AFL-CIO. “It is very easy to do advocacy for people who literally break their brow every day, sweat every day,” he says, “whether it be in the public or private sector, because they are the folks who don’t just make our city run, but make our national economy run.”

Member education is the aspect of his job that Thomas finds especially rewarding.

“I enjoy seeing members become engaged, passionate, active. A movement, the labor movement in particular, is only as strong as its members.”

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ZOE TOBIN

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, MARINO ORGANIZATION

AGE: 32

“I

grew up knowing I would be involved in public service,” says Zoe Tobin. “My mother instilled in me that that was something very important.”

The Boston native’s first internship was in the office of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy: “I loved it, being in the center of decisions and action…I loved all of it.” She’s stayed at the center ever since.

After graduating from Syracuse University, Tobin headed to New York, where she interned for Sen. Hillary Clinton, which solidified her love of the field. Following a short stint in publishing, she joined the New York City Department of Health as a deputy press secretary. In June 2011 she moved to the City Council, where she served as press officer under Speaker Christine Quinn. “There was variety every day. I’m kind of a jack-of-alltrades, so I loved jumping from working on a health issue to then working on city contract issues,” Tobin says.

Her current role as an account exec at the Marino Organization suits her perfectly. “I feel like I am still fighting the good fight, because I am working on behalf of organizations and projects and initiatives I believe in.” A recent success highlights the passion she brings to her work: When her nonprofit client God’s Love We Deliver received an anonymous donation of $1.3 million, the donor cited a Wall Street Journal article that had run the week before. “I love being able to get press for these kinds of clients and good organizations,” she says. “I started sobbing.”

Tobin, who at 23 lost her mother to breast cancer, also works to increase awareness and raise funds to combat the disease. “My mother really loved New York and believed in public service, and she was so thrilled when I got my internships and my first real job. She would be blown away by the experiences that I have been fortunate enough to have in my career.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I used to be a serious dancer … but then I also wanted to be a child psychologist, so I think I probably would have combined the two and been a dance therapist for kids.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Rome. My father was born right outside Rome, and being Italian is just who I am.” —KG

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IBRAHIM KHAN CHIEF OF STAFF, NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC ADVOCATE LETITIA JAMES

AGE: 30

city & state — October 13, 2014

I

brahim Khan was 11 years old when his family left Pakistan to settle on Long Island. Ten years later he began a career in New York politics when Assemblyman Phil Ramos hired him as his legislative director, just a few weeks after Khan arrived in his office as an intern.

“As an immigrant, you learn that how something appears on one side of the ocean can be totally different from how it appears on the other side,” Khan said. “The same is true in politics.”

During his senior year at the University at Albany, Khan would work full-time for the assemblyman while also holding down a full course load. “I graduated on Sunday and went to work on Monday,” he said.

Khan eventually gravitated toward political campaigns, moving to New Hampshire for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid, before joining Brian Foley’s race to unseat a fourdecade incumbent on Long Island. Foley would become the first Democrat elected to the state Senate from Suffolk County in over a hundred years.

After working in the city as deputy chief of staff for state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, Khan joined the MirRam Group as a communications director, where he wound up consulting on Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign as well as Letitia James’s successful bid to become New York City’s first female public advocate—a race in which James overcame a considerable spending gap to handily defeat her runoff opponent.

“It sort of restored my sense that even in an imperfect democratic system, great things can still happen,” Khan said. “Helping elect the first woman of color to a citywide office was a real honor.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Writing novels. I loved reading Hemingway in college, and still revisit A Farewell to Arms from time to time.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I was born in Karachi, a city of 18 million that is loud and boisterous and colorful—much like another city I love.” —GPDL cit yandstateny.com

CONNELLY McLAUGHLIN & WOLOZ Congratulations To Our Very Own Rebecca Weintraub For Being Selected by City & State as a “40 Under 40 Rising Star”

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Michael Woloz, Marty McLaughlin, Kathy Cudahy & Karen Imas

A Boutique Firm Providing: Strategy  Government Relations Community Relations  Public Relations cit yandstateny.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

The Woolworth Building 233 Broadway, Suite 2310, New York, NY 10279 Phone: 212/437-7373 Fax: 212/437-7378 www.cmw-newyork.com

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ERIC KOCH COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

AGE: 30

E

ric Koch doesn’t just have the ears of each of the 51 City Council members—he is their ears. And their eyes and mouth. “There’s always great stories for them to tell, great work that they’re doing,” he said. “And it’s my job to help make sure that they’re telling it in a way that just shows how good a job they’re doing.”

Handling press and media for the Council, Koch [pronounced cook] works closely with Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

“We work together very well, and she’s a fantastic boss,” he said. “She wants the Council to be very member-focused, really focused on rules reform to empower the members.”

Koch has been in City Hall since February, but it’s his second go-round, having previously worked under former Councilman Eric Gioia from 2008 to 2009 before becoming a consultant at Hiltzik Strategies. Koch grew up in Boston, then studied at George Washington University, majoring in political science and playing on the club baseball team. He still plays on a team in East Harlem, and his experience helped him smack two big hits in the Mayor’s Office versus City Council softball game in September, which the Council won.

Like any good communications pro, of course Koch was deferential when asked about his contribution.

“It was in the middle of a rally; I’m not going to take any credit … Just like the City Council as a whole, that was also a collaborative effort.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing? ”If I was maybe four or five inches taller, I’d be playing professional baseball, although that’s a bit of a pipe dream. I probably would have languished in low-A ball.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Kalamata, which is in the southern part of Greece. It’s just a beautiful little place, right on the water, and it’s where my family is from, going back hundreds and hundreds of years.” —JC

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CONGRATULATIONS to

YURIDIA PEÑA & CAMILLE RIVERA Two of the 2014 Winners of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars

city & state — October 13, 2014

Fighting for Good Jobs and Strong Communities for a Better New York

Hector Figueroa, President Larry Engelstein, Executive Vice President Kyle Bragg, Secretary Treasurer With 145,000 members in 11 states and the District of Columbia, including 75,000 in New York City, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country

cit yandstateny.com

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE EARTH INSTITUTE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

A

AGE: 30

s the daughter of an environmental engineer, Allison Miller always had an interest in the environment. But after spending a summer when she was 17 working in her father’s lab “basically sorting water samples,” she knew she didn’t want to be a

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ALISON MILLER

scientist.

After college Miller held several positions in finance, but her heart was never in it.

Looking for work she felt more passionate about, she found her way to Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and its Environmental Science and Policy program.

“I didn’t think I’d ever work at a university,” she says, but once there, she knew she was in the right place. Now the deputy executive director of the university’s Earth Institute, she considers New York “the hub of local city-level sustainability policy,” as one of the first big U.S. cities to put together a sustainability plan. “It’s just made the city so much more livable. New York is ahead of the curve.” And from a career perspective, “to be living in the city and touching these policies in whatever large or small way that I can is the pinnacle,” Miller says.

Movement may be slow at the federal level, but “at the city level you can do so much, and you can see the results in a year. You can see it in your back yard. It’s a great place to be engaged in policy-making.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“If I could do anything at all, I would probably be a travel photographer for National Geographic. Or there’s one thing I always wanted to be since I was a little kid, and that is an animator for Pixar or Disney. So one of those two.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Budapest. I went there a couple of years ago, and I found it to be the most charming, beautiful city I had ever been to. It was friendly and warm, and I was with my family, so it is associated with wonderful memories for me.” —KG

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ASHLEY EMEROLE PRESIDENT, MANHATTAN YOUNG DEMOCRATS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE UNIT HEAD, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

AGE: 27

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Maybe training for the 2016 Olympics. I love track because it’s an individual sport, but you’re part of a team. You have to stay focused, and there’s a finish line.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I studied abroad in Vienna, and loved being able to sit in an 18th century café for hours having existential and cultural discussions, then just hopping on a train to Bratislava or Budapest.

Vienna also hosts the annual Life Ball, and HIV/AIDS is an important issue to me.” —GPDL cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

L

ike the city she calls home, Ashley Emerole is not one to sit still. A track and field walkon at the University of Arizona, this Queens native attributes her drive to her parents, striving immigrants from a small Nigerian village.

“They did well here,” she said, “and put pressure on me to succeed.”

Studying in Tucson, Emerole bought her first car, as well as a bike. “It changed my perspective on the value of public transportation,” she said. “I had taken the subway and buses for granted.”

Emerole became fascinated by the economic impact of transportation networks and, after earning her master’s in urban planning, she went on to work at the MTA, Citizens Budget Commission, and now the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, where she is currently head of the Criminal Justice Unit.

A Harlem resident, Emerole is also a member of Manhattan Community Board 10 and, since January, the president of Manhattan Young Democrats (MYD). “Millennials are often taken for granted,” she said. “During elections there’s a push to get young people involved, but afterward they’re excluded from the legislative process.”

In February MYD helped shine a light on the rights of unpaid interns by organizing a panel, which included state Sen. Liz Krueger. Two months later the City Council passed legislation extending sexual harassment protection to unpaid interns.

“It’s an issue few people were talking about,” Emerole said.

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JUKAY HSU FOUNDER, COALITION FOR QUEENS

AGE: 30

Y

ou can tell Jukay Hsu’s life story so far as an old-fashioned American success story: An immigrant Queens boy makes it to Harvard, becomes a decorated war hero, and returns to his hometown to share what he has learned along the way and help his neighbors succeed. Roll credits.

But while all of that is true, it is also a story with a distinctly modern twist.

Hsu is the founder and leader of C4Q (Coalition for Queens)—which in part educates local residents to write computer code. C4Q seeks to increase both individual mobility and diversity in the tech sector, and also economic opportunity for the city. “The potential of tech really excites me. It’s one of the most empowering things in the world. If you can code, you can solve problems you see in your own life, or in your community.”

It’s “tech” broadly defined; Hsu points out that all sectors of the economy are becoming increasingly tech-enabled, from fashion to media to finance. “It’s a big driver of our economy, and making sure that those opportunities are available is important.”

An economics major, Hsu has great respect for the “brilliant people” working to develop policy, but he felt drawn to the actionable, to implementation: “Technology gives people the tools to build things, and to solve things. It’s very much what interested me in economics originally—the idea of building and growth. Technology is a great lever for supporting that.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I don’t think I’m working in government or politics, although policy affects our work and allows us to have broader impact. I can’t imagine doing anything else right now. It’s such an exciting time—tech has such tremendous potential to empower people and communities. If not for C4Q, I would want to solve a different problem using technology.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Beijing. I lived there for a year between college and the military. The food is amazing, people are from all over the world, there’s a burgeoning arts scene, and a grittiness to the city and native Beijingers—it reminds me of NYC in many ways.” —KG

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FAIZA ALI COMMUNITY LIAISON, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER’S OFFICE

AGE: 29

city & state — October 13, 2014

J

ames Madison High School in Brooklyn has produced its share of political stars: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Charles Schumer and Bernie Sanders, to name a few. But for Faiza Ali, another celeb alum—Judge Judy—made a much bigger impression.

“I was apolitical. My community was defined by friends, neighbors,” said Ali, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. “I lived in somewhat of a bubble.”

That bubble burst on Sept. 11, 2001. Hearing reports of hate crimes against Muslims, Ali stayed home from school the rest of the week. “It put me on a path toward becoming more vocal when I saw something wrong,” Ali said. “I’d always been a loudmouth.”

With some Madison classmates Ali founded a chapter of Students Against Violence Everywhere. Later, while studying political science at Pace University, she worked for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, where she heard complaints from Muslims who felt discriminated against.

Ali started to look at how other communities had organized and built power. At Brooklyn Congregations United, she immersed herself in the business of organizing. She learned that people from diverse religious backgrounds viewed faith as an organizing tool to address injustice. “Their faith was rooted,” she said, “in a larger narrative of justice.”

A founding member of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, she sees her community as “thirsty to engage, to be part of the civic process.”

Alongside her work connecting communities of color to government at the City Council, Ali also works on public safety, juvenile justice and youth services. “I don’t ever want to be boxed in,” she said.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I always wanted to open a café, a community café with lots of coffee and chocolate—a place for people to congregate.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“The only time you’ll ever hear me say that I’d consider living somewhere outside of Brooklyn for a year, max, it is usually San Francisco. This question is unfair!” —GPDL cit yandstateny.com

A “40 Under 40” Honoree

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CHRISTINA GREER PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY

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Shadawn Smith

LaPlacaCohen Publication: Insertion Date: Size:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Congratulates Our Own

AGE: 36

A

city & state — October 13, 2014

uthor, professor, commentator—Christina Greer does it all, and few combine all of those areas of expertise better in the world of New York City politics. Journalists come to her when they need an insightful quote on the mayoral race. Working class advocates come to her when they need someone to ask the tough questions in a contentious debate, like the one earlier this year between Charlie Rangel and Adriano Espaillat she co-moderated. And students come to her looking for a substantive, engaging Intro to Politics class. Wearing all of these hats, Greer has become one of the city’s premier public intellectuals.

While Greer is deeply knowledgeable about city, state and national affairs, her particular specialty is African-American politics. Her book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream, was published in May 2013. Now she’s writing a book about the history of African-Americans running for president. And if the only candidates you can think of are Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson, Greer would love to teach you otherwise.

“I’m looking at whoever’s been nominated or actually ran, so there’s roughly 60 AfricanAmericans, which most people don’t know.”

Greer has spent time up and down the eastern seaboard—born in New York City, growing up in Philadelphia, undergrad at Tufts, Ph.D. at Columbia, and teaching at Smith College in Northampton, Mass—so it’s no surprise that her favorite thing to do outside of work is travel.

“That’s pretty much what I do—travel,” she said. “If I’m not on TV or talking to reporters about politics, which I do thoroughly enjoy, hopefully I’m using my passport, leaving New York!”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would love to have a sports and politics show. To get people who are interested in sports to think more about politics, and to get people who are interested in politics to think more about sports.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“My favorite U.S. city is Baltimore. And my favorite international city—I know it’s ridiculously expensive, and whatever—but it’s London, because I lived there for a short while.” —JC cit yandstateny.com

metmuseum.org

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WAYNE HO CHIEF PROGRAM AND POLICY OFFICER, FEDERATION OF PROTESTANT WELFARE AGENCIES

AGE: 39

A

s a college student, Wayne Ho heard a Native American saying: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

“That’s how I look at a lot of the work I do; not to sound cliché or cheesy or sappy, but I really believe we are here to serve a purpose and make things better for future generations,” says Ho, explaining why his work has largely focused on issues involving children, youths and their families.

Ho was born in Singapore and raised in San Jose, Calif. He started at UC Berkeley planning to go to medical school, but saw that “California was passing a lot of propositions that I thought were bad for immigrants and people of color and other things. So I decided not to go the pre-med route and get more involved in social justice efforts.”

After graduating, a stint at UC Berkeley providing support to student community service groups was followed by a position as the out-of-school-time program administer for San Francisco. “That’s where I developed an interest in public policy, so I could be a connector or a voice for the communities I care about, to influence the policy-making process.”

A public policy degree at Harvard was entrée to the northeast. This move ultimately led him to become executive director of the Manhattan-based Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. After nine years of growing that organization, he moved on to his current role at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies.

“I really believe in social justice and racial justice. I recognize that I have had a certain amount of privilege, and I feel that it’s my responsibility to ensure that others have these opportunities,” Ho says.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Realistically, I would be interested in teaching at the collegiate level or university level. … Ideally I’d really like to do something creative like being a writer of comic books or TV shows or movies. But that won’t happen.”

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Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Negril, Jamaica: Seven mile white sand beach, you can swim, jump off cliffs, there’s good food, good music. It’s the only place I’ve ever been to multiple times for a vacation.” — KG

New York - Washington, DC - California

city & state — October 13, 2014

www.berlinrosen.com

cit yandstateny.com

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REBECCA S. WEINTRAUB ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, CONNELLY McLAUGHLIN & WOLOZ

AGE: 24

R

ebecca Weintraub was interested in history, and military history in particular, so she did what any college freshman would do: “I decided to call up the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and ask them if I could intern with them for the summer,” she says. “They were a little bit skeptical—never had an intern before—and they agreed to a twoweek trial period. At the end of the first week they told me I could stay as long as I wanted.

[They] subsequently invited me back for the next two summers to do different research projects with them.”

Weintraub is used to fast starts: in fact she could not actually have started working in New York City politics any earlier than she did, which was as soon as she could legally fill out a W-4. From the age of 11 or 12 the New York native had been hanging out at campaigns’ headquarters: “I started out working on a few city and state campaigns in my teens. By the time I was 16, I was supervising the petition-review process for a statewide campaign.”

Out of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., Weintraub spent a year with the Clinton Global Initiative, and then worked in the office of a New York State Assembly member. She is now at Connelly McLaughlin & Woloz.

She enjoys the diversity the role brings. Attending City Hall hearings, writing press releases, meeting with nonprofits, “I’m doing the work I always wanted to do,” she says.

“Being in the private sector enables me to have a broader view of the political system, and it allows me to contribute to more parts of the system.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would be studying international affairs and working toward a career in consulting for military strategy.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“London. It’s the only place that I have been so far where I have found the same sort of cultural offerings and diversity in everyday life [as in New York].”

—KG

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ALEX MOORE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL 16

AGE: 29

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d be a bartender.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Portland, Oregon. It’s my hometown and is still my favorite place to visit.” —KG cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

I

t wasn’t until Alex Moore attended the University of Chicago that “I started to see that you needed to be willing to be a bit of a troublemaker to make real change,” he says.

Working with campus workers fighting for higher wages was pivotal: “That was the first time that I felt I was involved in making lasting change.”

After this initial foray, “I really wanted to be a union organizer. I thought that would be the coolest job, and I was really excited to get more involved in labor organizing after college,” says Moore.

He didn’t have to wait long: A move to Washington, D.C., led to a union organizing role.

Time spent on the shop floor was instructive: “You don’t need to have gone to college to be a really amazing spokesperson for your co-workers and your union. You don’t have to come from a middle or upper middle class background to be able to be a leader, and I think it has allowed me to approach my work from the perspective that we should be putting our members out front. I think it is my job both to make sure that they are heard, and give them the training and advice and support they need to do it well.”

Not long after, Moore moved north. He worked for New York City Councilman Brad Lander as his communications and events director, before returning to the labor world.

The change from D.C., with its emphasis on national issues, has been striking. “What continues to excite me about New York is the way the real on-the-ground issues that people are facing really do get attention. There are so many amazing organizers in the city that are continuing to demand attention to those problems and making huge changes to better them.”

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MUHAMMAD W. ARSHAD CHAIR, CUNY STUDENT SENATE

AGE: 25

M

uhammad Arshad, who will soon be stepping down as chair of the student senate at the City University of New York, came here from Pakistan in 2007 to join his family in Queens. As a chemical engineering major, Arshad didn’t immediately recognize his calling would be in student government.

The boarding school he attended was also modeled on the English system, where students are selected to serve in class government based on merit, and Arshad had cycled through a number of such positions before leaving for the states.

“One day [at CUNY] I helped this older gentleman set up a room for some event. I didn’t know he was the director of student life and activities on campus,” Arshad said. “And he offered for me to be the student ambassador at La Guardia Community College.”

In the semesters that followed, Arshad held multiple elected positions, culminating this past year in his election as leader of the student senate. In his time as chair, he spearheaded the restructuring of both the body’s budget and the office itself—eliminating what he saw as superfluous staff positions and creating new ones—as well as fostering a better sense of community among CUNY’s separate campus governments.

Having completed his masters in the spring, Arshad is now applying to paid leadership development programs in the private sector. He does not discount the possibility of working as a public servant again in the future, however.

“I’ve become increasingly interested in public sector problems because they are more complex—slower and with more moving pieces,” Arshad said. “I like challenges. Whenever there is a job to be done and I’m presented with the opportunity, I’ll definitely take it.”

If you were not working in government or politics, what would you be doing?

“I would be in a lab. This [government] is not the primary thing that I set out to do. I was supposed to be in a lab or a plant or an oil company.”

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Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Lahore, Pakistan. My family is originally from Lahore, and I love the energy. Any time of the day or night you can find something to do—it’s the first city I encountered that doesn’t sleep.” —WF

city & state — October 13, 2014

Congratulations Becca Rutkoff for making “40 Under 40.”

cit yandstateny.com

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY, MAYOR’S OFFICE

AGE: 34

S

R I S I N G S TA R S

WILEY NORVELL

ome people do their best thinking in the shower. Others as they’re falling asleep.

Wiley Norvell has his bike.

“It’s a good way to bookend the day, that 30 minutes crossing the Williamsburg Bridge every day,” he said. “It’s a good time to clear your head … and it’s a good way to decompress after a pretty hairy day.”

Norvell has seen a lot of busy days at City Hall since his boss, Mayor Bill de Blasio, took office in January. He came to work for de Blasio four years ago in the Public Advocate’s office, after earning his cyclist bona fides during a stint with the bike and public transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. But the 34-year-old Greenpoint resident said his favorite moment with the mayor came just last month. ”The first day of school was really, really special,” Norvell remembers, beaming. “For those of us who have been with Bill for a long time, we put a lot of love, a lot of work into [the new universal] pre-K. … To see the arc from this idea to thousands of kids walking in through the front doors in pre-K centers and public schools … that’s what we’re here to do, and it felt amazing.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would probably want to run a restaurant, preferably a Gray’s Papaya-style hot dog chain. … I love food, I love that kind of service, and I am, believe it or not, very passionate about hot dogs.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why? ”I would say Montreal, the poor man’s Paris. It feels like it’s a million miles away, but it’s amazingly close. It’s fun, it’s got great music. Very few places can make you feel like you transported yourself to a different continent, and that’s one of them.” —JC

JANNA PEA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, RETAIL WHOLESALE AND DEPARTMENT STORE UNION

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AGE: 28

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“PR for a sports/entertainment firm. College sports—football is what I enjoy. That was something I knew I wanted to do since high school, which was why I was stuck on going to law school.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I would have to say D.C., because it’s my home away from home.” —WF cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

A

s an undergrad at the University of Alabama, Janna Pea never imagined a career in organized labor. She graduated in 2007 with a degree in journalism and was well on her way to attending law school at her alma mater, but a one month internship on Capitol Hill turned into four, and on the day she had to make a decision about whether to return to school, a chance encounter with a congressman in an elevator left her with a job offer that would change the course of her life.

“I literally had two hours to pick between going back to Alabama to go to law school or saying ‘Yes’ to this guy who had offered me a job,” Pea said. “I took the job. And I have not looked back since.”

Pea worked for Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio for three years, first as a constituent liaison and then as press secretary. From there she went to work for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union as a communications specialist on the Making Change at Walmart campaign, before jumping to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in New York City, where she was recently promoted to communications director.

Pea says she is now inspired to sow awareness about the issues she works on in places like her home state of Alabama, where the labor movement has shallower roots.

“In Alabama there is a negative connotation with labor,” she said. “What drives me is helping to bridge that gap, and getting rid of the disconnect that folks may have—for them to understand that we are fighting on behalf of everyday working people.”

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YURIDIA PEÑA The Marino Organization Congratulates its Street Smart “Rising Stars”: Zoe Tobin, Class of 2014 and Ross Wallenstein, Class of 2007

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, 32BJ SEIU

AGE: 31

Y

uridia Peña’s first job out of college was as an editorial assistant at Travel + Leisure, the sort of high-end magazine she had always envisioned working for. Still, as someone who had not caught the travel bug, the fit proved to be awkward.

“The truth is, I didn’t even know that much about traveling. I was a kid from Brooklyn,” Peña said.

After responding to a Craigslist ad, Peña was hired as the assistant editor of a far more obscure publication put out by the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators.

“Though it’s a small union, CSA has clout when it comes to education reform. I was going to press conferences, writing about Joel Klein and mayoral control, charter schools. I learned how city politics work,” said Peña, a product of city public schools herself.

Her work for CSA led to a job as communications director for City Councilman Mark Weprin, whom Peña describes as a “huge advocate for public schools.” Earlier this year, when she was offered her current position at 32BJ SEIU, Peña sensed her career was “coming full circle. Citing the union’s efforts to push through the DREAM Act, she said, “I always admired how much 32BJ cared about issues beyond those affecting just their members, how they would advocate for reforms in Albany or on the federal level.”

At 32BJ, Peña manages communications for the Connecticut and Hudson Valley markets, as well as the New York City schools division. She also helps out with airports and Spanish media outlets in New York. You might find her canvassing for a Democratic candidate one day, and sitting at the bargaining table or drafting talking points for union officials the next. “There’s no such thing as a typical day. There’s never a dull moment.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d probably be a fashion merchandiser or buyer—something fashion-related. I worked in retail when I was younger. I was good at window displays.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Barcelona for the architecture, people. The people are just smart, fun. It’s like SoHo if everyone were Spanish.” —GDPL

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city & state — October 13, 2014

STR EET SM A RT COM M U NICATIONS AT THE NE X US OF MEDI A A ND PU BLIC A FFA IRS

To learn more about The Marino Organization, please visit us at: www.themarino.org

171 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016

Phone Email

(212) 889-0808

info@themarino.org

cit yandstateny.com

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JASON BANREY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, MEDIA AND PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR, COUNCILMAN JIMMY VAN BRAMER

AGE: 31

J

ason Banrey’s job, first and foremost, is to navigate the media for the New York City Council’s majority leader, Jimmy Van Bramer. But it was Banrey’s interest at a young age in community service that laid the groundwork for his future in public service.

“My family has a long history of volunteering at community cleanups, and in education, as well,” said Banrey, whose parents were both teachers. “So between the two of them and the Boy Scouts, it’s what instilled the importance of getting involved and falling in love with public service.”

Before entering the world of government, like many media relations experts, Banrey first gained the valuable experience of working as a journalist, writing for the Queens Tribune. A news junkie, Banrey found that the job satisfied his passion for politics, but he wanted an opportunity to have a more hands-on impact in the local community. Enter Van Bramer, who hired him as communications director in 2012. Now holding the title of deputy chief of staff, Banrey has also played a role in shaping policy. An avid cyclist, he helped craft a recently passed bill to levy tougher penalties on hit-and-run motorists.

“We have a really tight-knit family, and Jimmy’s really fostered a family feel with us.

I wouldn’t be able to do the great work that we do without the amazing team that we have,” Banrey said. “Every single day it’s a pleasure to come in to the district office or the legislative office and work with a team that cares about the 26th District but also improving the lives of all New Yorkers.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d continue traveling the world. I’ve done a lot of traveling, and I think it’s a pretty good list of destinations that I’ve hit, but there’s so much more I’d love to see.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“San Francisco, because everything is more relaxed on the West Coast.”

—NP

35

JOHN DeSIO COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBÉN DÍAZ JR.

AGE: 36

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I loved being the political columnist for the New York Press. I’d be writing opinion columns.”

cit yandstateny.com

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I always liked the hustle and bustle, the food and music culture down in New Orleans. It’s a fun city to visit.” —GPDL

city & state — October 13, 2014

“I

wonder if I am the only person on this list who actually wrote ‘40 Under 40’ profiles?” asked 2014 honoree John DeSio. The communications director for the Bronx borough president did in fact contribute to this publication, back in its City Hall days. “I’m pretty sure I wrote the Rubén Díaz Jr. profile [in 2007],” he said.

DeSio first met Díaz Jr. (then a state assemblyman) in his early career as a reporter.

At the time DeSio worked for the Riverdale/Bronx Press-Review. He would go on to write for several other publications, including The Village Voice, the New York Press and The Wall Street Journal. When Díaz Jr. won a special election for borough president in 2009, he made DeSio his top communications aide.

A Staten Island native, DeSio fell in love with New York’s only mainland borough while attending Fordham University. “Other boroughs get more play for being cool, but the Bronx is actually the coolest,” he said. “I like the attitude of the people. They have an old-school New York vibe to them.”

For all its fame as the birthplace of hip-hop, DeSio maintains the borough has a more diverse musical tradition than people realize. An avid fan of punk rock and hardcore, he points out that the Dictators came out of the Bronx—“Someone once said they were on top of the mountain before the Ramones built the mountain”—as did District 9 and Demolition Hammer. DeSio still checks out live shows from time to time, but he does not get out like he used to. “When news happens, when a crisis happens, it doesn’t care if you’re on vacation. You have to drop whatever you’re doing on a moment’s notice.”

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JOSIE DUFFY POLICY ADVOCATE, CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY

AGE: 27

I

went to law school trying to change the law—and that’s not what they teach you,” says Josie Duffy. “I left feeling really hopeless. I didn’t understand how I was going to be able to make the sort of change I wanted to make.”

The Harvard graduate found hope as a staff attorney for the Center for Popular Democracy, a job that makes her feel “like that change is possible.”

The nonprofit partners with member organizations to pass policies and build relationships focused on the needs of populations such as immigrants, children in public education and disenfranchised voters. “Our job is to build the progressive movement,” Duffy says, in part by “giving people a voice they don’t have right now.”

Duffy credits the Internet as “an avenue for change,” generating much of the conversation in recent years about race, the economy, feminism and society as a whole.

“Right now I’m a lawyer, and I hope I’m a lawyer for a long time,” says the Atlanta native, who is also a writer and blogger. “But I also hope that if I ever decide to be a writer, that that also changes lives.”

For now Duffy is squarely focused on her work: “I think that we are in for a long fight, and I am in the long haul for that fight. I believe in what we do in a way that makes it hard to imagine wanting to stop anytime soon.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“If I wasn’t a writer, I’d be a professional ballerina, but I would have had to have put in 20 years of professional ballerina work, so that’s just my pipe dream.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“My favorite city in the world is Atlanta; it’s just a beautiful, beautiful city. I love the politics there; and it is the city that made me. New York is great, but Atlanta is where it’s at.”

—KG

36

CAMILLE RIVERA DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES

AGE: 35

city & state — October 13, 2014

I

n December 2013, Camille Rivera helped organize a series of rallies calling attention to the challenges facing ordinary New Yorkers. This was nothing new for Rivera, who had been active in progressive causes for more than a decade. This latest action, however, came just a few weeks after Bill de Blasio’s landslide victory in the mayoral race. Rivera was extending her hand to the incoming administration “to make this new day a reality.”

At the time, Rivera was executive director of UnitedNY, a coalition organization advocating for economic equality and higher wages. Raised by a single mother in the Bronx, Rivera witnessed firsthand the daily struggle millions of New Yorkers face.

“We didn’t have a lot,” Rivera said. “It was very difficult seeing what was going on in my community, people who worked really hard and couldn’t make ends meet.”

Rivera became involved in activism while studying at Queens College, organizing around homeless and student rights issues. Being a teenage mom, she believes, also shaped her as a person. “I couldn’t be complacent. I had to really fight for my rights,” she said.

Several months after urging the mayor-elect to make good on his progressive promises, the new administration invited Rivera to join it. After so many years facing off as an activist against government, how does Rivera feel to suddenly be a part of it?

“We are in a really amazing moment because we have an administration, a mayor who believes in all the issues we have been working on for so long, who believes in that vision,” she said. “There are different structures, but the vision, message, goals are the same as before. This administration has such a strong vision of reuniting our city, of creating an economy that works for all. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

If you were not working in government or politics, what would you be doing?

“I’d probably be with Doctors Without Borders. My first major in college was premed.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Sydney, Australia. It’s a beautiful city, with beautiful beaches and really great coffee.”

—GPDL cit yandstateny.com

CONGRATULATIONS

ALEX MOORE Winner of the ’40 Under 40’ Rising Stars

Teamsters Joint Council 16 congratulates all of the 40 under 40 rising stars and in particular our own Communications Director and proud Teamster Alex Moore.

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TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL 16 https://www.facebook.com/TeamstersJointCouncil16 Teamsters JC 16@TeamstersJC16 cit yandstateny.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

Solidarity!

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ERIN DURKIN CITY HALL REPORTER, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

AGE: 28

E

rin Durkin is willing to work hard for a story. That has meant giving up precious vacation time to report on NYC-branded condoms being smuggled into the Dominican Republic, or following then-mayoral candidate Bill Thompson to a Bronx meatpacking plant at 4:30 in the morning during a 25½-hour campaign blitz. It has even meant sitting on an A train for seven hours straight in a snowstorm—although that experience wasn’t by choice. Still, Durkin dutifully filed a dispatch after the ordeal, and New York Daily News readers appreciated it. “[The A train story] got me the most attention, surpassing anything political I’ve done,” she wrote.

City Hall wonks have valued her extensive reporting since she came to the News right out of college at Columbia six years ago. For Durkin, her beat is far more than just covering the horse race of campaigns and the wrangling for power in municipal government.

“I’m more interested in policy than politics, overall, although they are obviously intertwined,” she said, listing her particular interests as neighborhood development, housing and the city’s evolution. But her focus on policy doesn’t mean she’s ready to leave the News. “Not right now!” she said. “I like journalism. … [It] has a really important role to play in the public policy debate.”

On her off days, you’ll find Durkin exploring New York City. This summer brought her to both City Island and Governors Island, but even then, she said, “I’m always still looking at things with a reporter’s eye.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I could see myself working in international development—something where I get to travel and do hands-on work in the developing world. That could also include the opportunity to tell stories in other countries.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I’m going to have to go with Boston as a hometown favorite. I’d feel a little bit like a traitor if didn’t put it in there. But outside of the U.S.? Cartagena and Cape Town.” —JC

38 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

RISING STAR

i Leshes v A

The Center for Popular Democracy congratulates Josie Duffy

city & state — October 13, 2014

and the rest of City and State’s Rising Stars YOUR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION INSPIRES ALL OF US

cit yandstateny.com

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DOMINIC PANAKAL CHIEF OF STAFF, COUNCILMAN RORY LANCMAN

AGE: 25

L

ike most youthful interests, Dominic Panakal’s love for politics was something he thought would wane once he graduated from college. He assumed he would choose a more lucrative career path.

“I thought I was going to maybe do some other stuff like finance after school, but I loved [politics], I’ve always been into it, and I thought I might as well make it what I do,” Panakal said.

A Rutgers alum, Panakal spent every summer in college doing something politically related, including working on a City Council campaign for former Rep. Gary Ackerman staffer Kevin Kim. When Kim introduced him to a Queens assemblyman named Rory Lancman, Panakal finally earned a permanent foot in the door, rising from intern to Lancman’s chief of staff in less than two years.

Panakal went on to run Barry Grodenchik’s Queens borough president campaign in 2013 while also working as the Queens director for the Bloomberg administration’s community affairs unit. But when Lancman came calling after winning a City Council race that year, Panakal knew he had found where he belonged.

“I always say that working for Rory is more than just professional; it’s a very personal thing for me,” Panakal said. “I really appreciate him as a public servant. He does a lot of great work, he’s unafraid to speak his mind—and given the opportunity to go home, so to speak, I did. I went to the Council, but I went back to Rory.”

In 2014, Panakal made a foray into electoral politics himself, winning a Democratic district leader race in Queens.

“It gives me as an independent individual a say in what’s going on. Think of it as a board—and as a district leader, I’m a shareholder, and I have a say in what’s going on.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Move over, Brian Cashman! I’d be the general manager of the Yankees.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Seville, Spain. Beautiful churches and lots of history.” —NP

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CHAPIN FAY VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MERCURY

AGE: 36

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would be a center for the Chicago Bears. “ Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Paris, because it’s basically the New York of Europe.”

—KG cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

C

hapin Fay began his career working in politics “to my parent’s chagrin,” because the job meant deferring law school. “I’d wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 5,” he explains.

At the time, the Long Island native was working at a large law firm as a paralegal, where he felt less than fully engaged. A conversation with a mentor led to a position working on the campaign of Gov. George Pataki. “I was lucky that my first real experience in politics was on a successful gubernatorial campaign in New York,” Fay says.

It was the first of many: He’d “caught the bug,” Fay says. From the start he loved working in politics. “I played football, and I’m very competitive. One of the things I like about politics is that there is a winner and loser. Every day, you fight a battle. With the 24-hour news cycle, it can go back and forth very quickly,” he says.

By 2004 Fay did carve out time to get to law school, going to Fordham at night while continuing in his position as a press secretary for Gov. Pataki. “It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, law school and working full time,” he says, “but it was worth it.”

After law school, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the National Republican Congressional Committee, and as counsel to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Fay returned to New York in 2010, working on a series of campaigns and issues before moving to Mercury.

“It’s my dream job,” he says.

Congratulations to Becca Rutkoff, Jukay Hsu, Erin Durkin, Jessie Tisch, Eric Koch, the phenomenal Khan Shoieb and all of our other 40 Under 40 friends.

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city & state — March 24, 2014

STU LOESER & CO.

!

STRATEGY. COMMUNICATIONS. REPUTATION DEVELOPMENT. 54WEST 40TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10018 (212) 634-7469 WWW.STULOESER.COM

cit yandstateny.com

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST, STU LOESER & CO.

AGE: 23

K

han Shoieb’s early education as a communications consultant began not in college or on the campaign trail, but in his living room as a youth, analyzing how former President Bill Cinton’s press secretary navigated media storms.

“When I was younger, I would rush home from school to watch Joe Lockhart, because I thought these White House press briefings really brought to bear how important having a good narrative for where you are taking the country was,” Shoieb said.

But it was on the campaign trail that the New York native honed his messaging skills.

After graduating from Amherst College in Massachusetts, Shoieb joined Alan Khazei’s long-shot U.S. Senate campaign to replace the late Ted Kennedy in 2009, a race that centered largely around the fate of healthcare reform, and one Shoieb felt drove home the notion that politics is “the foremost vehicle for affecting change.”

After finishing graduate school at Oxford, he went on to work for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign in Chicago, before returning to New York City.

Following a stint as the communications director for the Working Families Party—and having played a big role in putting together the party’s 2014 convention—Shoieb caught the eye of Stu Loeser, Michael Bloomberg’s former chief spokesman, who hired him as a communications strategist.

Now dealing with a diverse range of clients, Shoieb continues to drive home the importance of building a narrative. “To the extent that you can capture folks’ attention and you can tell a story that resonates and moves people, that is ultimately the single most powerful way to affect change, regardless of the merits of your particular agenda.”

R I S I N G S TA R S

KHAN SHOIEB

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Charlie Rose has the single most interesting job in the world. To be able to sit across an oak table and have the most compelling philosophical conversations with the most ingenious people in the world every night—that is what I would die to do.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I will refer you to the New Yorker cover where New York is the world.“ —NP

SAM NAGOURNEY PRINCIPAL, HILLTOP PUBLIC SOLUTIONS

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AGE: 27

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’d be a computer programmer. It’s actually a lot like campaigns. I like the idea of building something from the ground up and creating something.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Paris. My brother lived there for some time, so I got the opportunity to go and visit him when I was younger quite a bit.” —NP cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

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key principle of Political Campaigning 101, according to Sam Nagourney, is that no race is safe, and no race is the same.

So when Nagourney joined Gale Brewer’s campaign for Manhattan borough president as deputy campaign manager, he knew that despite Brewer’s perceived frontrunner status, a late campaign launch created a difficult obstacle to overcome. “[Brewer] was the presumed front-runner early on, but she entered the race so late that it really became very competitive,” Nagourney said. “Her dedication to her constituents is what I believe ultimately got her elected, and that’s a huge lesson I took from that race. … People always remember when you help them with something.”

After Brewer’s victory, Bill de Blasio’s campaign manager, Bill Hyers, brought in Nagourney to work on de Blasio’s general election race against Republican Joe Lhota.

As with Brewer, many political experts predicted a landslide victory for de Blasio, but Nagourney refused to take anything for granted. He helped negotiate meetings between de Blasio and supporters of his primary opponents who might have contributed financially to Lhota’s campaign. Keeping those donors on the sideline was one of many factors that helped de Blasio eventually defeat Lhota in a landslide.

Now at Hilltop Public Solutions, Nagourney has the opportunity to work with an array of organizations in fields such as transportation, clean energy and housing. And though Nagourney enjoys the campaign life, he is happy with the more manageable lifestyle he leads now. “Campaigns are amazing; you develop amazing friendships with these people that you work with nonstop. But at some point you need to take a little bit of time off.

Otherwise it can drain you.”

R I S I N G S TA R S

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S M.P.A. IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLICY

Congratulates One of Our Own

Alison Miller Deputy Executive Director The Earth Institute, Columbia University

City & State’s Rising Star:

40 Under 40 mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu • earth.columbia.edu

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CAMILLE JOSEPH DEPUTY COMPTROLLER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER

AGE: 29

city & state — October 13, 2014

C

amille Joseph was raised in the Northeast Bronx by immigrant parents from Jamaica and Haiti who had been frustrated by the political processes in their native countries.

“In the Bronx, they relished the ability to become part of the block association, and vote—having an outlet to share their concerns,” Joseph said.

By the time she graduated from NYU, Joseph had already worked on several political campaigns and assembled a solid network of contacts. When she ran into Kirsten Gillibrand shortly after the 2008 elections, the U.S. senator suggested Joseph might benefit from working in government. Taking Gillibrand’s advice, Joseph moved to Washington, D.C. and immersed herself in the nuts and bolts of public policy.

After serving as national African-American vote deputy director in the 2012 Obama campaign, Joseph joined Anthony Weiner’s mayoral bid as political director, and later assumed control of the campaign after its first manager stepped down. “That experience really drove home the importance of maintaining a solid infrastructure, creating an incredibly disciplined environment with the message framed as clearly as possible, not just for the principal but also for staff,” Joseph said.

As deputy comptroller for public affairs, Joseph now manages over 70 people in six units: communications, scheduling, intergovernmental affairs, community affairs, constituency services and special events. “Being held responsible for the public posturing of your principal, and how they are engaging principles, takes an incredible amount of discipline, attention to detail and understanding of the New York and national media,” Joseph said.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I’m incredibly passionate about civic engagement. No matter what, it would have to be— or inspiring others to be—involved in the political process.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“In high school I studied abroad in Berlin. From the strong presence of artists to the doner kebobs, there was something unique and welcoming about the people and culture.” —GPDL cit yandstateny.com

Our Perspective With Unions, Ret Jobs Can Provide JONATHAN WESTINLiving Decent R I S I N G S TA R S

When workers are under-scheduled and hours are subject to change on a moment’s notice, they have no certainty as to how they’ll survive. Part-time work has become the new norm, but people still have full-time families and full-time responsibilities.

The bottom line is that even if wages go up, part-time workers cannot provide for their families without adequate, stable and predictable hours.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AGE: 30 NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE But that isn’t to say that it’s impossible for workers to support nspired by theretail political ascent of an— Illinois state senator Barack Obama, Jonathan workers retail arenamed there work with themselves and their families Appelbaum, Stuart Westin knew in college that he wanted to get into politics By at the same grassroots level asPresident, article Times York New A day. every in New York who prove otherwise and Department Store U Wholesale Retail, the future president.

UFCW RWDSU, “I went to school at Northwestern in Chicago, I was there at the time that Obama compared the lives of RWDSU members was published earlier this month coming up as a senator in Illinois,” Westin said. “Obama was a community organizer, which is partially what I was going to school for, so within thatby whole frame I got into community neighboring employed workers employed at Macy’s with non-union or the majority of retail workers, mer organizing.” striking. retail store Zara. And the difference The pay is too low struggle. daily a his After graduatingis Westin joined the Chicago chapter of ACORN,isbut desire to work with the influential community advocate Jon Kest brought himbasic to the New York and City even if retailers rai needs, in advance, their schedules weeks 2012, receive At Macy’s, workerschapter.

Working under Kest, who passed away in December wages, Westin the of the troubles reta root cause the learned value of coalition and not settlinghome for minor victories.

“Building out a lot of the shifts their during sent aren’t andbuilding are guaranteed full-time hours, face would remain. coalitions that Jon built, including the Working Families Party, the Alliance for Quality problem is that the retail ind The forreal a realthatsense There’s on the whims of management.

Education, lots of these coalitions we’ve beenof ablesecurity to work and partner with … has stable jobs towards “jus from away shifted grown the work that we do, not just what we’re able to do on the ground ourselves careers. build and years for there stay Macy’s workers, and manyreally on-call work. Em part-time, and scheduling but in conjunction with others.” Westin would go on to play a significant role in ensuring Bill de Blasio’s mayoral victory in 2013. to work the am opportunity the denied are guaranteed minimum hours, and never At Zara, workers areNow taking over Kest’s leadership post at New York City Communities for Change, hours that they need to earn enough to su in a new era of schedules. progressive city government, Westin is determined to make sure the Unpredictable most never receive close toevenfull-time their families. Many retail workers aren’t recei and themselves administration does not lose sight of the needs of working families. “Our mission is to with little or no no get their they and hours minimum down holding make and notice, moment’s schedules can change on a continue to drive an aggressive agenda that may go beyond the comfort level ofschedules thoseain it by their emplo denied are they but work, full-time want Many power, and we need to continue to play that role.” incredibly care or arranging for childWhen second job or going to school workers are under-scheduled and hours are sub If you were not working in politicschange or government, what would you be doing? they have no certainty as to how notice, on a moment’s challenging.

“A high school basketball coach—Isurvive. played football in college at Northwestern, butthe I always new norm, but people has become work Part-time unpredictable wildly hours This epidemic of insufficient thought basketball took a lot moreand skill, something that was much more enjoyable to play full-time families and full-time responsibilities. going and getting your head beat in.”

New across majority of retail workers vast scheduling is faced by the than even if wages go up, part-time line is that The bottom without adequate, stable and families their for provide cannot Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why? work — a fast retail that so much York, and the country. It’s troubling “St. Paul, Minn., where a lot of mypredictable family is. It’s a hours. pretty great, progressive place.” —NP workers’ growing segment of our economy — is unable to meet workers to that it’s impossible for43 isn’t to sayneeds.

But that It’s bad for workers, and our communities. themselves and their families with retail work — there are retai in New York who prove otherwise every day. A New York Times are families If we want to make sure that working compared the lives of RWDSU me monthto thisable earlier published Together we are working to employed by neigh non-union with Macy’s at employed support themselves, we need to support them in building a collectiveworkers difference is striking.

And the store Zara. retail create better working the their schedules weeks in a including voice to address all of their concerns in the workplace, At Macy’s, workers receive and aren’t hours, full-time are guaranteed conditions for retail workers are sent home during th improvements workplace hours they work. Wage increases and other on the whims of management. There’s a real sense of security thefor years and build caree bargaining never guaranteed without a union contract. Collective in New York. there stayis and many Macy’s workers, workers are never guaranteed minimum hour At Zara, jobs. only vehicle for workers to achieve family-sustaining

I

F

www.rwdsu.org Communications Director and all the 2014 Winners of 40 Under 40 “Rising Stars”

most never receive close to full-time schedules. Unpredictable schedules can change on a moment’s notice, and make holdin second job or going to school or arranging for child care incred challenging.

This epidemic of insufficient hours and wildly unpredic scheduling is faced by the vast majority of retail workers across York, and the country. It’s troubling that so much retail work — growing segment of our economy — is unable to meet workers’ It’s bad for workers, and our communities.

If we want to make sure that working families are able support themselves, we need to support them in building a col voice to address all of their concerns in the workplace, includin hours they work. Wage increases and other workplace improve Stuart Appelbaum, President never guaranteed without a union contract. Collective bargaini Jack Wurm, workers to achieve family-sustaining jobs. for Secretary-Treasurer only vehicle

Visit us on the web at

www.rwdsu.org

cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS to Visit us on the web at JANNA PEA

R I S I N G S TA R S

BRIAN FALLON CLIENT MANAGER FOR NEW YORK CITY GOVERNMENT, IBM

AGE: 34

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ew York City’s government has increasingly looked to technology for ways to improve its operations, but how exactly it can take advantage of the latest innovations invariably presents challenges, along with opportunities. That’s where Brian Fallon comes in.

“My role is really to integrate the IBM team that is dedicated to the City of New York around the mayoral initiatives, and ensure that we’re connecting those important business priorities that affect the community with the innovative technology solutions that IBM can deliver,” says Fallon, who has worked at the Armonk, N.Y.-based company for more than a decade.

One of the city’s specific initiatives on which Fallon has worked was the creation of Digital.NYC, an online hub aimed at spurring even greater innovation in New York’s thriving tech sector. He has also focused heavily on the city’s health and human services domain, where IBM is using its advanced analytics to evaluate the city’s vast amount of data “in a responsible and secure manner” in an effort to improve patient outcomes.

Though Fallon, a graduate of Quinnipiac University, has spent his entire career at IBM, he has a strong inclination toward public service, a penchant that has served him well as a liaison to the city. Starting next year, Fallon is expanding the volunteer work that he does at P-TECH— the pioneering Brooklyn high school with which IBM has partnered to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math—by becoming a student mentor.

Fallon explains, “I think it’s helpful for these folks who are relatively young to see how their studies translate after they graduate, so that’s the role I hope to play in this particular individual’s life.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“Going back to school for my law degree.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Saratoga Springs. I’ve had an opportunity both to get up there for work and for pleasure, and I just think it’s a great tight-knit community with a fantastic downtown area and great recreation.” —MP

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KAMIAN ALLEN SENIOR DIRECTOR, THE TASC GROUP

AGE: 36

city & state — October 13, 2014

K

amian Allen is what one might call a public relations activist. She combines her natural affinity for advocacy work and politics with a keen understanding of crisis management and the media environment. But it was a brief taste of Hollywood glamour that set her down her eventual career path.

As a 12-year old, Allen auditioned on a lark for a part in the J.J. Abrams film Regarding Henry, starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening, and won the role of their daughter.

However, Allen said she was far more interested in what went on behind the scenes then during the actual filming of the movie, and became fascinated by the international and domestic publicity junket for the movie.

“For me that sparked a lot of love for the media and how it works, and how people communicate with each other, and how people talk about themselves, and how people reach out to the audiences that they’re trying to reach,” Allen said.

Now in a leadership role with the TASC Group, Allen melds her entertainment background with her passion for communications. Not only is she the go-to person in a crisis, but Allen also manages red carpet events and fundraisers, all the while building a network of relationships within her diverse clientele.

“One of the great things about this job is we do a lot of different kinds of work,” Allen said. “We work in poverty and homelessness, we deal with crises, we deal with genomic science, healthcare and medicine, and domestic violence issues. So a typical day for me is a wonderful thing in that I get to talk about all of those things. My brain never really gets bored.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I wanted to be a Navy SEAL, but I’m a 5’ 3” 105-pound woman, and it wasn’t in the cards.

At least that’s what I was told when I tried to apply my freshman year of college.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I love Berlin. It’s this incredible hodgepodge of a city; it’s a really creative, vibrant, smart city.” —NP cit yandstateny.com

Mercury congratulates our own

Chapin Fay

· Coalition Building · · Campaign Management · · Republican Field Operations ·

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City & State’s 40 Under 40 Tom Doherty Partner

250 Greenwich Street, 36th Floor New York, NY 10007 (212) 681-1380 · www.mercuryllc.com

cit yandstateny.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

Michael McKeon Partner

R I S I N G S TA R S

DAN SLIPPEN VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

AGE: 39

D

an Slippen dove headfirst into Washington, D.C., politics after graduating from Skidmore in the late ’90s, getting his foot in the door at U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman’s office, and moving on to grapple directly with legislation for U.S. Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Chuck Schumer into the early aughts.

“I just loved it,” he said of his time in Washington. “It was an overwhelming experience to be working for three brilliant people and their staffs; it was a time I’ll never forget.”

In 2001 Slippen moved back to his native New York City to work for the Port Authority. His stint there was brief—the events of September 11 rocked the priorities of the Authority, and he went to work for Pace University soon thereafter as director of government affairs for the lower Manhattan campus.

But for nearly a decade now, the American Museum of Natural History has been Slippen’s place of employment.

“It’s an absolute joy to be able to say I work for the institution I grew up loving as a kid,” said Slippen, who works to keep the museum’s exhibits, scientific research efforts and higher education programs funded via city, state and federal streams. “As a kid you don’t realize what really goes on behind these walls. … We employ over 200 research scientists … and we’re the only museum in the country that has a graduate school.”

“This is a city-owned institution, and it’s my job to ensure that not only does the museum understand the role that government plays but that government understands the role that institutions like the Museum of Natural History provide for the public good,” he said.

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I could see being a corporate player in one of New York’s sports teams.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“Washington, D.C., because of the history, and because that’s where I met my wife.”

—WF

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THE NEW YORK CITY CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL, AFL-CIO

city & state — October 13, 2014

Congratulates the Labor Movement’s “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” Anthony Thomas, Political Director, New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Alex Moore, Communications Director, Teamsters Joint Council 16 Janna Pea, Communications Director, RWDSU Yuridia Peña, Communications Specialist, 32BJ SEIU

NEW YORK CITY CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL, AFL-CIO 275 SEVENTH AVE. NEW YORK, NY 10001

And all of this year’s honorees.

cit yandstateny.com

Fordham University congratulates

Christina Greer Assistant Professor of Political Science

city & state — March 24, 2014

and all those honored as one of this year's CITY & STATE "NYC Rising Stars."

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cit yandstateny.com

R I S I N G S TA R S

RACHEL LAUTER COUNSEL FOR CITY LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, MAYOR’S OFFICE

AGE: 30

R

achel Lauter grew up in a politically active family in Atlanta, by way of San Francisco.

So it was only natural that her career path would eventually lead her to city and state government. But it was Lauter’s interest in the socioeconomic and physical structure of cities that set her on that course.

“Growing up in Atlanta was what got me interested in cities, and how cities are designed and built, and how race, place, all those elements interact with each other,” she said.

Lauter landed in New York City after college, working in the Bloomberg administration at the Department of Small Business Services. Thereafter she co-founded the Brooklyn political reform club New Kings Democrats before pursuing her law degree to “add to her tool set.” After Harvard Law Lauter was looking for a job that would allow her to use her J.D. but also satisfy her passion for government. An ideal opportunity arose in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legislative office. Working in Albany, Lauter helped shape the Women’s Equality Act, negotiating the package of legislation with the Assembly, which passed all ten provisions, but falling one short of getting the bill through the Senate.

Now working in a similar role in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s legislative office, Lauter is responsible for pushing the mayor’s agenda in the much friendlier political terrain of the City Council.

“Negotiating legislation, but also working with the Council, helping manage the relationship between the mayor and the Council, has been a very fulfilling experience. It’s been very exciting so far,” Lauter said. “This mayor is incredibly committed to working closely with this Council, and that provides lots of opportunities.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I would probably be an architect. In college when I was excited about cities and urban design, that’s what I was thinking of.”

Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“San Francisco. Other than the tribal affinity of being a sixth generation San Franciscan, I love the 49ers and San Francisco Giants.” —NP

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THE

CONGRATULATES OUR OWN CITY HALL REPORTER

city & state — October 13, 2014

Erin Durkin One of 40 Under 40 NYC’s Political “Rising Stars”

cit yandstateny.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

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cit yandstateny.com

R I S I N G S TA R S

AVI LESHES DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS SERVICES, BROOKLYN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

AGE: 28

W

hen it comes to working in politics, there are those who are more attracted to campaigns and power struggles, and then there are those who are driven by a passion for public service. For Avi Leshes, understanding the former helped him develop the latter.

Observing Rudy Giuliani’s mayoralty and Bill Clinton campaign for reelection in 1996 stoked Leshes’ initial interest in politics, but when he got a job interning for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in college, he quickly learned the value of constituent services. Leshes was tasked with handling veterans issues, one of Gillibrand’s main focuses as a legislator, helping those who returned from military service navigate the bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs and find jobs, an area he has continued to work in as part of his current position at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

“Knowing how Sen. Gillibrand and her office were very passionate about veterans, and the [Chamber] being the economic engine of Brooklyn, it was only right that we should make it a place for veterans,” Leshes said.

Leshes was instrumental in creating the hamber’s Veterans Business Affairs Council, a working group of advocacy organizations in the borough that meets to talk about issues facing veterans.

Leshes said the veterans venture typifies the kind of work he does at the Chamber, which emphasizes taking a holistic approach to Brooklyn’s continued growth.

“We’re trying to do smart development, trying to create the will for economic development in each community based on what the needs of each community are, not just taking a one-sizefits-all approach and trying to take it across Brooklyn.”

If you were not working in politics or government, what would you be doing?

“I probably would want to do something along the lines of international business. I really have a love for traveling the world and getting to know different countries and communities.”

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Not counting New York City, what is your favorite city in the world, and why?

“I’ve grown to love Singapore, especially the downtown. It reminds me a lot of New York; a nonstop city.” —NP

Your guide to Latino politics in New York and beyond.

Carmen Yulin Cruz

city & state — October 13, 2014

Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Alejandro Garcia Padilla Governor of Puerto Rico

Eduardo Bhatia

President of Senate of Puerto Rico

For partnership information, please contact Samantha Diliberti at 646.442.1617 or Sdiliberti@cityandstateny.com cit yandstateny.com

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO NEW YORK STATE’S AGENCIES AND AUTHORITIES

AGENCY FOCUS SPOTLIGHT ON:

NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

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cit yandstateny.com

city & state — October 13, 2014

E

ducation is one of the most fundamental government services, and it is also one of the costliest and most controversial. Each year lawmakers and local and state officials engage in fierce debate over how much money to devote to education, and how best to distribute it to school districts across the state. There are also spirited—and at times acrimonious—discussions among politicians and policymakers over issues and systemic approaches ranging from teacher evaluations and Common Core standards to charter schools and universal prekindergarten.

The New York State Education Department is charged with carrying out the state’s educational policies, under the direction of the 17-member Board of Regents. NYSED also works directly with local school districts and with the federal government, which has played a significant role in shaping policy through No Child Left Behind and President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.

City & State’s comprehensive “user’s guide” to NYSED gives our readers a snapshot of how the agency gets things done. This portrait includes comments from state Education Commissioner John King and Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, as well as a rundown of the key players in the state agency and an analysis of NYSED by the Citizens Budget Commission.

INSIGHTS FROM THE STATE’S TOP EDUCATION LEADERS

DR. JOHN KING Commissioner New York State Education Department

city & state — October 13, 2014

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On implementing pre-kindergarten programs: “Over the next few weeks as we enter this initiative try to imagine what a great pre-k classroom looks and feels like; where you see students not only discovering the joy of learning, but discovering the joy of curiosity. You want students who are learning to interact with their peers, learning those socio-emotional skills that are going to be so critical for their success. You want classrooms where you hear singing, where students are introduced to art and music … And I think the challenge for the city and the state will be to ensure that high-quality programs exist in every neighborhood and not just some neighborhoods.”

On the $2 billion bond act to boost technology in schools: “The key thing about the bond initiative will be that next step [after] the bond is approved—developing the standards for how schools will spend the money and ensuring that any device purchased comes with proper development and support. It can’t just be about buying devices.

There are schools around the state where devices just sit and collect dust because people don’t know how to use them.”

On Common Core: “There are certainly a set of folks who are making, I would characterize as, clearly false claims about the Common Core, [such as] that the Common Core was imposed by the federal government. It wasn’t.

That the Common Core dictates what book will be read, what math assignment will be done each day in every classroom in the country. It doesn’t. Where I think we are now as a state is a place where we can focus on curriculum and instruction, which is what matters most to what kids experience each day, … where we can focus on instruction and look at where the schools and districts and classrooms where students are excelling. And then how do we replicate that? How do we share that?

How do we bring teachers together across schools, across districts, across the state to share best practices? How do we make teaching better in every classroom for the sake of kids?”

DR. MERRYL TISCH Chancellor New York State Board of Regents On the Common Core implementation: “I’ve always said there are things we did very well and there were things we did not do very well. If I could go back and hit the restart button one of the things we should have done a much better, broader job of is talking to parents about what the standards are all about. … I believe in the restart parents need to be front and center.”

On charter schools and faithbased education: “I am a great admirer of charter schools, but I also think that came with a price to parochial schools. I happen to think that values-based education at an early age and early beginnings in high-needs school districts and dealing with families and children in complicated circumstances, I think we have real experience in this city and state in encouraging different types and knowing what’s allowed and what’s not allowed by law. But certainly not to permit a faith-based institution to be part of a large initiative I think would be depriving the citizens of this city and of this state one of the greatest resources that we have and that’s the quality values-based education that we see in this city day in and day out.”

On implementing pre-kindergarten programs: “At the state level something we’re going to pay very strict attention to the issue of funding going forward— the reliability of the funding going forward. It’s very hard to ask school districts to start a program and roll it out when there is one year of funding that is guaranteed and then you fall into an abyss not knowing where next year’s funding is going to come from.”

On what the state is doing for English Language Learners and special-needs students struggling with Common Core: “The state has applied to the federal government for a waiver—two waivers—one addressing our special needs students, who are now, by federal law, tested by their chronological age rather than their academic age. ... The other waiver we have asked for is for students who are entering this country—limited English proficiency students—not to be forced into the testing system within a year of their arrival. We should be advocating for these types of waivers. Without these waivers, we will continue to lose large numbers of children ... that we should embrace, educate and set free to be citizens of this country as they graduate.”

cit yandstateny.com

Q: Who do you trust to do what’s best for New York’s students?

A: TEACHERS ___________

That was the number one answer given in a recent Times Union/Siena College poll of

upstate New Yorkers. The public trusts teachers more than anyone else when it comes to putting their students’ interests first.

And they should.

New York’s public school teachers are consistently rated among the best and most highly educated teachers in the nation. They face a demanding uphill climb to earn the right to teach our children. Aspiring teachers must earn a college degree, complete a minimum of 40 days of student teaching and pass multiple certification exams. They must pass rigorous background checks and successfully complete required training on child abuse prevention, school violence issues and ensuring the dignity of all students.

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That only gains them an initial certification to teach. They must then also complete additional courses. Have a mentor for one year. Succeed as a classroom teacher for three years before being eligible for due process rights. And earn a master’s degree within five years.

Teachers must also complete 175 hours of professional development every five years to maintain their certification.

Few states require as much of their public school teachers as New York does.

No wonder New York state is widely recognized for its exemplary teaching force and earns high marks for its rigorous standards and credentialing requirements — typically ranking among the nation’s top ten.

Karen E. Magee, President Andrew Pallotta, Executive Vice President Catalina R. Fortino, Vice President Paul Pecorale, Vice President Martin Messner, Secretary-Treasurer

RepResenting MoRe than 600,000 pRofessionals in education, huMan seRvices and health caRe. cit yandstateny.com

www.nysut.org AFT • NEA • AFL-CIO

city & state — March 24, 2014

You are right to trust your teachers, New York. They’ve earned it.

AG E N C Y FO C U S : N Y S E D

ISSUES TEACHER EVALUATIONS

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n order to qualify for federal Race to the Top funding, New York implemented teacher evaluations tied to the Common Core standards. The state’s teachers’ union fought back against the requirement that 20 percent of their members’ evaluations be tied to students’ progress on state exams, especially after there was a significant decline in the number of students passing the tests amid a hasty implementation of Common Core. A last-minute deal between the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo removed student performance on the Common Core tests from the ratings system for teachers who are rated “developing” or “ineffective” for two years, and directed that the scores could not be used against teachers in decisions about firing or tenure during that time period.

Since then, some student advocates have railed against the delay and the evaluation results themselves, which showed that only 1 percent of teachers, excluding New York City teachers, were rated “ineffective.” Critics have also argued that a system that found some districts without even a single teacher rated “ineffective” must be flawed. Advocates have called for changes to the teacher evaluation process to ensure honest and thorough assessments.

School officials have argued that even if the evaluation system is imperfect, schools are now paying more attention to professional development and teacher proficiency than in previous years.

Most recently, more problems have arisen surrounding the teacher evaluations because a month into the school year Cuomo has not yet signed the agreed-upon bill to amend the teacher evaluation system, leaving schools in limbo.

COMMON CORE

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he 2014 Common Core test scores for grades 3–8 in English Language Arts and math released this past August reflected only slight gains from the prior year, but provided ample ammunition for opponents who are angry that only about one-third of students passed the tests. Education officials have said the initial drastic drop in test scores was to be expected because the state has raised its standards, but a number of parents are worried about what the scores will mean for their children. The state has delayed student accountability in regard to the tests until 2022. In addition, parents and education advocates remain concerned about the lack of flexibility in Common Core for English Language learners and special needs students. Education officials have repeatedly stressed that the rollout of Common Core will take time, and have said they will be working this year to reform parts of Common Core with ELLs and special needs students in mind.

Standardized testing has come under fire as well, an issue commonly confused with the new standards by Common Core critics. Parents have expressed apprehensions about the difficulty of the tests and the amount of time spent in the classroom “teaching for the test.”

The Common Core standards will undoubtedly continue to be a highly politicized issue going in to the 2015 legislative session, as several Republican candidates will appear on the “Stop Common Core” ballot line in November, including Republican gubernatorial nominee Rob Astorino, who has vowed if elected to repeal the standards.

UNIVERSAL PREKINDERGARTEN

city & state — October 13, 2014

A

fter making a campaign promise to deliver free full-day prekindergarten to the city if elected, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set a goal of enrolling 73,000 children by 2016. At the time only 20,000 students were enrolled in pre-K. Included in the 2014–15 state budget was $294.5 million for pre-K programs in New York City and $45.5 million to be shared among districts across the rest of the state.

Last month the new school year opened with a little more than 53,000 children enrolled in prekindergarten, and the city boasted a 98.4 percent enrollment rate, but concerns about the quick implementation remain, with parents and school officials recalling the problems with the Common Core implementation.

On the first day of school in September, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said he had only received 186 of 570 pre-K contracts from the city Department of Education, and de Blasio at the last minute closed nine troubled pre-K programs and delayed the opening of three dozen others.

With such a huge undertaking, there are concerns over child safety, physical space for the classrooms and how best to ensure quality programs. Education officials have also warned that the programs should not become glorified day care. The state Education Department has approved learning standards that will be taught to prepare enrolled children for kindergarten. Time will tell how effective those measures turn out to be.

cit yandstateny.com

Charter schools welcome all students, including 55 English Language Learners!

The New York City Charter School Center has launched a multilingual public outreach campaign to ensure that non-English speaking families are aware of the charter school option. Keep an eye out for our TV, print and radio ads and check out CharterNYC.org for parent information in Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Creole and English.

Tell your neighbor‌Charters Open Doors. city & state — March 24, 2014

www.LasCharterAbrenPuertas.org.

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AG E N C Y FO C U S : N Y S E D city & state — October 13, 2014

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TEACHER TENURE

A

fter a California Supreme Court judge ruled the state’s teacher protections unconstitutional, two similar lawsuits were filed in New York State in July. The lawsuits, one spearheaded by former CNN host Campbell Brown’s group Partnership for Educational Justice, claim that the hearing process to remove a tenured teacher, the three-year period for making tenure decisions and the “last in, first out” law, which mandates that the most recently hired teachers must be the first to be laid off in the event of cutbacks, all violate students’ rights to sound and basic education.

Teachers unions argued that tenure reforms made back in 2012 have already fixed many of the problems in the hearing process, and that teachers, due to their unique and important profession, need certain protections to ensure students get a solid education. For example, they argue the “last in, first out” law protects veteran teachers with high salaries from being targeted for termination as a consequence of the school budget process.

The cases are not expected to be heard in court until next year, but the continuing debate around the Common Core standards, testing and teacher evaluations will feature prominently in the upcoming cases and in public discussion and debate.

ELIZABETH BERLIN Executive Deputy Commissioner

COSIMO TANGORRA Deputy Commissioner of P–12 Education

DOUGLAS LENTIVECH Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Professions

As the executive deputy commissioner at the state Education Department, Elizabeth Berlin serves directly under the commissioner. Berlin previously served for five years as the executive deputy commissioner at the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance before joining NYSED in 2012. She has also served as commissioner of the Department of Social Services for the County of Albany, and as health and human services coordinator for Albany County under then-County Executive Michael Breslin.

Cosimo Tangorra served as a school superintendent for 12 years before being appointed deputy commissioner for P–12 education earlier this year. The Office of P–12 Education oversees all prekindergarten through 12th grade programs in the state, and has diverse responsibilities such as assessment, curriculum and accountability for all grades.

Douglas Lentivech and his office oversee the licensing and discipline of more than 800,000 licensed professionals across the state, including New York doctors, lawyers and teachers. He joined the Office of the Professions in 1994 and has served in various positions, including assistant counsel. He previously served in 2008 as executive secretary for the state boards for respiratory therapy, speech-language pathology and audiology, occupational therapy and acupuncture before being appointed to his current position in 2011.

NICOLAS STORELLI-CASTRO Director of Governmental Relations and Special Projects

DONALD JURON Chief Financial Officer

KEN WAGNER Deputy Commissioner, Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Educational Technology

RICHARD TRAUTWEIN General Counsel to the Commissioner

Before becoming director of governmental relations and special projects at the state Education Department, Nicolas StorelliCastro worked in both New York City and state government. In the state Assembly he was an education committee analyst until 2011, when he switched over to the New York City Department of Education to become director of state legislative affairs, a position he held for eight months.

Storelli-Castro returned to Albany to become assistant to the executive deputy commissioner before taking on his current position. He has helped oversee the expansion of universal prekindergarten and preschool special education programs.

Donald Juron, the department’s chief financial officer, has more than 30 years of experience with the state Education Department and began his career as an assistant accountant. Before becoming CFO in 2012, he served as director of financial administration for almost three years, a role in which he was responsible for the daily operations of the department’s central finance and grants management office, which includes RFP and contract development. More recently Juron has led the Race to the Top Project Management Office and the Office of Budget Coordination, helping the state utilize the $696.6 million granted from the federal government to implement the new Common Core standards.

Ken Wagner oversees the systems coordination and implementation of the New York State Learning Standards— including the controversial Common Core standards. The office was created to coordinate the curriculum, assessment and educational technology services the state Education Department provides to public, nonpublic and charter schools, school districts and the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Wagner, a former middle school principal, joined the state Education Department in 2009 as a data director.

He became associate commissioner at the Office Curriculum, Assessment and Ed Technology in 2010 before being promoted to commissioner in 2013.

Richard Trautwein provides legal counsel to enable the department to establish education policy and comply with the law.

His more than 25 years of experience at the state Education Department follows previous work in the state Legislature in the mid-1970s on science legislation.

After graduating from law school at the University at Buffalo, Trautwein went into private practice with a bankruptcy law firm in Rochester, where he was involved in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court; he won the case.

He joined the state Education Department in the 1980s because he said he wanted to protect the interest of children.

LEADERSHIP

cit yandstateny.com

By ELIZABETH LYNAM from the CITIZENS BUDGET COMMISSION

cit yandstateny.com

was 84 percent more than the national average, a disparity driven largely by high teacher compensation and fringe benefits costs. Instructional salaries and wages in New York averaged $8,313 per pupil, 94 percent higher than the national average of $4,287; and instructional employee fringe benefits in New York averaged $4,233 per pupil, 169 percent higher than the national average of $1,573.

NYSED faces many challenges in leading New York’s massive educational enterprise forward. Chief among them is ensuring that New York’s 3.1 million schoolchildren all receive a 21st century education regardless of their socioeconomic status. Although the main goal of school aid is to make up for differences in resources that occur from wealth, income and student need, reaching that goal has proved elusive in New York.

School aid formulas remain seriously flawed; Regents’ recommendations

to improve them by better targeting resources to the neediest districts and students have been rejected by the Legislature. The formulas contain numerous “save-harmless” provisions to guarantee increases for more affluent districts, and have not been appropriately adjusted to reflect demographic changes including enrollment, student need and district ability to pay over the years.

The other part of the resource challenge for NYSED is helping to ensure that New York’s sizable education dollars are spent providing top-notch educational opportunities, in essence delivering “bang for the buck.” Student performance should reflect New York’s position as a top spender, but performance has not been as high as spending; Education Week’s 2014 K–12 Education Achievement Index grade for New York was 70.2, the same as the national average, based on comparative metrics, such

as graduation rates and test scores on national assessments.

To improve outcomes relative to national and international competitors, NYSED has led the charge to implement the more rigorous Common Core curriculum and a new evaluation system for teachers called the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR). Both have been controversial.

Educators and parents have complained that the Common Core, meant to bring what U.S. students are learning each year up to international standards, is being implemented too rapidly.

Legislation included with the Fiscal Year 2015 budget mandates better communication with parents about the Common Core, limits the amount of test preparation teachers are allowed to conduct in their classrooms, prohibits “bubble testing” for children in grades K–2 and restricts the use of test data.

APPR has met with resistance from teachers’ unions, which oppose the

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Figure 1

Federal, State and Local Revenues for Public Elementary-Secondary Education Spending in New York, School Year 2012 Total Revenue=$59 Billion Federal, $3,770, 6%

Local, $31,674, 54%

State, $23,314, 40%

SOURCE: CBC ANALYSIS OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, ANNUAL SURVEY OF SCHOOL SYSTEM FINANCES, 2102

city & state — October 13, 2014

T

he New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) mission is to “raise the knowledge, skill and opportunity of all the people in New York.” It is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, including public and private educational institutions, but also libraries, state museums and archives, and the public broadcasting office. NYSED is governed by the Board of Regents, a 17-member body elected to five-year terms by the Legislature with four at-large members and one member from each of New York’s 13 judicial districts. NYSED’s commissioner, currently Dr. John King, is appointed by the Regents.

NYSED’s fiscal year 2015 operations budget is $495 million, and it employs the full-time equivalent of about 3,100 staff members. Its reach is even broader than these figures suggest— its prekindergarten to 12th grade education activities alone, for example, affect what happens to $59 billion in state, federal and local resources devoted to public elementarysecondary education. (See Figure 1.)

Fully $23.3 billion of the total is school aid disseminated to school districts through multiple formulas NYSED oversees. Each year the Regents make recommendations to the Legislature about how these funds should be allocated, although the Legislature is ultimately responsible for setting the formulas in statute. There are two important challenges: ensuring state school aid is targeted to the neediest districts so they have adequate resources, and improving performance so New York is as much a leader in student outcomes as it is in per-pupil spending.

New York was the top per-pupil spender among states on public elementary-secondary education in 2012. New York spent $19,552 per student, compared with $10,608 on average nationally, and $16,274 and $17,266 on average in the neighboring states of Connecticut and New Jersey, respectively. (See Figure 2.) Average total per-pupil spending in New York

AG E N C Y FO C U S : N Y S E D

NYSED BUDGET ANALYSIS

AG E N C Y FO C U S : N Y S E D

New York is right to safeguard good teachers, good teaching

By Karen E. Magee Before becoming NYSUT’s president, I spent nearly 30 years as a special education teacher in a public elementary school. I loved the students and my fellow educators, and I know from experience how much education and training is required to become a teacher. I know, too, how hard our public school teachers work to succeed and excel.

New York has outstanding public school teachers, largely because of the state’s rigorous standards and credentialing requirements – typically ranking among the top ten most demanding in the country.

The state also has multiple safeguards to ensure every student has an effective teacher.

Tenure is one of those safeguards.

Tenure enables good teachers to speak out for their students without fear of reprisal. It protects good teachers from unfair firing. Without tenure, teachers could and would be fired for virtually any reason.

Just the threat would have a chilling effect.

As a special education teacher in Harrison, I frequently spoke up on behalf of my students, advocating for additional services they needed.

Because of tenure, I could not arbitrarily be dismissed for doing so.

What would happen if teachers — perhaps your child’s teacher — could be fired at will or face career jeopardy for politically motivated reasons?

58

Because of tenure, teachers are able to join parents in denouncing excessive standardized testing. They can oppose budget cuts that hurt students. In tight fiscal times, they can be free from the worry that their school board will lay off the most expensive teachers – even if they happen to be the best and most experienced – to save money.

Tenure guarantees that after successfully completing a three-year probationary period, a tenured teacher is entitled to a fair hearing if charged with incompetence or wrongdoing. This “due process” protection is the very basis of our judicial system: the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Tenure is working in New York state. In 2012, the law was streamlined so that all disciplinary hearings must be completed within five months.

Most are settled sooner. In those rare cases in which the public trust is violated, guilty teachers are fired without delay. And, when school districts misuse the law or bring baseless charges, innocent teachers are returned to the classroom immediately.

city & state — October 13, 2014

Besides tenure, New York has numerous other safeguards to ensure excellence in our classrooms. Teachers also must: n Earn a college degree; n Complete at least 40 days of student teaching; n Pass multiple certification exams; n Work under a mentor for one year; n Earn a master’s degree within five years of obtaining initial certification, and n Continue professional learning and undergo annual performance reviews.

Let’s focus on what’s really important: recruiting and retaining quality teachers, and ensuring our children, teachers and schools have the adequate funding and resources necessary to ensure all students are given equal opportunity to succeed.

Karen E. Magee is president of New York State United Teachers, the union that represents 600,000 professionals in education, human services and health care.

use of student performance measures in teacher evaluations.

To move its ambitious agenda forward, NYSED will need Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other allies to continue to make the case that New Yorkers are not getting the results they deserve for the amount

they are spending. Increasing the cost effectiveness of the education system is critical if New York is to be economically competitive.

Elizabeth Lynam is the vice president and director of state studies with the Citizens Budget Commission.

Figure 2

Public Elementary-Secondary Education Spending per Pupil by Spending Category, New York and the U.S., School Year 2012 Other

Support Services

Instructional Employee Benefits

Instructional Salaries and Wages

$ 25,000 $ 20,000

$ 15,000 $ 10,000

$ 5,000

$0 NYS AVERAGE

U.S. AVERAGE

Note: Spending does not include adult education, community services or payments to private schools and charter schools. Instructional expenses include regular, special and vocational programs offered in both the regular school year and summer school. Support services cover a variety of functions including administration, school operations and maintenance, pupil transportation, curriculum development, staff training and student support services such as social work, nursing, speech therapy and psychological services. Instructional expenses for New York City include guidance counselors, which slightly overstates instructional expenses and slightly understates support services expenses relative to other school districts.

Other spending includes all other categories of spending, such as classroom supplies and food services.

SOURCE: CBC ANALYSIS OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, ANNUAL SURVEY OF SCHOOL SYSTEM FINANCES, 2102 cit yandstateny.com

Is Proud to Congratulate the Class of 2014 City & State New York City Rising Stars www.IBM.com

Let’s build a smarter planet. cit yandstateny.com

city & state — March 24, 2014

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THE ROAD TO SOMOS / EL C A MINO A SOMOS city & state — October 13, 2014

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OUR ROAD TO EMPOWERMENT

NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ

S

OMOS El Futuro is a critical platform for legislators to gather, discuss timely issues that impact our community and develop plans for the future.

Last year I had the honor of joining a women’s empowerment panel, moderated by Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, along with Mecca Santana, New York State’s chief diversity officer; Julissa Gutierrez, the northeast director of civic engagement at NALEO; and Monika Mantilla, CEO of Altura Capital. The forum allowed these women—all leaders in their own right—to share their life experiences climbing the career ladder.

One takeaway from this conversation was that, regardless of the diverse accomplishments of many in the audience and on the panel, Latinas and women of color, including myself, encountered similar social and financial obstacles throughout our lives. All of us found that Latinas are never handed opportunity; we must carve it out for ourselves. This includes not only pursuing our own personal dreams, but also lending a hand to others in our community so they may also climb the ladder of opportunity.

Whether it is working to lift women and children out of poverty, ending

violence against women, mentoring young women to attend college or helping an entrepreneur finance her small-business dream, women are on the forefront of positive change in the larger Hispanic community.

If more Latinas were politically engaged and elected to office, we could shoulder and push an equitable women’s agenda. Wage discrimination between the genders is well documented. Women still earn 77 cents on the dollar to men, while Latinas earn just 55 cents, compared with white male workers. That is why increasing access to higher learning, economic opportunities, quality child care and education for our children is vital. Career and workforce opportunities are essential to improve women’s living standards, the economy and the social fabric of communities. SOMOS is a platform to promote job creation, self-sufficiency and strengthen the economy.

SOMOS El Futuro is more than just a state level discussion on Latino

issues; it reconnects boricuas living on the mainland to the issues affecting Puerto Rico residents. With its well educated bilingual population, strategic Caribbean location, and its significance as a gateway to the U.S. and neighboring countries, Puerto Rico has the ingredients to be an important part of the global economy. Yet for decades economic disinvestment hindered the island’s competitive edge.

For these reasons, I am encouraged there will be a presentation highlighting the island’s trade hub potential. Another panel will discuss the community and water channel of Caño Martín Peña, a community adjacent to San Juan’s main financial district. This area is home to approximately 25,000 people living in substandard housing conditions whose children are exposed to polluted waters and toxic environmental conditions. SOMOS is the right platform to discuss how to secure resources to execute the

proposed remedial action plan.

As the Puerto Rican and Latino population grows, so does its potential to become one of the electorate’s most influential segments. With 28 million Latinos eligible to vote by the time of the 2016 presidential election, Hispanic voters are expected to be instrumental in future national elections. We must use this growing political strength to further empower our communities, create economic opportunity and continue the march toward equality and justice. If you feel the same commitment I do and are driven by the same sense of duty to advance this cause, now is the time to make your voice heard. SOMOS is a powerful platform to express these passions, cultivate new leadership and exchange the ideas that will shape our future. I invite you to join the discussion.

Nydia Velázquez represents New York’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Velázquez (center) at the SOMOS panel she participated in last year on women’s empowerment. cit yandstateny.com

PRESENTS

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During his campaign, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made several promises to make the city more green. Now, 10 months into his term, City & State takes a look at what he has accomplished and whether his goal of cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 is possible.

61

WIND, SOLAR AND WHAT NY WANTS

New York is well known for fostering the solar energy industry. But although wind turbines are the obvious choice between the two when it comes to generating power on a commercial scale for a regional or statewide grid, the state government has paid the wind industry relatively little attention. City & State explores why so much emphasis is being placed on solar in New York when wind could generate power on a whole other level.

STATE SENATE SHAKEUP? WHAT THAT MEANS FOR ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT ISSUES.

THE GREEN NY ROUNDTABLE:

Joe Martens, Commissioner, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner, NYC Dept. of Sanitation Sen. Mark Grisanti, Chair, Environment Committee Emily Lloyd, Commissioner, NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection

Contact Andrew Holt at 212-894-5422 or aholt@cityandstateny.com for more information on advertising / sponsored content opportunities and rates. . cit yandstateny com

city & state — March 24, 2014

With NY Senate Energy Chair George Maziarz deciding not to run for reelection, and the battle for state Senate underway, Dan Tevlock, who runs the Greenpost blog for Investigative Post, takes a look at how a Senate shakeup might fare for the state environmental and energy policies, as well as who is in the running to take up the Senate energy chair position in 2015.

THE ROAD TO SOMOS / EL C A MINO A SOMOS city & state — October 13, 2014

62

FOR UPSTATE LATINOS, ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. FOR NOW.

T

he story comes out with a chuckle.

“I remember when a Latino elected official from upstate was offered help from a powerful downstate Latino politician,” says Michael Fondacaro.

“The response was, ‘Yeah, I appreciate it, but no thanks. Wouldn’t do me any good to stand next to a New York City Democrat.’ ” Fondacaro is editor of Noticias y Notas, a weekly newsletter for the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities of upstate New York and New England outside of Boston.

He’s been tracking the growth of Latino political power in upstate New York for over a decade, assisting the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, or NALEO, with data. He scours between 600 and 2,000 websites every few months looking for newly elected officials who may have Latino heritage. He then sends the raw data to NALEO, which confirms the data or not.

Some of his findings are unexpected.

While only 42 people of Latino heritage are serving as elected officials in upstate New York—for the purposes of this article, “upstate” includes counties north of New York City except Putnam, Rockland and Westchester—geographically

SUSAN ARBETTER

Assemblyman Peter Lopez is the only Latino members of the Legislature from upstate. they cover the gamut from urban counties (Erie, Onondaga, Monroe) to suburban ones (Tomkins, Broome, Oswego), and even rural counties (Alleghany, Chautauqua and Clinton).

“It’s just like Tip O’Neill said,” says Fondacaro. “You’re out there in the community, and people know you, and people obviously like you.”

He begins rattling off names, offices and towns like a kid in baseball fantasy camp.

“Jessica Zambrano, she is the town supervisor in Cicero. Look at the Village of Brockport. Connie Castaneda was the second Latina elected mayor or head of municipality.

The first was Celia Vázquez, who

was elected mayor of the Village of Hancock in Delaware County. At one point there were three Latino elected officials in Delaware County,” says Fondacaro excitedly.

Still, despite these examples, the political power held by Latinos does not reflect their growing numbers across the state.

According to José Cruz, associate professor in the political science department at University of Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and director of the Center for Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies (CELAC), the basic explanation for the mismatch between population growth and power has to do with location.

“It’s just too dispersed,” he explains. “You know, we’re growing, but we’re still a small minority of the upstate population.”

Fondacaro prefers to see the glass as half-full. “It’s just a matter of time until political power catches up,” he says.

In an academic paper titled “How the Other Third Lives: A Focus on Upstate New York,” researchers from the Lewis Mumford Center at the University at Albany used data from the 2010 U.S. Census to break down demographics throughout upstate cit yandstateny.com

“And ideally,” says Cruz, “there ought to be parity.”

But even in places of unusually strenuous growth like Albany, that’s hard to come by.

“In areas like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, there are Hispanic neighborhoods within those cities,” says Fondacaro.

“The Latino community in Albany is more spread out. But we will eventually see a Latino member on the Common Council. It just has to happen.”

Cruz thinks one reason for the lack of parity is that there is only one elected state legislator of Latino descent in upstate New York: Assemblyman Pete Lopez, a Republican.

“So,” Cruz asks, “what kind of political relationships are we going to build between Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse?”

UPSTATE/DOWNSTATE DIVIDE

P

olitical power can grow exponentially when the right alliances are forged. But

connecting the downstate Latino power base with the diffuse upstate one has been difficult.

“The issues are different, and there is no incentive for downstate Latinos to reach out because of the nature of our representative system, which is geographically based,” says Cruz.

“What’s the incentive that someone from Rochester or Syracuse has to form an alliance with someone like, I don’t know, José Serrano, on questions of education, housing? The incentives are not necessarily there.”

Assemblyman Pete Lopez (R-Schoharie), who represents a rural swath of eastern New York to the west and south of Albany, agrees. Lopez explains that downstate Latinos are more liberal than he is, and that upstate is a good fit for his more conservative brand of politics.

“There I was with family in inner city Bridgeport, in the 1980s. We were at a family barbecue. And to be honest, the conversation was markedly conservative,” remembers Lopez.

“We focused on family values, on the dignity of work, we focused on the importance of being self-sufficient. So

in that culture, in the culture that I’ve been raised in, my father’s culture, the whole premise is conservative by nature.”

While Lopez is supportive of immigration reform, including fast-tracking citizenship, he is not a supporter of the DREAM Act, which would allow the children of undocumented immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded tuition assistance.

“We want people to be citizens,” says Lopez. “We are not interested in fostering a culture of individuals who remain in the shadows, or who are treated like second-class citizens.”

To Lopez, the issue is personal.

“My daughter is in the Air Force.

Airman Lopez is defending the country. And yet Airman Lopez is in massive debt because she didn’t have all the resources available and had to take out loans for her educational studies. So one would beg the question, what about the dream of Stephanie Lopez, airman in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. citizen?”

On this issue, Lopez is not in sync with the majority of other elected Latinos in New York, but he likely

THE ROAD TO SOMOS / EL C A MINO A SOMOS

New York.

What they found was that the growth of the Hispanic population in upstate cities has been more dramatic than the national average. In one case, the four counties that make up the Capital Region, the growth was 80 percent greater than the nation as a whole.

Here are some key stats: • New York State is 58.3 percent white and 17.6 percent Hispanic.

• 11 percent of Hispanics now live upstate.

• Between 2000 and 2010, every market in upstate New York has seen growth in the Hispanic population, with one exception, the Malone micropolitan statistical area, which borders Canada.

While the greatest numbers of Latinos live in upstate New York’s largest cities, they make up the largest percentage of the minority population in medium and small cities including Amsterdam (26.2 percent), Jamestown (8.8 percent) and Watertown (5.6 percent).

So the numbers are there, but parity in representation is not.

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city & state — October 13, 2014

The Must-Read Morning Roundup of New York Politics and Government

THE ROAD TO SOMOS / EL C A MINO A SOMOS

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64

echoes the sentiments of his district: In June, Siena asked voters if they supported the DREAM Act. Thirtyseven percent of New York City residents said they strongly agreed on the issue with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is for the bill. Only 11 percent of upstate residents did.

While the Latino community isn’t homogenous and the growth of the Latino community in upstate New York hasn’t been uniform, Fondacaro says there have been several attempts by the downstate power base to reach out.

“The late great [state Sen.] Olga Méndez would come upstate to campaign. [New York State Labor Commissioner] Peter Rivera also has an interest in upstate outreach.

[Assemblyman] Félix Ortiz also has an interest,” recalls Fondacaro. “It’s to their credit that they’ve done that.

It’s an acknowledgement that the community is growing.”

While it may not benefit him politically, Assemblyman Lopez says he enjoys connecting with downstate Latino elected officials, even though most are Democrats.

“When it comes to Latinos in government, it also has been for me a way to break down barriers between upstate and downstate. When they come from downstate, and they meet ‘Assemblyman Lopez,’ there’s an instant bond there,” says Lopez.

“What I really enjoy about it is that it allows me to have conversations about things that matter without the tension.

The upstate-downstate tension drops away. And we’re hugging each other and talking about family and focusing on common values.”

CITIZENSHIP IS KEY

city & state — October 13, 2014

T THE WAY TO REACH ELECTED OFFICIALS

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here is one issue that binds the Latino population throughout the state, both north and south of the Tappan Zee. “Citizenship is crucial,” explains Professor Cruz, “because [the lack of it] really depresses the electoral power of Latinos, substantially.”

But in order to increase the franchise and incorporate more Latino and noncitizen immigrants into a pool of voters, he says, the initiative would have to come from the top, meaning the governor’s office.

“If there was a more systemic and determined leadership exercising that area, I think that would produce a

difference. But I don’t think that’s a priority for the governor right now.”

It’s also not a priority for the majority of upstate New Yorkers.

“In the past, Eliot Spitzer tried to do something about that. He wanted to give undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses. Seventy percent of New Yorkers were against that,” remembers Cruz. “Now municipal ID cards in New York—that has, surprisingly, become viable.

Again, that’s just in the city where a constituency is greater, and the terms around which this initiative has developed have been pretty much acceptable to a majority of people. But I don’t think the same thing would resonate as well [upstate], where sentiment towards immigrants is different.”

Asked what he meant by different, Cruz explained, “There is a great deal less sympathy [for undocumented immigrants] outside the large concentrations.”

Additionally, says Cruz, both nationally and internationally there is a growing wave of especially strong anti-immigrant sentiment.

“We [the United States] are not really the exception to that pattern.

We are seeing that happening in a lot of places throughout the world,” says Cruz, referring to news out of Great Britain, France, Spain, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

“But of all nations,” he stresses, “we should have the least unsympathetic attitude toward immigrants.”

While there may be resistance to the rise of Latino power, as the community’s numbers continue to swell, its priorities will have to be embraced by white officials if they are to get re-elected … or not.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Fondacaro emphasizes once again.

History and demographics suggest he is absolutamente correcto.

Susan Arbetter (@sarbetter on Twitter) is the Emmy award-winning news director for WCNY Syracuse PBS/NPR, and producer/host of the Capitol Pressroom syndicated radio program.

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PERSPEC TIVES

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…

MICHAEL BENJAMIN

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There was a rumor that Adolfo Carrión had re-enrolled as a Democrat in anticipation of a future run for Congress. However, contrary to the gossip, he’s still enrolled as a “blank.”

As a result, like millions of New Yorkers, he was unable to participate in the recent primary elections for federal and state office. Since the election, Carrión has busied himself growing his consulting business.

Presently he has a contract with the New York City Housing Authority, advising the agency on resiliency.

Tom Allon, on the other hand, did quietly re-enroll as a Democrat in December 2013, because, as he puts it, he “wants to vote in elections that matter.” He wistfully notes that his “heart is really in the Liberal Party” and pledges to help that party, which has been without a standing ballot line since 2002, become a force for moderation in state and city politics.

In the meantime, Allon is building City & State into the “go-to” multimedia powerhouse for pols, policymakers and voters statewide.

Malcolm Smith’s days as a state senator—and perhaps as a free man—are dwindling since he lost his re-election bid last month. He now awaits a new federal trial on corruption charges stemming from his aborted run for the Republican nomination for mayor. Smith’s unbroken voting record and voting privileges hang in the balance of his case’s outcome.

Affable Greek tycoon John Catsimatidis is now the host of a radio show on AM 970 that he claims “gets better guests than Meet the Press.”

Catsman says he is in negotiations to

take his show nationwide. Reflecting on his mayoral run, Catsimatidis says he enjoyed the experience and prays for Mayor de Blasio’s success. He last voted in the 2013 general election, presumably for his rival, Joe Lhota, who seems to have retired from public life after taking a senior VP position at NYU Langone Medical Center.

After months out of the limelight, Chris Quinn has re-emerged as a board member for a nonprofit battling homophobia in sports, and a vocal Cuomonista vouching for the governor’s conservative running mate Kathy Hochul and touting the new Women’s Equality Party, which is running few female candidates.

According to city Board of Elections records, Quinn skipped the 2013 general election (guess she couldn’t vote for either de Blasio or Lhota), although she found time recently to vote for her new patrons, Cuomo and Hochul.

Also-ran Bill Thompson Jr. returned to the private sector and took on the plum unpaid side gig of serving as one of the five members of the governor’s casino siting commission.

The Harlem resident voted in the 2013 primary, runoff and general elections, as well as in the recent congressional and state primaries.

A former Brooklyn pol described John Liu as the “Energizer bunny of New York politics.” Another wag noted that after losing the recent Democratic primary for state Senate to the incumbent, Tony Avella, Liu would likely next run for dogcatcher, if only it were an elected office. By all accounts, Liu is a long-distance runner

who sees opportunity over the next hill. He’s not done.

Rev. Erick Salgado seems to have fallen off of the political map. After last voting in 2013, Salgado skipped the recent primary election.

Since getting his clock cleaned in 2013, the irrepressible Anthony Weiner continues to maintain a media presence. This self-deprecating Mets fan has emerged as a columnist with BusinessInsider.com and the New York Daily News, as well as earning a spot in the Inside City Hall Wise Guys rotation. Though he is a regular voter, he skipped the 2013 runoff election.

Lastly, Bill de Blasio, who emerged as the sole Survivor, is now being touted as a candidate for governor.

His every “historic,” “transcendent” and progressive pronouncement is recorded, sliced and diced.

Last year it seemed that every new week brought two or three mayoral debates or fora in every borough and neighborhood across New York City.

Those fora served our democracy and gave city voters a sense of investment and involvement. By contrast, the major party candidates for governor have yet to participate in a single joint debate anywhere in the state. As result, democracy statewide is ill served.

Former Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (@SquarePegDem on Twitter) represented the Bronx for eight years.

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city & state — October 13, 2014

T

he reluctance of Gov. Andrew Cuomo to debate any of his Democratic, Republican or Green Party challengers makes me wistful for the seemingly interminable 2013 New York City mayoral debates.

You remember: The host of pols auditioning to succeed Michael Bloomberg seemed like cast-offs from TV’s Survivor.

The Apostates tribe was composed of long-shot ex-Democrats Adolfo Carrión, a former Bronx borough president and White House cabinet member; Malcolm Smith, a deposed state Senate majority leader flirting with Republicans; and Tom Allon, co-owner of this publication and GOP convert.

The Wannabes were led by Christine Quinn, the then-incumbent Council Speaker who sought to make history by becoming the Big Apple’s first female and openly gay mayor; Bill Thompson, the Dems’ 2009 loser to Bloomberg; John Liu, the affable and peripatetic city comptroller; and Bill de Blasio, the gangly public advocate and progressive evangelist.

The most entertaining and unpredictable cast of characters were the Goonies: billionaire malapropist John “Catsman” Catsimatidis; the impish reverend, Erick Salgado; the unrepentant sexter, ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner; and Joe Lhota, the sacrificial GOP bull.

When it was all said and done, the tribe had spoken: Bill de Blasio had outplayed, outwitted and outlasted all of the others. But what happened to those voted off Manhattan Island?

STRENGTHENING STRONG TIES $

32.2 billion in bilateral trade takes

in that unit, so that when they cross the border, the Canadian can conduct the proper measures, and vice versa. The other thing we are working on is called Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC).

When you have an economy as integrated as ours, over time many regulations that have built up just don’t make sense. …

Is there duplication that no longer needs to be done? Are we using technology effectively? We have 29 initiatives under the Regulatory Cooperation Council, and both input from American and Canadian businesses as well as associations [that] have come together to say, “These are the things that really slow down trade.”

place across the 445-mile shared border between New York and Canada. John Prato, a former ma+naging director of a division of The TD Bank Financial Group, has been consul general of Canada in New York since March 2011 by appointment of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Prato is a firm believer that our strong cross-border ties can be strengthened even more. He spoke with City & State Editor Morgan Pehme about the opportunities for growth.

The following interview has been edited for space and clarity.

city & state — October 13, 2014

66

City & State: What is the relationship between Canada and New York?

John Prato: No two countries in the world have the relationship that our two countries have. We see it particularly in trade: It is the largest trade relationship in the world. In 2013 it was $780 billion.

That is over $2 billion a day. By the time we finish this interview, my guess is that we have already done about $10 million in trade, because it is about $1.3 million every single minute, so you can see the magnitude of it. For example, 36 of the 50 states call Canada their number one export market. So New York’s largest export market by a country mile is Canada. In fact, Canada is a bigger customer of New York State than the next two countries combined. Trade with Canada is responsible for 8 million jobs in this country. And when it comes to New York State, roughly 570,000 jobs are tied to trade in Canada.

C&S: How well have New York and Canada worked together from a governmental standpoint?

JP: You can never have this strong a trading relationship without strong relationships at the governmental level.

They’re a precursor to having good trading relationships. We work very closely with Albany, we work very closely with Washington, D.C., we work

A Q&A WITH

JOHN PRATO very closely throughout the state to make sure everyone understands the close relationships between our two entities.

And today we are working closely on several issues at the border to help ensure that goods get across the border in a faster, more expedient manner. You couldn’t do that if you didn’t have strong relationships between our two countries, both nationally and at the state level.

C&S: What are your foremost priorities to ease cross-border commerce?

JP: One thing we can do to increase our prosperity in the short term is to make sure the border is not an impediment to the legitimate movement of goods and of people. And I stress that there should never be a trade-off with security.

We have two initiatives going on. The Beyond the Border initiative—what

we are trying to do is not weaken the border but make sure goods are not trapped at the border. We are sharing more information not just at the border but prior to the border; sharing better quality information to keep our continent safe; making the investments that are required in the infrastructure to make sure we have the best technology. So if something is checked once, it is verified twice. It doesn’t have to be checked twice separately. And there are some really interesting pilots going on—IBET, or Integrated Border Enforcement Teams.

This would be Canadian law enforcement embedded with U.S. law enforcement and vice versa. So if criminal acts [started] in the U.S. try and go over the border, previously American [law] enforcement agents would have to stop [pursuit] because they couldn’t cross the border.

Now we will have a Canadian embedded

C&S: What can we do on a state governmental level to foster our relationship?

JP: It is important that we explain the relationship and the possibilities. I want to explain to you some of the incredible opportunities that Western New York has. We had a matchmaking session where we brought our six largest energy companies that are participating in the oil sands, and we brought them to meet companies in Western New York and partly Western Pennsylvania, because we need your products. We need engineering, environmental and manufacturing.

When you look at the oil sands, look at it as a massive technology incubator where a lot of new technologies are being applied to increase the efficiencies and the productivity of the production of oil … in an environmentally sound way. So my message to leaders in Albany is: Let’s find ways of further expanding trade.

There are greater opportunities, and you have to take advantage of them. When we take advantage of them, then we can compete with the rest of the world.

To watch a video of this interview in its entirety, go to cityandstateny.com.

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