City & State Magazine_10172016 - 40 under 40 New York City by City & State

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October 17, 2016 CIT YANDSTATENY.COM @CIT YANDSTATENY

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

EDITOR’S NOTE / Contents

JON LENTZ Senior editor

Bill de Blasio started out as a young political operative with dreams of getting elected to the New York City Council. Carl Heastie was once a little-known assemblyman from the Bronx. Melissa Mark-Viverito left her native Puerto Rico to attend college in New York and cut her teeth as an activist and community board member. The early professional experiences of these political heavyweights in New York City are no different from those of the exceptional young men and women featured in these pages. In this issue, we look ahead to the next generation of local leaders in politics and government. Our annual list features the city’s most remarkable young lobbyists, staffers, advocates, activists and journalists – all of them under the age of 40. One of them could eventually be elected mayor of the city. Another one might one day lead the state Senate or Assembly. Still others could contend for the position of speaker of the New York City Council. Many of them are certain to play influential roles in city government and politics for years to come. So without further ado, we present this year’s New York City 40 Under 40 Rising Stars.

Beth DeFalco Anna Durrett E. Kevin Elkins F. Abbey Fashouer Kai Feder Allie Feldman Taylor Austin Finan G. Elvin Garcia Mara Gay Christian GonzálezRivera Henry L. Greenidge A. Nicole Arrindell B. Stephanie Báez Cameron Bard Chris Bastardi

Alex Beauchamp Jennie Berger Katharine ES Bodde Andrew Brent D. Saba Debesu

H. Redmond Haskins Helen Ho K. Andrew Kalloch Vlada Kenniff Julian Kline

L. Christopher Lee Paimaan Lodhi M. Jennifer Manley Mike Morey N. Emily Newman P. Michael Pantelidis Dayana Perez Keith Powers R. Lisa Rossi Laura Rothrock David A. Rozen Haley Rubinson S. Pam Stamoulis T. Joe Taranto Eftihia Thomopoulos

Profiles by JEFF COLTIN, ASHLEY HUPFL, JON LENTZ, FRANK G. RUNYEON, JUSTIN SONDEL, SARINA TRANGLE and JEREMY UNGER

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

LAST WEEK’S ROUNDUP

BACK& FORTH A Q&A with DAVID BIRDSELL, dean of BARUCH COLLEGE’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs C&S: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEBATES THIS CYCLE AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY? DB: Many people feel the debates are a game changer, other people say that you’re just looking for confirmation of the biases you had when you first started watching that debate, and there’s a certain amount of truth in both of those things. My own feeling is that presidential debates can be enormously consequential, and I think we saw that in the first presidential debate. It’s unclear how many people changed their minds, and nobody is flipping from Trump to Clinton, but somebody might go from undecided to one or another of the candidates depending on their read on that debate. C&S: COULD TRUMP MAKE THE RACE SO NEGATIVE THAT PEOPLE WHO’D VOTE FOR CLINTON STAY HOME OR VOTE FOR A THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE? DB: Well it’s entirely possible, and right now it’s very clear that Donald Trump is extraordinarily challenged to talk about policy. He doesn’t have any particular incentive to do that. So driving up negatives, he’s already telegraphed that that’s what he’d like to do. But casting Hillary Clinton as a potentially sympathetic figure will have precisely the opposite effect from the one he wants to have. And it appears that he is already moving down that road, if we can believe focus group results and some initial polling about her favorability coming out of this race. To hear the full interview, subscribe to the City & State Presents podcast channel on iTunes.

DEATH OF A PROSECUTOR Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson died last week at age 50, days after announcing he had cancer. He overturned wrongful convictions, declined to prosecute low-level marijuana offenses and revolutionized warrant forgiveness programs, earning a reputation as a reformer. Acting D.A. Eric Gonzalez now leads the office and precedent suggests Gov. Andrew Cuomo will keep him there. TRUMP CHARGES: RETREAT? It’s fight-or-flight time for Trump supporters amid a major sexual harassment scandal. State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan decried Trump’s comments without rescinding his endorsement, and claimed it won’t hurt the party’s chances of keeping the state Senate. U.S. Senate candidate Wendy Long still held a “Women for Trump” rally, and Rudy Giuliani, as usual, defended the Donald. FORUM OR AGAINST ’EM? Bill de Blasio managed Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, but that was long ago. Emails posted by WikiLeaks show the New York City mayor angling to be a prominent progressive champion for Clinton but being largely rebuffed. The leak also made clear that de Blasio was never going to back Bernie Sanders, shedding light on the old question: What took him so long to endorse Clinton?

POLITICALLY

THE CRAZIEST THINGS OUR READERS HAVE OVERHEARD IN THE POLITICAL WORLD:

INCORRECT

“

IF I WAS TO RUN FOR ANOTHER OFFICE IT WOULD BE FOR PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDENT HAS ACCESS TO DRONES AND I HAVE A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CROSSED ME OVER THE YEARS.

”

YOUR TURN: What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve heard someone in the political world say this week? We won’t publish any names (yours or theirs). Send submissions to features@cityandstateny.com.

THE

Kicker “MY OPPONENT IS EITHER IMPOTENT OR IS SIMPLY NOT TRYING, BECAUSE EVERYONE LOVES BILL JOEL.”

– Long Island Assembly candidate Dean Hart accusing incumbent Republican Michael Montesano of not honoring the Piano Man after failing to name a street in Joel’s name during his six years representing District 15, via the Daily News. Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email. Sign up at cityandstateny.com.

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

DID YOU MISS IT? CELEBRATING THE BRONX

The Bronx is about to hit it out of the park! At a reception last month at the Hard Rock Café Yankee Stadium, City & State launched a special edition honoring the Bronx and its leaders, including Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., the night’s keynote speaker.

FROM THE WEEKLY PODCAST

HAKEEM CUOMO WITH A DREAM & CHRISTIE: UNLIKELY ALLIES REP.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES

ON WINNING A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Lehman College President Jose Luis Cruz

City Councilman Andy King

City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, Assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz and Marcos Crespo, and City Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr.

John DeSio, communications director for the Bronx borough president, and Robert Press

Have photos from an event you’d like to see here? Send them to features@cityandstateny.com.

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS MONDAY, OCT. 17 6 p.m. – Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears at fundraiser for state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who won his Long Island district in an expensive special election in April. The Democrat will face Republican Chris McGrath in a closely watched rematch. The governor’s involvement is noteworthy, given that he has distanced himself from state Senate races in the past. Ritz Carlton Club House, 1000 Royal Court, North Hills.

THURSDAY, OCT. 20 6 p.m. – Columbia Law School and the Rockefeller Institute of Government co-host a forum entitled “Constitutional Convention Referendum 2017 and Home Rule within the Empire State.” The discussion looks ahead to November of 2017, when New York voters will decide whether to hold a convention to revise the state constitution. Jerome Greene Hall, first floor, Columbia Law School, 435 W. 116th St., Manhattan.

Upcoming events: Planning an event in the next few weeks that our readers should know about? Submit details to editor@cityandstateny.com. We’ll pick the most interesting or important ones and feature them in print each week.

Democrats already hold 18 of the 27 congressional seats in New York, but with the highly unpopular Donald Trump on the Republican presidential ticket, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries thinks his party could win five, maybe six seats in New York en route to a possible House majority. “I remain committed to staying in the House of Representatives. … I think there’s a lot of good things that could be done with a Senator Schumer as majority leader and a Hillary Rodham Clinton as president, who I’ve worked hard for in the primary and in the general election, to download the power of the federal government into the 8th Congressional District, even if I remain in the minority for a few more years.” “(Bill de Blasio) deserves people taking a close look at whether the city should get a choice in the Democratic primary. But I’ve always said that my presumption is I want a progressive Democratic mayor in the City of New York to be successful. … That’s not to say I’m going to refrain from publicly criticizing him.”

Listen, subscribe and review this week’s podcast by searching for “New York Slant” on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or your favorite podcast app.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016 July 18, 2016

ANOTHER ND

2 -PISO EXIT

JIM MALATRAS ISN’T the only Cuomo administration powerhouse about to say adiós. The buzz from a wellinformed bochinchero is that Bill Mulrow, secretary to the governor wants out, and pronto. The governor’s ace flack team is going to spin the departure as part of the reorganization plan of the Executive Palace that was hatched on Cuomo’s Hudson River boat ride in the summer. Buzz is that state Budget Director Robert Mujica will be given a new title and moved to work closer with The Boss. Given the way Cuomo operates, that could be a dolor de cabeza that no aspirina can relieve.

A D I L A S OO

L S I R

R O H S FOR

KING

IF YOU SERVE as the second-highest-ranking official in New York City government, do you actually need to circulate your resume when looking for your next gig? Well, apparently that’s what First Deputy Mayor Anthony ‘Tony’ Shorris is in effect doing. Bochinche & Buzz has two independent sources telling us that Shorris is actively pursuing his next trabajo. One bochinchero said that “Now that the Rivington House scandal has quieted down, Tony is making his move.” According to another bochinchero, Mayor de Blasio has already reached out to two persons that he had courted to serve in his administration – and didn’t – to help him fill the eventual vacancy. The mayor has contacted Peter Madonia, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, and John Banks, REBNY president, and asked them to help him identify candidates for Shorris’ current job. Rumor is that no one currently in the administration is being considered for the post, which in effect runs the city’s massive agency apparatus while the mayor sets policy.

City & State New York

July 18, 2016 October 17, 2016

VULTURE in

BROOKLYN NUMEROUS INSIDERS HAVE given up Brooklyn B.P. Eric Adams as the originator of the plan and leaked story about Public Advocate Letitia James as the “front-runner” to replace the recently deceased Ken Thompson as Brooklyn district attorney. Without regard for the loss of the highly respected D.A., Adams was working the phones and having machination sessions. Apparently, the way Adams saw it, was that moving Tish to D.A. would allow for him to run for public advocate (a clear stepping stone for an eventual mayoral bid). The buzz in reaction to Adams’ disrespectful ambition is that “it ain’t gonna happen brother.” One bochinchero expressed it this way: “Que no se vista, que no va.” (Don’t get dressed, cause you ain’t going.)

SOMOS No Vacancies ORGANIZERS OF THE 2016 Somos Fall Conference in Puerto Rico on Nov. 9-13 have posted a “Sold Out” banner for rooms at the Caribe Hilton. Given the Zika virus concerns, the thinking was that there would fewer people attending, so fewer rooms were reserved. But the Somos folks ain’t admitting the reduced reservations; they’re instead spinning it that “demand is huge.” Several attendees who have not been able to get rooms at the Hilton and have had to look elsewhere are pissed off. “They fucked up,” is what one politician told Bochinche & Buzz. So, if you still haven’t booked your attendance, buena suerte, it’s every somosista for themselves.

A J E D VU 2013 OTRA VEZ

HE RAN IN THE 2013 Democratic primary and is so disappointed with Bill de Blasio’s mayoralty that he’s seriously considering whether to wage a long-shot challenge to the mayor. We’ve talked to him several times and there’s nada that this onetime contender in the 2013 race finds bueno about BDB’s first three años. “He’s a disaster. All he does is bullshit his way through problems,” said the disgruntled ex-wannabe. When asked if he would support one of the possible challengers, he responded, “those guys are cowards.” No argument here.

REMEMBER, GENTE, IT’S ALL BOCHINCHE UNTIL IT’S CONFIRMED.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Nicole Lester Arrindell SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY, MFY LEGAL SERVICES

Birthday: 4/21

Twitter: @NicArindell77

Where did you go to college? University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (BS degree) American University (MPA degree) Cleveland State University (JD degree)

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? I would likely be working for a youth or community development organization. However, it would be fun to be a music journalist (getting paid to listen to new music, travel, and go to concerts would be awesome).

R O M A N E A R LY AG E , Nicole Arrindell had an u ndersta nd i ng of t he i mp or t a nce of l aw a nd politics. Her parents made a point to take their children into the voting booth with them on election day. “Ever since then I knew I wanted to do work that impacted people,” she says. And growing up in Chicago, she saw the many challenges that people of fewer means face. “Living in Chicago, there were a number of social and economic issues that people faced in my community and dealt with regularly that I identified, even as a young person, that were very important,” she says. But Arrindell didn’t go straight to law school after graduating. She traveled the country for Fannie Mae, working to bring affordable housing to disadvantaged communities, from inner city neighborhoods to Native American communities in rural South Dakota. Now at MFY, she has the opportunity to continue that advocacy work. Many of the people she represents remind her of friends and family back in Chicago. “I know the importance of having someone to be an advocate, someone to represent you, is just so important and so vital to those communities,” Arrindell says. MFY gives her the opportunity to continue to carry out her life’s mission. “Being a change agent is what I see myself doing and what I want to continue to do in my professional and personal capacities,” she says.

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I briefly contemplated being a physician’s assistant or a chef.

Where did you go to college? Stony Brook University

Stephanie Báez VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Birthday: 8/2

Twitter: @Miss__Baez

LTHOUGH SHE HAD TO leave the nation’s capital for her “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” moment, Stephanie Báez says her role as vice president of t he New York City Economic Development Corp. has made her part of a team working with people to shape policy – even on matters as local as the restrooms on waterfront boardwalks. “ T h a t w a s a r e a l h a n d s- o n , policy-but-community-will type of experience. And so we came to a happy medium, and I think it worked out for everybody,” she says of handling communications related to changes to so-called comfort stations. “The partisan gridlock in Congress can be very tough. … It was time for me to kind of come home and put my dedication toward my city and actually see things get done.” Si nce Apr i l, B áe z h a s help ed create press strategies around central E c o n o m i c D e ve l o p m e n t C o r p. initiatives and highlight their successes in news outlets. She’s been involved with everything from the city’s annual Fashion Week and design celebrations to t he complex a nd content iou s rezoning proposal in Inwood. As t he daughter of Dominican immigrants who met in the upper Manhattan neighborhood, Báez says she’s particularly concerned the city is clearly communicating the proposal to the community so everyone can contemplate and weigh how to proceed. “That’s where I grew up on the weekends,” she says. “It’s amazing to be back 20-something years later, in a capacity where I actually get to work on messaging and help effectuate positive change for this community that so badly needs it.”

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Cameron Bard

CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE CHAIRMAN OF ENERGY & FINANCE, OFFICE OF GOV. ANDREW CUOMO Birthday: 10/27

Twitter: @cameronbard

Where did you go to college? New York University

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Help build a private-sector business to advance clean energy and bring innovation to other highly regulated industries.

AMERON BARD S E E S ch a l len ge s a s opportunities. As chief of staff to the chairman of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s E nerg y a nd Fi na nce team, he is part of a group trying to solve New York’s policy on climate change, and helps to develop, oversee and execute the Cuomo administration’s energy agenda. Bard first became interested in climate change during the mid-2000s when he read a book that talked about the solar revolution and predicted one day all of the country’s energy will come from renewable energy. “So on one hand, I saw this macro shift to clean energy and was excited about that growth, and on the other hand you have this enormous and daunting challenge of climate change facing not just our state or nation, but the entire world,” he says. “I realized you can be for something while fighting against something.” Recently, New York approved a plan that would mandate that 50 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2030. Bard is also an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches a course on the role of government and public policy in shaping the growth of renewable resources. Bard’s career goals include working on a team or for an organization that values his input and performance. “Ultimately, where I go in my career, it will always be, to some extent, mission-driven,” he says. “I want to work for an organization that when you stand back, you can believe in its values and believe in the direction it’s heading.”

The City University of New York congratulates

City & State and distinguished alumni honorees Helen Ho, Director of External Affairs, LaGuardia Community College, HunterCollege/CUNY Kevin Elkins, Borough Director, NYC Comptroller’s Office, College of Staten Island/CUNY Sara Debesu, Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, Mayor’s Office, York College/CUNY

on the occasion of the

NYC 40 UNDER 40 RISING STARS EVENT OCTOBER 18, 2016 William C. Thompson Jr.

James B. Milliken

CHAIRPERSON, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

1-800-CUNY-YES

CUNY.EDU

CHANCELLOR

CUNY TV-Channel 75

CONGRATULATIONS KAI ON BEING NAMED A 2016 RISING STAR! Yoswein New York has become NY’s leading boutique lobbying and public affairs firm thanks to the talents of a team of professionals that is unmatched in the business. Congratulations from the entire YNY family to our very own Kai Feder for being named a 2016 City & State Rising Star! AT YOSWEIN NEW YORK, WE’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR TEAM MEMBERS… AND OUR TEAM IS GOOD!

www.yny.com

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Chris Bastardi VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, EDELMAN

Birthday: 11/14 Twitter: @chrisbastardi

Where did you go to college? BA, Fordham University; MA, New York University

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? I’d be an investigative or political journalist

T THE PUBLIC RELATIONS GIANT Edelman, the go-to guy for New York City and New York state affairs is Chris Bastardi. “I’ve always enjoyed taking what could be a very complex issue, honing in, and getting one’s point of view across in a way that makes sense to the public at large,” Bastardi says. He has had plenty of practice refining his skill set working for state Sen. Kemp Hannon, a Long Island Republican who is chairman of the Senate Health Committee. Bastardi frequently had to communicate to the electorate what appeared to be “scary changes to health policy” and turn them into a message that “put people at ease.” Perhaps his greatest public relations coup was rebranding a canal-side property for a “pioneering luxury developer” in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood last March. Bastardi was proud to be part of the reason that The Wall Street Journal referred to the project as a trendy vision. “I was really able to begin to tell the new story of that neighborhood,” Bastardi says. Recently, he’s been busy acting as a spokesman for LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the company overhauling the Queens airport that has been derided as “third world” quality by Vice President Joe Biden. But in four years, when the traffic clears and the construction cranes are gone, LaGuardia “is going to be a world-class airport,” Bastardi says. “To be able to look back on that and say I was a part of it – that will be an accomplishment.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Alex Beauchamp NORTHEAST REGION DIRECTOR, FOOD & WATER WATCH

Birthday: 12/29 Twitter: @AlexAtFWW

Where did you go to college? Carleton College

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Lawyer

OR ALEX BEAUCHAMP, food is a family affair. In his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, his father, and his grandfather before that, ran a food distribution company, which Beauchamp says sparked his interest in doing advocacy work around produce, meat and dairy. While he has focused on energy issues in recent years, he started out his career at Food & Water Watch running campaigns about food. “I wanted to work somewhere where you could do real organizing on food work,” he says. “There’s not that many of those groups around so I was sort of lucky to find Food & Water Watch.” After working on political campaigns in 2006 and 2008, Beauchamp decided he could accomplish more if he moved into a role where he was focused on one issue. “On energy issues in particular, and on climate change issues more specifically, we are just so far from where we need to be that I really wanted to work somewhere where you could move the debate,” Beauchamp says. Shortly after starting his job in 2009, he was shifted from food issues to the fight over hydrofracking. That experience has shaped his outlook going forward. “I think it’s been incredibly exciting,” he says. “I think amazing grassroots efforts here in New York led to change, and it’s certainly the most inspiring campaign I’ve been involved in and really probably the most inspiring thing I’ve been involved in in my professional life.”

CityAndStateNY.com

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Museum curator at the AMNH or the Brooklyn Museum. Definitely one that has either a mummy chamber or a planetarium, huge plus if both!

October 17, 2016

Birthday: 9/30 Twitter:@JennieBergerNYC Where did you go to college? Cornell University

Jennie Berger COMMUNITY LIAISON, OFFICE OF SPEAKER MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

HEN JENNIE BERGER GE TS asked about being a Jewish woman in government, it doesn’t faze her. Her answer is there aren’t enough Jewish women in politics – and there aren’t enough black women, Latinas or Asian and Pacific Islander women, either. “There aren’t enough women, period,” Berger says. Nor does Berger accept anyone who pigeonholes the Jewish community, which she interacts with frequently as community liaison for Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “When people ask about any one community – and it doesn’t matter whether it’s religious or ethnic – any selfidentifying community, when it comes down to it, the struggles that everybody’s facing are the same across the board,” Berger says. “And just because they talk about them with slightly different language or different descriptive words doesn’t mean that we’re not all the same as New Yorkers.” Berger, who has been in her role since May 2014, also is the City Council’s liaison on health, mental health and general welfare issues. In fact, the two areas overlap, she says, since issues affecting Jewish communities – hunger, child care, special needs – affect all New Yorkers. Her work on hunger and providing for Holocaust survivors has been especially rewarding. “The city’s budget has an unprecedented level of financial commitment to trying to ensure that every New Yorker can actually put food on their table,” she says, “because unfortunately way too many can’t, even the ones who are working full-time have trouble at the end of the month making ends meet.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Katharine ES Bodde POLICY COUNSEL, NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION Birthday: 6/1 If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I would paint and make art.

Twitter: @kesbodde

Where did you go to college? Boston College, Brooklyn Law School

ATHARINE BODDE FIRST moved to New York City to work as a teacher in the Bronx. Her experiences there motivated her to return to law school and pursue a legal and policy-focused career. “I saw how law and policy impacts people on the ground, and I think the law is a powerful tool for justice and freedom,” Bodde says. But it was Bodde’s experiences as a legal educator in Cambodia, where she helped women whose rights had been violated, that pushed her toward focusing on gender and reproductive issues. “I feel very personally tied to that work. One of the things I draw inspiration from is the recent shift in women’s ability to access our society in a more equal way,” Bodde says. “I think that there needs to be a conversation in our country about people’s rights and liberties and how government interacts with people, and also creates situations in which people can best act out the lives that they want to live.” For Bodde, 2016 has been a banner year – she helped lead the campaign for the passage of paid family leave in the state Legislature, which made New York the fourth state in the nation to do so. “That was a really big win. In terms of impact on people across the state, winning paid family leave in New York was a very proud moment. Bodde says,“Each piece of legislation (addressing these issues) moves us closer as a society to where people have equal opportunities.”

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Andrew Brent

VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES Birthday: 4/23

Where did you go to college? Johns Hopkins for undergrad. NYU for MPA.

RESH INTO HIS new role at major commercial real estate owner Brookfield, Andrew Brent got hit with a tough question: Where have all the squirrels in Battery Park City gone? Brent had to artfully admit that Brookfield rat traps may be killing the critters, but importantly, he was ready. “There’s been fewer animal-related inquiries since then and more of what I expected,” he says. “But having spent time in the mayor’s press office, there’s very little in the form of media inquiry that surprises me these days.” Working in Michael Bloomberg’s City Hall was great for the Upper East Side native, and it also prepared him for his next big role doing public affairs for Citi. There, he got to play a role in convincing the bank to throw its support behind Citi Bike, despite conservative executives’ “major trepidation.” Brent assured the leadership that the good would outweigh the bad. “In the end I got it wrong,” he says. “The good didn’t outweigh the bad, it demolished it, and the program has been such an enormous success and clearly great for Citi’s reputation in New York.” B re nt re l i s h e s h ow b e i n g i n communications allows him to touch all areas of huge organizations and be in on the action, but admits that can be a challenge, too. “Usually you’re dealing with imperfect information and you need to assemble or answer a storyline quickly based on information that’s not all there.” But, he says, “it’s part of the fun.”

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I liked being a reporter.

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CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Saba Debesu DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CITY LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, MAYOR’S OFFICE Birthday: 9/12 Twitter: @Sabadebs Where did you go to college? York College, CUNY

EING THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR of city legislative affairs for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wasn’t always what Saba Debesu wanted to do – originally she wanted to pursue a career in ballet. “Unfortunately it doesn’t translate really to my political life. But when I feel really successful about a bill aging, I do a little dance at my desk,” Debesu says. Debesu got her start in politics as a political organizer for the Working Families Party, where was introduced to many of New York City’s rising political stars, including then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “I attended a roundtable discussion where he spoke to current council members … and I remember thinking he seemed very down-to-earth and I had a lot in common with him in his background, so when he decided to run for mayor I thought it was great, and it just seemed like the right fit (when I was offered a position in his office),” Debesu says. The first bill Debesu ever worked on, which established New York City’s municipal ID program, remains one of her proudest moments. She can still remember the bill number: 253. “It was amazing, and an honor to be a part of. I watched it go from a concept that was three quarters of a page to this massive program that New Yorkers really participate in,” Debesu says. If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I would have continued to pursue a career in ballet as a dancer and/ or teacher. I have always been interested in domestic and global impact investing as well.

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Beth DeFalco

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, MTA

Birthday: 1/18

Twitter: @BethDeFalco

N THE COMING L-POCALYPSE, one voice matters above all: Beth DeFalco’s. The planned, temporary shutdown of the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn has been both the biggest challenge and the greatest success of her first few months at the MTA. “How you explain that in a way that the average public understands that you need to demolish concrete walls and replace a fire protection system, not just a standpipe system?” DeFalco asks. Her response was shaped by years in communications, working for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, but also as a reporter for more than a decade – and she is proud of the results so far. “I think we were able to get out there and to explain to people so that they genuinely understood that there was no question that this work needed to be done and what the best way was to go about doing it,” DeFalco says. She says her move from journalism to government felt natural, and after spending so much time watching and reporting on its intricacies, she decided to get in the game herself. But she still conducts herself the same way. “My general rule is transparency, both in journalism and also in any sort of spokesman role. Generally if you tell people what you know, if you tell people what you don’t know, if you don’t blow smoke in their direction, they’ll respect that.”

Where did you go to college? University of Colorado at Boulder If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Screenwriting

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Anna Durrett

MANAGER, GLOBAL STRATEGY GROUP

Birthday: 7/21

Twitter: @ImAnnaMission

Where did you go to college? Barnard College

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Podcasting! Always have been a huge fan of radio and still have a not-so-secret dream to be the next Terry Gross.

FTER ANNA DURRETT INTERNED in Washington, D.C., she knew she was hooked on politics. “I think it’s really well-suited to my personality,” she says. “I’m very extroverted and I love meeting people – everything from working in a constituent office and talking to an elected official’s constituents to meeting with leaders across both politics and business.” Before entering the consulting business, Durrett worked for various politicians, including then-state Sen. Eric Schneiderman and Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein. She helped lead communications efforts supporting universal prekindergarten, the Safe Act and New York City’s speed camera pilot program. Durrett now works at Global Strategy Group as a manager. “I just wanted to see what this world was about and I really had my eyes on Global Strategy Group for a long time,” she says. “I think that this has been a great experience getting some agency experience. I think I’ve learned more about process and I feel like I’m a little bit more polished and I’ve learned about a lot of issues that you wouldn’t necessarily know working for an elected official.” Durrett said she is grateful to work at Global Strategy Group and is still in the process of building relationships and developing skills, but would one day like to explore the idea of owning her own business. “I think I eventually I would like to do something on my own,” she says. “I think there’s something to striking out on your own and having something to call your own.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Kevin Elkins

STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER Birthday: 7/25

Twitter: @KevinElkinsNY Where did you go to college? College of Staten Island

EVIN ELKINS WAS BORN in Brooklyn, but apart from that he’s been a Staten Islander his entire life. “Staten Island, it’s a very unique place,” Elkins says. “It’s got a chip-on-your-shoulder, underdog kind of mentality that I definitely identify with. It’s my hometown, so to be able to work to make it better is a dream come true in many ways.” Elkins takes that underdog approach to politics. Between 2011 and 2014, he was executive director of the Staten Island Democrat s, d riving f u nd ra ising a nd recruiting candidates and volunteers. He now works as City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s borough director on Staten Island, along with a few Brooklyn neighborhoods. Elkins touts the comptroller’s audit of the Build It Back program, set up after Superstorm Sandy, which helped residents get the assistance they deserved. “I’m out there in the community on behalf of Scott, listening to people’s concerns, working on various issues, and explaining what the comptroller does, and giving people insight into all the audits and reports we do and bringing that back to the office – and doing what we can to improve the community,” Elkins says. Last year, Elkins took a temporarily leave to serve as communications director for Michael McMahon, who successfully ran for Staten Island district attorney. “It’s the first time in over 50 years that a Democrat won borough-wide without the Conservative line,” Elkins says. “So for a candidate to win just on the Democratic line, that hasn’t happened in a very long time.”

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Teacher

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Abbey Fashouer

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY, GOV. ANDREW CUOMO

Birthday: 3/29

Twitter: @abbey_fash

S A DEPUTY PRESS s e c r e t a r y f o r G o v. Andrew Cuomo, Abbey Fashouer spends time w it h t he st ate’s top elected official primarily during public events. Recently she joined Cuomo on a trip to several upstate cities to announce downtown revitalization grants. “He’s a great guy, he’s a funny guy,” Fashouer says. “You have to know the issues, you have to be on your game, you have to be prepared. It could be a complex question that’s asked, or it could be the simplest question – when are we arriving at the next destination?” On a typical day, Fashouer wakes up early, reads the news and flags articles that merit a response or that touch on key issues. In the office, she helps edit morning press releases. Most days she prepares for events and talks to reporters, handles requests for information and makes sure major announcement gets covered. “Things move pretty fast around here,” Fashouer says. Prior to joining Cuomo in 2015, the SUNY Albany graduate and Guilderland native worked as a spokeswoman for state Sen. Jeff Klein, another powerful Albany politician. In her current role, she’s most proud of the administration’s efforts to pass a groundbreaking paid family leave law. “For many women, having a kid is one of their biggest aspirations in life,” she says. “The fact that we’re able to help a lot of those moms out, take time off and take care of their kids, that definitely meant a lot to me.”

Where did you go to college? University at Albany If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Be a food writer/ blogger.

October 17, 2016

City & State New York

Kai D. Feder

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CONSULTANT, YOSWEIN NEW YORK

E Birthday: 3/20

VERY YEAR, the New York City Council determines how to allocate billions of dollars – and faces seemingly just as many requests for funding. For Kai Feder, helping clients get a slice of the budget pie is the most rewarding part of his job. “The budget advocacy that we do here at YNY is really fulfilling,” Feder says. “All of our nonprofit clients, they do absolutely amazing work. And when we can deliver for them, and we do deliver for them, we know we’re directly making a positive impact in the lives of the New Yorkers that they serve.” It’s not just nonprofit service providers that Feder and his Yoswein colleagues work with. They also count real estate developers, trade organizations, advocacy groups and companies like Amazon and Lyft among their clients. Feder, who joined Yoswein in spring of 2015, interned with Howard Wolfson during Michael Bloomberg’s third term, and gained professional experience under Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and his predecessor, Marty Markowitz. Even further back, Feder’s introduction to public service was working for a criminal court judge in the San Francisco Bay area where he grew up. He later got involved in local municipal politics in California. “When I first came to New York, the concept of discretionary funding was kind of like, ‘Huh?’” Feder says. “San Francisco is obviously very, very different. It’s a very intricate process here, and it’s also a very personal process – it’s about connecting with individual members and staff.”

Where did you go to college? San Francisco State University for undergrad, and University of San Francisco for my master’s. If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Something challenging and exciting at the intersection of real estate, the built environment, and the innovation economy.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Allie Feldman Taylor EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NYCLASS Birthday: 1/25

Twitter: @alliefeldman212

Where did you go to college? Florida State University If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I’d work for PETA or the Humane Society of the United States.

OVE OR HATE the Central P a rk h o r s e c a r r i a g e s , nobody ca n deny t he political power of animal rights voters in New York C it y. Once con sidered the front-runner for mayor in 2013, Christine Quinn’s lack of support for changing the carriage horse industry drew the ire of many voters – all organized by Allie Feldman Taylor. “While we didn’t win the horse carriage battle yet,” she says, “I think that the big victory that’s come out of it is we’ve planted a seed to grow something awesome, which is continuing to grow the humane voter movement.” That movement is more than just stopping horse carriages. Now she’s working on campaigns to end the use of wild and exotic animals in circuses, a bill to protect tenants’ rights to get a new pet after one dies and to open new full-service animal shelters in the five boroughs. Feldman Taylor has long been an animal lover, having had rescue dogs as a child, and was further inspired by the 2008 documentary Food Inc. After a series of jobs working for politicians, Feldman Taylor found NYCLASS while looking for a job that combined her love of both animal rights and politics. Looking back, she says the 2013 mayoral race was a turning point that opened the community’s eyes. “We’re seeing our movement and our issues having a role in city politics really for the first time ever in the country.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Austin Finan FIRST DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY, OFFICE OF MAYOR BILL de BLASIO Birthday: 9/28

Twitter: @austinfinan

OR YEARS, NEW YORK CITY Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy press secreta r y avoided career moves that could land him a government job. Coming from the world of managing and handling press for election campaigns, Austin Finan said he feared working for the government would be too slow. Nonetheless, he decided to take a job working under an old boss – then-press secretary Karen Hinton – because he wanted to be part of the positive moves he saw advancing under the de Blasio administration. When he started in February, Finan was tasked with handling press for two of the mayor’s signature zoning changes, which proved controversial but ultimately passed. Finan is a primary point of contact for those calling the press office. He places op-eds for the administration, arranges radio and TV interviews with city officials and works to address news as it breaks. Finan, like the rest of the City Hall press office, is charged with overseeing communications for specific agencies and departments. This involves responding to reporters’ inquiries as well as preparing the mayor for related press conferences. “You want to make sure he’s got all the facts, which can be constantly changing,” says Finan, who described the prep as one of the most highpressure parts of his job. “(De Blasio’s) a guy who is extraordinarily savvy and thorough, and he’ll come up with lastminute questions we need to scramble to get answers for.”

Where did you go to college? Hamilton College If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I’d run a beachside bar on some small island far, far away from here!

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Enroll in law school or an urban planning and community development program.

F Elvin García

BRONX BOROUGH DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS UNIT Birthday: 3/31

Twitter: @ElvinGarciaNYC

Where did you go to college? Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

OR ELVIN GARCÍA, the Bronx borough director for Mayor Bill de Blasio, politics is all about the door-todoor work – and as a native Bronxite, that comes pretty easily to him. The onetime architecture student, who is now a Bronx political veteran, has been helping improve the borough while working for multiple members of the state Legislature as well as for various campaigns and nonprofits. “Growing up in the South Bronx, home to the poorest congressional district in the country, I think you almost by default have to be civically engaged,” García says. “And after graduation (from college), I wanted a job where I could operate more at a human scale.” García, who acts as de Blasio’s community ambassador for the Bronx, sees decreasing crime as still one of the biggest priorities in the borough, but he is also focusing on rezoning efforts that the administration is implementing there. “The Bronx is booming economically, but we want to ensure that as the borough continues to get more diverse and as things start to boom that we continue to provide services and investments so that it will still thrive,” García says. One way García stays in touch with different parts of the far-reaching borough is through running, one of his passions outside of politics. “It’s great for my physical health, but it also clears my mind … and usually when I (run) I’m on my ‘A’ game.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Mara Gay

CITY HALL REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Birthday: 9/10

Twitter: @maragay

OR SOME COMMITTED Citi Bike riders, the bike share service is just a way to get around. But for Mara Gay, it’s a part of her deep commitment to being a City Hall reporter. “You actually get to touch, taste, feel the beat,” Gay says. “You can write about a Citi Bike program and then you can ride a Citi Bike! For me, that’s a dream beat.” It’s just one of the perks of covering City Hall for this longtime New Yorker. “You’re not just writing about what politicians said – we have access here to politicians unlike anybody else,” she says. Gay grew up a political junkie, talking politics with her family around the dinner table. She was the editor-inchief of the White Plains High School newspaper. Now she writes for the one of the country’s most prominent newspapers in a newsroom that’s been noticed for its scoops. Despite her love for the beat, Gay is most proud of work writing about 9/11 first responder Marvin Bethea. He worked for a private hospital during the terrorist attacks, and has not yet received government health benefits. “He’s still waiting,” Gay says, “but I know that (the story) was helpful and I think that things are moving now.” Talking about her story, Gay’s investment is clear. “Whether it’s a Citi Bike or a new park or crime or an affordable housing crisis, I feel really passionate about the city and the people who live here,” she says.

Where did you go to college? The University of Michigan If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? A high school social studies teacher

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Christian González-Rivera SENIOR RESEARCHER, CENTER FOR AN URBAN FUTURE

Birthday: 12/12

Twitter: @nycfuture

HE FIRST TIME Christian GonzálezRivera realized he was curious about how cities worked, he was driving through the Bronx with his dad. He wondered how much some of the buildings cost, and his father told him that some cost $1 because of the city program at the time which encouraged the purchasing of abandoned buildings. “I said, well why don’t we buy them?” González-Rivera recalls. Since t hen, González-R ivera has been committed to research on a number of issues relevant to urban life. González-Rivera, who has worked at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at NYU and the Greenlining Institute in Berkeley, California, focuses primarily on workforce development at the Center for an Urban Future. His studies on employment opportunities and programs for older immigrants in New York City were critical in helping the city increase funding for those services. “Re a l i z i n g t h at t he n i ne mont h s I’d spent writing that report, realizing that the information that I’d put together, that it could have an impact on the way that people who make decisions are thinking was something that was really eye-opening for me,” González-Rivera says. A proud naturalist, González-Rivera sees his work as critical to maintaining a healthy environment across the globe. “It may seem that workforce development and city planning is very far removed from environmentalism, but in many ways it’s really about resources – about how many resources can we consume within cities, and how many we can keep for the rest of the natural environment,” he says.

Where did you go to college? BA, Columbia University; MUP, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? If I didn’t do what I do now I would be a naturalist of some sort. I could have been a geologist, a botanist, or worked in environmental conservation. I draw a tremendous amount of energy and vitality from nature, and I love being outdoors. My husband and I are avid hikers, backpackers, and campers.

2016

40 UNDER 40 RISING STAR

”This is a much-deserved honor for our LaGuardian, Helen Ho! As Director of External Affairs, she’s expanding our visibility in Long Island City and beyond. — Gail O. Mellow, President, LaGuardia Community College “In the decade that I’ve known and worked with Helen Ho, I’ve been impressed by her passion for issues and her drive to make the world a safer and more just place. She’s always been a star to me and I know she’s rising to an even greater future.” — Jimmy Van Bramer, Majority Leader, New York City Council “Helen has devoted her career to making this city a better place to live for all New Yorkers. The campaigns she’s led—to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, welcome immigrants to NYC Parks, defend homeless families, and improve police-community relationships, have had significant impact.”

LaGuardia Community College Congratulates Helen Ho!

— Marco A. Carrión, Mayor’s Office, Community Affairs Unit

To contact Helen Ho about partnering with LaGuardia, call (718) 482-6000 or email her at hho@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Congratulations to Keith Powers of Constantinople & Vallone Consulting and to the NYC Rising Stars Class of 2016 On this most deserving honor of being chosen as this year’s City & State’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars We wish you continued success in your endeavors and may you continue to be an exceptional inspiration to our community From your family & friends at Constantinople & Vallone Consulting, LLC Peter F. Vallone, Sr. and Tony Constantinople Anthony Constantinople, Perry Vallone Steve Williams

Kevin Jones, Aycan Kaptaner Carol Swift, Andrea Reres Gema Garcia

www.candvconsulting.com

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Henry L. Greenidge SENIOR POLICY ADVISER, BUDGET, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY Birthday: 6/7 Twitter: @HenryLawsonEsq

T THE WHITE HOUSE, amid what he then believed was the pinnacle of his career, Henry Greenidge couldn’t shake the feeling he’d have a greater impact back home in New York City. He had just spent two months heeding the Federal Emergency Ma nagement Agency’s emergency request for help responding to Superstorm Sandy there. And the recovery work resonated with him enough that he eventually made his way to a senior policy advisor position in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. “After you’ve been through something like that, when you’re working all these hours, for two months, very little sleep, you’re emotionally involved in this work. You go back to your desk job in D.C., and you feel not worthless, but I felt like I could be having a greater impact,” he says. “I just wanted to feel like I was helping someone, instead of coming up with these policy ideas and not knowing if they really worked.” By chance, a Sandy aid appropriation bill Greenidge worked on in D.C. now funds the office he works for. His duties involve handling an array of budgetary and legal issues. Many arise because the more than $20 billion in federal funding allocated to the city does not always align with state regulations and city requirements, Greenidge says. He works to make sure it’s properly spent and reported before deadlines arrive.

Where did you go to college? Hampton University If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Music journalism

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Redmond J. Haskins Where did you go to college? SUNY Fredonia If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Something involving conservation

Birthday: 6/19 Twitter: @rjhaskins86

SENIOR ASSOCIATE, PATRICIA LYNCH ASSOCIATES

EDMOND HASKINS GOT his start in government in the House of Representatives – and despite the body’s reputation for divisiveness, he worked in offices on both sides of the aisle. The Rochester native started out interning with local Rep. Louise Slaughter, and he was impressed by her use of a procedural move to advance health care reform legislation as chairwoman of the Rules Committee. “We were getting calls from all over the world – some people lauding what she was doing, some people criticizing the move, but that was my come-to-Jesus moment that politics and government was what I wanted to do,” Haskins says. He later worked for Republican Rep. Bob Turner, who focused on services for military veterans. Haskins’ work with Turner led to a position with New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich, who has also emphasized veterans’ issues. “He got this chair after Melissa (Mark-Viverito) came into the speakership, and we really hit the ground running,” Haskins says of Ulrich. “We beefed up the committee. We introduced 20 to 30 introductions, resolutions on a slew of different things from mental health to creating a department to increasing funding opportunities for direct providers that do veterans work.” Now at Patricia Lynch Associates, where he started in June of 2015, Haskins works with clients on budget needs and legislation, connecting with government officials and agencies, and getting their message out. “It’s really across-the-board work,” he says. “Lots of different disciplines and industries – which I like.”

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Helen Ho

DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Birthday: 12/11 Twitter: @helenshirley

W Where did you go to college? SUNY Geneseo BS, CUNY Hunter College MUP If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Work on solving our inequity issues another way! College professor and/or professional slow bike rider

HEN HELEN HO was Queens director for t he de Bla sio a d m i n i s t r a t i o n’s Community Affairs Unit, her most difficult task was also the one she found most satisfying. Amid the rise in homelessness in recent years, a number of emergency shelters were opened in Queens. Despite local opposition and fears of drug addicts or sex offenders, Ho knew that many who needed shelter were children or women facing domestic abuse. “That was my most challenging and my most rewarding accomplishment there – finding partner groups that are able to help out, to help people understand who a homeless person is,” says Ho, a first-generation Chinese American who was born and raised in Queens. I n Ja nu a r y, Ho joi ned L aGu a rd ia Community College in Queens, overseeing a new external affairs division. With around 50,000 students enrolled, many from lowincome families, there’s plenty to keep Ho busy. Among the initiatives she works on are connecting with businesses on workforce development while highlighting LaGuardia programs like ESL, the city’s largest, or training for taxi drivers. Her connections with city government also make her suited for the job at LaGuardia, given its relationship with the city, from partnerships with Department of Small Business Services to monitoring the local impact of the city’s feasibility study of nearby Sunnyside Yards. “We work really hard to make sure that we have great relationships with the community,” Ho says, “and that we’re being good neighbors to community members, which also include our elected officials.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Andrew L. Kalloch PUBLIC POLICY, AIRBNB

Birthday: 5/3 Twitter: @andrewkalloch

Where did you go to college? Harvard (college and law school) If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? I would be a real lawyer! Defending the Constitution and fighting for civil rights at the ACLU was one of the great honors of my life and I can’t think of a better way to serve the Republic.

N 2011 ANDREW KALLOCH had what he called “the best legal job I could possibly have” working for the New York Civil Liberties Union. So why did he leave for a job with thenManhattan Borough President Scott Stringer? Because politics was something he’s grown up with. “My dad was the president of his chapter of the teachers union, and politics was sort of an ever-present part of our home life and was something that was a real family value,” Kalloch says. After working with Stringer when he was borough president and later as city comptroller, Kalloch left for Airbnb, where he today leads policy for the short-term rental startup. For Kalloch, working with both sides of the home-sharing debate to help bridge the issue’s political challenges is what excites him about going to work. “I’ve always thought that one of the values that I can bring to the table for people is being able to see that issues are very rarely black and white, there are always shades of grey, and we need to sort of recognize that you regulate something in an appropriate way not to kill it, but to make it better,” Kalloch says. Kalloch is an avid Airbnb user himself. This summer, he got married in Portland, Oregon, and used the website to help book lodgings for himself as well as friends and family. “Just listening to the stories of people meeting Oregonians and sharing in the experience was fun and I really enjoyed that.”

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I would run a resource recovery business.

Where did you go to college? Pace University for BA, Pratt Institute for MS, and LIU Post for PhD

Vlada Kenniff

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Birthday: 4/10

LADA KENNIFF’S fascination with water originated in Uzbekistan, where she lived until age 13, when her family moved to the United States. The country borders the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth largest lake. “It’s completely gone, and it’s because of man-made activities,” Kenniff says. “I’ve been following that since I was a kid, and it’s always bothered me. So we’re trying use water more responsibly here.” She h a s spent 1 1 yea rs at t he D e p a r t m e nt of E nv i ron m e nt a l Protection doing just that. She helped develop a $2.1 billion New York City Green Infrastructure Plan.“We went from building gray infrastructure – tanks and tunnels – for managing stormwater to using green infrastructure – gardens, bioswales, really beautiful infrastructure in the street,” she says. She now runs conservation, climate and resiliency programs, including adapting to “extreme rain events.” “Superstorm Sandy had coastal flooding, and we’re now building up walls to protect us from that kind of flooding,” she says. “But the other side of the equation is the really heavy rain events that dump three or four inches in a few hours, and the streets just flood.” While the city’s infrastructure was not designed for such rapid influxes of water, it would be prohibitively expensive to dig up every street and install bigger pipes, she says. “So we’re working on streettype solutions that are really beautiful and use parks and public spaces to act as storage during a really rainy event, and they drain quickly and become functional again.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Julian Kline SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BOLTON-ST. JOHNS Birthday: 7/30

Where did you go to college? College for Creative Studies in Detroit

HEN JULIAN KLINE left his job doing community development work at t he Meatpack i ng Di st rict Improvement Association, he found a new position thanks to a colleague. The association’s executive director had been Anne Washburn, who is married to Emily Giske, a partner at Bolton-St. Johns. “I think Emily thought that I have a good personality for this type of work,” Kline says. For a time, Kline’s new position with the major lobbying firm took him up to Albany on a regular basis. But about a year ago, the New York City native shifted focus to the five boroughs. One area of emphasis for Kline and Bolton-St. Johns is working with nonprofits in the LGBT and HIV/ AIDS-related fields. In recent years, they have helped secure funding, rewrite regulations and coordinate with agencies, and have taken other steps to get better treatment to New Yorkers who have HIV/AIDS or are at risk of contracting the illness. “In both New York City and New York state there is a goal to basically end the AIDS epidemic by 2020, so we’ve been working to help advance that goal,” says Kline, who also specializes in the tech sector. Indeed, those are just two of many issues Kline works on. “We work with over a hundred clients,” he says, “so we work at any moment on numerous issues that are important and affect people’s lives, whether it’s providing services, homeless service and shelters, or a company’s survival in the marketplace.”

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Product design, which was my college major.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Christopher M. Lee SENIOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS MANAGER, THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY Birthday: 10/25

Where did you go to college? Bachelor’s Degree, Rutgers University; Master’s Degree, New York University

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Songwriter/guitar player

ET’S BE HONEST: Having for mer Por t Aut hor it y employees on t r ia l for creating a traffic jam at its premier bridge can be tough. Christopher Lee can admit that. “But the reality is, (the Port Authority is) 7,000 employees … who are dedicated people, who come every day and they move people and goods through the most complex, important city in the world,” he says. “It really works well.” Lee is a perfect fit at t he Port Authority, having grown up in northern New Jersey before moving to Staten Island, where he now lives near his favorite bridge, the Goethals. “It’s a really important bridge for Staten Islanders. It’s their way out into the rest of the country,” he says. L ee i s eloquent when t a l k i n g about infrastructure, as it’s his job to communicate the authority’s updates. Some are good, like LaGuardia airport construction updates; others are bad, like temporarily closing the Bayonne Bridge. “Sometimes people get inconvenienced,” Lee says. “Explaining the reason why to people isn’t always pleasant, but it’s necessary.” Lee’s civic experience goes beyond the Port Authority. He serves on the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, and is finishing up a master’s of public administration at NYU – on top of raising two children with his wife. After years working in government on both sides of the Hudson, Lee puts his attachment to public service simply: “I like the idea of spending time contributing to making things a little better.”

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Paimaan Lodhi VICE PRESIDENT, THE REAL ESTATE BOARD OF NEW YORK Birthday: 7/12

Twitter: @paimaanL

Where did you go to college? Rutgers University, BA and Master’s

OR MOST PEOPLE, the surest path to getting cited in U.S. Supreme Court documents involves a courtroom. But for Paimaan Lodhi, The Real Estate Board of New York’s vice president of urban planning and data analytics, research compiled as the City Council weighed landmark policies landed him a citation in an amicus brief filed with the nation’s top court. “We found out that household income in these areas are more than twice the average median income for the city as a whole and the borough as a whole; racial diversity was abysmal in these historic districts. … It’s not to say landmarking is good or bad; it’s just this is what happens,” he says. Lodhi’s job involves researching major land use and city planning issues, including several policy issues hotly debated across the state: flaws in construction safety, the future of the expired 421-a tax abatement and how to rezone changing communities. Although the research process is intensive, Lodhi says it’s something he’s accustomed to from his prior work as an urban planner for the Manhattan borough president and as the district manager of Community Board 10 in Central Harlem. “There’s one way really to understand it, and that is to know it,” he says. “I felt like the only way to plan for Harlem was to actually live it. So I moved there. And I lived and breathed it. It’s kind of like the same thing with the data. You gotta dive into it.”

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Constructing buildings

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Jen Manley

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRIME STRATEGIES

Birthday: 1/26

ENNIFER MANLEY “just took a lovely big leap” to become a managing director at the lobbying firm Prime Strategies in early October. She had been learning the art of lobbying from Sid Davidoff at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, one of New York’s most respected “political gurus, rabbis – if you will,” she says. But Manley knows the job can have its downsides. Many folks believe “that we’re guns for hire,” she laughs, adding: “Maybe that’s not right – maybe we are.” Nevertheless, Manley fights the “misperception that lobbyists aren’t mission-driven, don’t have hearts, and aren’t any fun.” “I actually really enjoy helping people,” she says. The client she’s most excited about bringing with her is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “They’re really fun to work with,” she says. Her passion for cultural institutions and nonprofits began in her first job at the YMCA in New Hampshire where she grew up, which impressed on her the importance of service, family and community. But she never would have gotten where she is today without help when she first arrived in New York City. “The fact that people looked at this English major from New Hampshire who didn’t know Jackson Heights from Howard Beach and they gave me a chance. I’m forever grateful,” she says. Now it’s hard for her to imagine living anywhere else. “As an adopted daughter of this town, I think there’s something really magical and inspiring about being able to be a part of what makes it tick.”

Where did you go to college? American University and Lyndon State College If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Run a bed and breakfast somewhere south of the equator

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Mike Morey MANAGING DIRECTOR, SKDKNICKERBOCKER Birthday: 9/24

Twitter: @MikeMorey

EN. CHARLES SCHUMER’S press shop is known for making or breaking aspiring flacks. For Mike Morey, who worked in Schumer’s office for two years, his desire to be an actor growing up helped prepare him to excel as Schumer’s New York communications director. “It certainly eliminates any camera shyness, press shyness, public speaking. It certainly helps develop presence, which is really necessary in this business,” Morey says. Morey, who gave up acting in college to pursue a career in politics, now represents clients ranging from SoulCycle to the Rockefeller Foundation for SKDKnickerbocker, and has also worked on campaigns for some of New York’s biggest power players, including Andrew Cuomo and Christine Quinn. But his first exposure to high-level politics came while he was attending Peekskill College, and with a very high profile politician: Hillary Clinton. When Clinton visited campus, Morey was offered a job helping her advance team on planning the event, as well as later helping coordinate then-President Bill Clinton’s visits. “It was wild, it was so inspiring. I realized at that moment that the skill set for this business, you can build some of the skills necessary but a lot of them are innate,” says Morey. When he isn’t managing messaging for his clients, Morey likes to spend time at home brewing his own “Morey Brewing Company” beers. But when it comes to any sort of politically themed brew, Morey isn’t particularly interested. “I like to keep it focused more on the beer and less on the politics.”

Where did you go to college? American Academy of Dramatic Arts Purchase College, SUNY, BA; American University, School of Public Affairs, MA If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Own a craft brewery in the Hudson Valley or work as mixologist in New Orleans, specializing in oldfashioneds

CityAndStateNY.com

Emily W. Newman Birthday: 1/19

FIRST DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CITYWIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Open a coffee shop

Where did you go to college? Indiana University for undergrad; Syracuse University / Maxwell School for grad school

FTER COLLEGE, EMILY NEWMAN was hired by a publicity firm for musical artists like James Brown, Meat Loaf and Usher. “I loved music, and I thought that would mean I would love working in the music industry,” she says, “but I found that to be untrue.” So she interned at Sanctuary for Families, a nonprofit that provides services for domestic violence victims. Seeing how clients rely on the city, she returned to school to study public administration. That led to a job at the Department of Small Business Services. She’s been with the city ever since, working at various agencies on everything from Build It Back to homelessness. “Really what I like doing is improving the way government operates – launching new programs, streamlining existing programs, processes,” says Newman, who recently jumped to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “So here at DCAS I am working really closely with the commissioner to lead the agency, and I’m also looking at ways that we can strengthen the agency and strengthen the services that we provide to city agencies.” One of the programs she is most proud of is IDNYC, a municipal identification card that any city resident is qualified for, regardless of immigration status. “I was involved in that program from the very early days,” Newman says. “It was really incredible to watch it form, watch it grow, watch it launch into a program that people were literally lining up around the block to participate in.”

October 17, 2016

Congratulations to

PAMELA STAMOULIS City & State 40 Under 40 Rising Star For her impactful contributions and tireless dedication to Metropolitan Public Strategies

www.metpublicstrategies.com

Reach New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision makers and influence policy. Feature your message in this must-read daily morning round-up of New York government and political news. Contact Tom Allon at Tallon@CityandStateNY.com for more information.

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October 17, 2016

Michael Pantelidis VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, BROOKLYN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Birthday: 3/28 Where did you go to college? New York University

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Communications for a professional sports team

ICHAEL PANTELIDIS h a s a l w a y s l o ve d t he w r it ten word, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do professionally until his older brother, as older brothers are wont to do, nudged him in a particular direction, saying, “Well, why don’t you be a journalist, stupid?” Pantelidis enrolled as a journalism student at New York University and, as a reporter, learned to think on his feet, how to talk to people in the business and the importance of good writing. Now, as a spokesman for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, he continues to put all that experience to use, but on a cause that is close to his heart. Pa ntel id is’ mot her is a sma l lbusiness owner, and he saw growing up firsthand how much work it takes to run a business. “She worked 17 hours a day when I was growing up, and still had time to come home, help us with homework and talk about our problems after a rough day,” Pantelidis says. “I think that the opportunity to make the lives of small-business owners a little bit easier and a little bit better was a big opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.” Now, he gets to help immigrants pursue the American dream, like his grandparents did when they came to New York from Greece with little to their names, he says. “The idea that, at the chamber, I could help other immigrant small-business owners was also a big selling point for me, why I wanted to do this,” he says.

October 17, 2016

City & State New York

Dayana Perez DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Birthday: 1/9

Where did you go to college? St. John’s University

HE REASON THAT Dayana Perez wakes up every morning is to serve New York City’s young people and share their stories. “I pitch those important stories about our programs, whether they are afterschool programs or runaway homeless youth programs, fatherhood initiatives, doing stories on our Summer Youth Employment Program,” Perez says of her work as press secretary at the Department of Youth and Community Development. “It was a change for me, because now I’m really working from my heart because I’m getting young people the platform, the opportunity to express themselves, to have that powerful voice in the media and share their individual stories, and in the process inspire other young people who have been through similar journeys in their lives.” Perez knows all about going on journeys. When she was a toddler, her family left the Dominican Republic for New York City. After studying journalism in college, she worked as a production assistant at ABC, covered local news for Times Warner Cable News in Albany and reported in Spanish and English at News 12. In 2011, seeking a more behind-thescenes role, she switched gears, joining the office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. as press secretary. The experience prepared her for her current job in the de Blasio administration. “That’s when I learned the ropes of public relations and city government and I learned so much,” she says. “That’s how I learned to pitch stories and get his message across.”

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I would be an investigative journalist or an international correspondent, traveling the world and covering the most impactful stories.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Keith Powers

VICE PRESIDENT, CONSTANTINOPLE & VALLONE CONSULTING

Birthday: 11/16

Twitter: @keithpowersnyc

ALKING HOME at age 17, Keith Powers caught the politics bug. Standing on a corner near his childhood home in Stuyvesant Village, Liz Krueger was handing out fliers for her campaign for state Senate. He carried one home and handed it to his mom: “This lady is really, really nice,” he remembers saying. Two years later, when he was looking for a summer job, he headed straight for her office. Now, after serving as a chief of staff in the state Assembly and as a community board member, Keith is launching his first major political campaign to claim Dan Garodnick’s seat on the New York City Council. “I work for one speaker now, and I’m running to go work for another speaker,” Powers jokes. He currently works for former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. at Constantinople & Vallone Consulting. The same things that Powers enjoys in his current job are driving him into elected office, he says. “I grew up in a small neighborhood in a big city,” Powers says. And he’s been active in addressing local concerns like affordability and quality of life ever since. “In any given day you can be working on 10 different issues,” Powers says of his consulting work. He enjoys that complexity and helping clients and constituents navigate the ins and outs of the city’s political machinery. “If you’re a person that cares about how things work or feel passionate about things in the city, you’re sitting in the front row.”

Where did you go to college? University of Dayton If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? I’d be teaching or doing human rights advocacy at a nonprofit.

October 17, 2016

City & State New York

Lisa Rossi

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DYNAMIC SRG

Birthday: 7/26

Where did you go to college? Penn State University

OW DID A MUSIC AND communications major become chief development officer at a campaign consulting firm at age 29? “Accidents and luck,” says Lisa Rossi. Now a major political fundraising manager, she has worked for such successful candidates as U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. Rossi sees her role as a political matchmaker. “Connecting the right candidates with the right donors. That, for me, is the most interesting part in my job.” Her new focus is on grassroots fundraising. “I love that system,” she says. It’s an area where she’s excelling, having raised the second-largest amount of low-dollar donations in a New York City campaign for Katz. She still woos big-dollar donors, too, and when spending caps came off in 2014 it presented an opportunity to raise more funds but brought its own challenge. Her colleagues joked that it’s an excuse donors can’t use anymore, she says, but “we get that people don’t want to be constantly asked for money all the time.” Working exclusively for Democrats, Rossi says she’s inspired by policymakers, donors and her colleagues, who are focused on issues like immigration and criminal justice reform. “It’s a group of people that share the same passions as I do,” she says. “I love what I do now,” she says, but if she ever moved on from New York fundraising, you might find her working at a super PAC fundraising for the next U.S. president.

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Join the National Park Service as a guide at a historic site

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Where did you go to college? Loyola University in Maryland, undergrad; MIT, master’s If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? Work as a criminal defense attorney

“I If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Work as a criminal defense attorney

Laura Rothrock VICE PRESIDENT, NICHOLAS & LENCE COMMUNICATIONS

Birthday: 1/21

F I’M NOT STRESSED, I’m bored,” Laura Rothrock says. “Always feeling like there’s a fire to put out, it’s really motivating to me.” It’s a good quality for a woman who deals with “a lot of phone calls, a lot of emails, a lot of meetings” on a daily basis. “I like taking a problem, coming up with a solution, and seeing it through to completion,” she says. Rothrock is a lobbyist “in the broader sense of the word,” having managing about 20 client accounts “from start to finish” for industry trade organizations, real estate organizations and other various groups and entities. A wel l-honed sk i l l of her s i s motivating people to call her back. “I make jokes that I’m someone who professionally annoys people,” she says. “I have strategies around if someone doesn’t get back to me right away.” “In New York City at least, lobbying can be a dirty word,” she says. But she sees her work as a public service by giving a voice to all interests. “A lot of times, City Council members aren’t thinking about how it will affect industry,” and it’s her job to make the elected officials aware of what impact proposed legislation could have. Rothrock counts winning the trust of her clients and their referrals as the measure of her accomplishments. But all of that takes a backseat to her biggest accomplishment: “My son,” she says.

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

David A. Rozen

ASSISTANT COUNSEL, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT Birthday: 11/5

Twitter: @DavidARozenEsq

T Where did you go to college? BA, State University of New York at Albany Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy; JD, Albany Law School If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Broadway critic

HIS YEAR, David Rozen’s job as assistant counsel in the office of the Inspector General for the NYPD has been under a microscope. His role in legally representing the office in cases involving police misconduct is one that many across the country wish was being done in other cities, as police-involved shootings of minorities have become a major national issue. But Rozen isn’t just involved in tackling legal cases – he also is working on finding out what policies in the NYPD are actually leading to safer streets for civilians and officers alike. “We’re really looking at systemic policy trends,” Rozen says. “We’re really, if you will, a think tank, and we’re trying to get best practices by contacting police forces and entities from around the country.” While Rozen, who has worked for state agencies, in the Legislature and on Albany’s Citizens’ Police Review Board, acknowledges there is tension between police officers and the his department, he often finds officers are willing to help once they learn about the two-year-old office. “We’re really helping the police department, and once we explain who we are and what we do, we’re getting a lot of community buy-in from all the players, including the police department,” Rozen says. “At the end of the day we’re there to help and guide the conversation and hopefully move things forward for everybody, including police officers.”

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Haley E. Rubinson STRATEGIST, TUSK STRATEGIES

Birthday: 3/3

Where did you go to college? University of Maryland, College Park If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Prizefighter

ROM SANDY CLEANUP to bike lane expansion to helping lead the charge against Bill de Blasio’s re-election, Haley Rubinson has been part of some of the most visible campaigns around New York City. She made her name in government at the city Department of Transportation during Mayor Bloomberg’s second term. It was perfect timing, and as she tells it, “really amazing to be there at this time when the agency really ushered through transformative change to the public space.” Rubinson’s fortune continued from there. “I feel lucky every day, but I just hit this series of really interesting short-term opportunities,” she says. That includes time spent coordinating cleanup after Sandy with the Mayor’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency and then the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. Rubinson left the public sector last year but says she’s proud of every day she spent there, “because I really am a believer in government and its potential to make lives better.” Now at Tusk Strategies, Rubinson uses her public-sector experience to lead campaigns for clients and, of course, to challengers to de Blasio with NYC Deserves Better. That campaign is outside of her usual duties, but “it’s something that I believe in and I agree with,” Rubinson says, “so I’m happy to volunteer.” She may be a rising star, but she fears City Hall is fading. “My hope for local government is that it maintains that high standard, at least in New York City, that we’ve had for so long.”

Thursday, October 27th • 8:00am - 12:00pm New York Academy of Medicine • 1216 5th Ave • New York, NY 10029

Dr. Howard A. Zucker, Commissioner of Health for New York State

Jackie Cornell, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Letitia James, Public Advocate, City of New York

Kemp Hannon, Chairman, State Senate Health Committee

Presented by:

Richard Gottfried, Chairman, State Assembly Health Committee

Dr. Ram Raju, President & CEO, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation

RSVP at CityAndStateNY.com/Events

For more information on programming and sponsorship opportunities, contact Lissa Blake at lblake@cityandstateny.com

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October 17, 2016

Pamela Stamoulis

DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, METROPOLITAN PUBLIC STRATEGIES Birthday: 8/22 Twitter: @PS186

Where did you go to college? Queens University

AMELA STAMOULIS HAS always been politically active. She loves the challenges it brings and engaging with the public. “I love that it’s never boring. I love that there’s so much pressure. I love that we get to engage with the public in a meaningful way,” she says. “I also love that we get to engage with clients and with folks who are also just as much in love with advocacy issues, with policy, with getting things done.” In her role as d irector of d igita l communications for Metropolitan Public Strategies, Stamoulis helps develop digital targeting programs, designs and places digital content online and on social media platforms, and manages digital advertising and marketing strategies and mobilization. “ I t ’s a c r i t i c a l f o r c e o f a n y communications strategy and it’s got to be a big part of it,” she says. “I’m really proud to be able to play that role here and in general in politics, and bring that into the fold as something that helps lead our campaigns and pushes our clients in the right direction.” Previously, Stamoulis helped work on the Fight for $15 and New York City affordable housing campaigns. “It was always important to me for people to have a voice and to be able to give people a voice, and so politics was just something that was a natural fit right from the get-go,” she says. “The most important thing is to accomplish the goals that we set out and, again, increasingly digital plays an important factor.”

If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Politics is in part about telling and sharing authentic experiences. I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop doing that. I’d just find a different way to express it, like film.

City & State New York

October 17, 2016

Joe Taranto SENIOR ADVISER, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO

Birthday: 6/1

Twitter: @jtaranto

Where did you go to college? New York University If you didn’t work in politics/ government, what would you do? Television producer

OE TARANTO IS AN anomaly in the modern professional world. Two weeks after graduating from college, Taranto followed his interest in immigrant rights and other progressive causes to an internship in the office of City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, who represents parts of East Harlem and the South Bronx. Taranto has stuck with Mark-Viverito for seven years, ascending from legislative director to chief of staff and eventually to his current senior advisor role when she was elected speaker. “The day that she became speaker is obviously one that I will never ever forget, and sort of the lead-up to that, having been involved in that campaign,” he says. “I’ve been able to be sort of at the epicenter of everything that’s happening in the Council under her leadership.” Taranto’s job involves coordinating with the speaker and her staff, various city agencies, fellow lawmakers and other stakeholders in carrying out her vision, which puts him hands-deep in the annual budget, major citywide issues such as the mayor’s rezoning plans and large developments in her district. He briefs MarkViverito on various issues, sits in on meetings with her, joins in on her calls and serves as the designated follow-up guy for any unresolved matters. “The goal is just to make sure, again, that her needs are met, so to speak, and … that she can depend on the fact that when she needs something taken care of, it will get done,” Taranto says.

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

Where did you go to college? Barnard College, currently at NYU Wagner

If you didn’t work in politics/government, what would you do? I’d travel around the country and consult on regional planning projects.

Eftihia Thomopoulos GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT, NYU FURMAN CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE & URBAN POLICY

Birthday: 3/27

UEENS IS BOOMING, a n d E f t i h i a Thomopoulos wants to b e a pa r t of it. “ I ’m p a r t i c u l a r l y interested in economic development in the outer boroughs,” says the newly minted NYU Wagner urban planning student. “I’m looking for ways to bu ild upon t hat a nd figure out what makes sense for the neighborhood. … I think the BQX is a fascinating project, and all the waterfront development.” A l i felong Q ueen s resident, T h om op o u l o s s p e nt f i ve ye a r s promoting development in her home borough and across New York City with the Association for a Better New York. At ABNY, she partnered with Google and Citi to launch a massive report about the city’s growing tech economy, and even played a role in hosting Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement of the redevelopment of LaGuardia airport. It wasn’t all marquee events, t hough – Thomopoulos says t he hardest part of working at ABNY was the “accumulation of little challenges” that members would bring in every day. Inevitably she would figure out how to leverage the association’s resources and networks to help them. Her involvement with development there led her to the Wagner School of Public Service and a job as a research assistant at the school’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. Through it all, she’s keeping an eye on Queens. “I don’t think we’re in a bad place in the outer boroughs, but I think the work that’s being done should be capitalized on and more of it should be done at a faster clip,” she says.

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October 17, 2016

A fresh perspective on opinions/ Edited by Nick Powell

THE WORLD LOST A HERO

How KEN THOMPSON redefined justice By JAMES FREEDLAND

October 17, 2016

City & State New York

win, and for good reason – the historical odds were long to the point of absurdity. Incumbent prosecutors win re-election approximately 95 percent of the time their names are on the ballot. In Brooklyn, the last time a sitting district attorney lost an election was during the presidency of William Howard Taft in 1911. Ken was running against a district attorney who had been elected seven times. Four years earlier, he had run unopposed. The Kings County Democratic Party and many local officials stood by the incumbent. In the face of a daily onslaught from the media, political opponents and legal adversaries, I saw firsthand Ken’s refusal to back down from tough battles.

minor offenses were both later implemented citywide. But it was his fight to end wrongful convictions that will remain Ken’s enduring legacy. Established soon after he entered office, Ken’s innovative Conviction Review Unit either vacated or dismissed 21 convictions of people who were wrongfully imprisoned for murder and other offenses. It’s impossible to overstate his accomplishments in this regard. To put these numbers in perspective, Brooklyn represents 0.07 percent of the country’s population, but accounted for 11.4 percent of its exonerations in Ken’s first year in office. In politics, the phrase “elections have consequences” is an overused platitude.

FEW OBSERVERS BELIEVED KEN COULD WIN, AND FOR GOOD REASON. ... IN BROOKLYN, THE LAST TIME A SITTING DISTRICT ATTORNEY LOST AN ELECTION WAS DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT IN 1911.

‘ll never forget the first time I met Ken Thompson. It was in the conference room of Ken’s law office near Union Square in the spring of 2013, after he had decided to take on a beast of a challenge: defeating the sitting Brooklyn district attorney. As he walked through his biography and described the rationale for his candidacy, I was impressed. Rarely do you encounter a first-time candidate with such serenity, conviction and discipline. “We will win, James,” he concluded, with an aura of confidence that might have appeared slightly delusional if uttered by anyone else. But in Ken’s commanding voice, it was convincing. Ken was a man of faith and determination. And to win this election, the campaign would require more than a few blessings in order for everything to fall into place. Notwithstanding the candidate’s certitude, few observers believed Ken could

There’s no doubt Ken’s fighting spirit and commitment to justice were inspired by the strong women in his life, chief among them his extraordinary wife Lu-Shawn, his biggest champion and the mother of the two children who made him so proud, and his beloved mother, Clara, herself a trailblazer as one of the first female police officers to patrol the streets of New York City in the 1970s. Ultimately, Ken was right. We did win. When he was decisively elected in an upset victory and became the first black district attorney in Brooklyn’s history, Ken wasted no time reimagining the role of a modern-day prosecutor. In an interview before he passed away, Ken expressed his abiding principles thusly: “I think that the main duty of the D.A. is to do justice. That means to protect public safety, but it also means that we have to ensure that our criminal justice system is based on fundamental fairness.” In less than three years, Ken transformed an office corrupted by prosecutorial misconduct into a national model for progressive justice. His visionary action to end prosecutions for low-level marijuana violations and his program to allow 250,000 residents to wipe out warrants for

But no one illustrated this expression in the truest sense more than Ken Thompson. The stark reality is that people would be languishing in prison today for crimes they hadn’t committed if Brooklyn’s voters had elected a different candidate. And because of that fateful choice, the lives of those exonerated were forever changed by the actions of a brave prosecutor who redefined what it means to do justice. The world lost a hero last week, and it’s overwhelming knowing that our brother Ken is with God now. As we mourn the loss of a great leader and grieve for his family, it’s our duty to honor Ken’s memory by supporting the movement to ensure criminal justice reforms continue at every level of government, without interruption. With the fortitude that defined Ken’s visionary, but heartbreakingly brief, tenure as our guide, we must prove him right again. And we will win.

■

James Freedland is a Democratic political strategist based in New York City.

CityAndStateNY.com

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October 17, 2016

Notice of formation of location: NY county. agent upon whom process Pristine Credit Solutions, SSNY designated agent may be served and shall LLC. Arts of Org filed upon whom process may mail copy of process to with Secy of State OF be served and shall mail business address: 246 NY (SSNY) on 8/10/16. copy of process against Mott Street, NY, NY 10012. Office loc: NEWY. SSNY LLC. to: Us Corp. Agents, Purpose: any lawful act. designated agent upon Inc. 7014 13th Ave, Set. whom process may be 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Notice of Formation of served: 7014 13th Ave Purpose: any lawful act. Belnord Holdings LLC. Ste 202 Bkyn NY 11228 Arts. of Org. filed with Principal business addess NY Dept. of State on Notice of Formation of NK :300 E75 St 3O NY NY 7/19/16. Office location: Grant Writing & Nonprofit 10021. NY County. Princ. bus. Consulting LLC. Arts addr.: 209 W. 87th St., of Org filed with Secy. Notice of Qualification NY, NY 10024. Sec. of of State of NY (SSNY) State designated agent of of Cerberus Redwood on 7/1/2016. Office LLC upon whom process Levered Opportunities location: NY County. GP B, LLC. Authority filed against it may be served SSNY designated agent with NY Dept. of State on and shall mail process to: upon whom process Belnord Holdings LLC, c/o 9/30/16. Office location: may be served against Talbert & Talbert LLC, 80 NY County. Princ. bus. LLC to principal business Maiden Lane, Ste. 1506, addr.: 875 3rd Ave., NY, address: 308 W. 103rd NY, NY 10038. Purpose: NY 10022. LLC formed in St., #10E, NY, NY, 10025. all lawful purposes. DE on 9/15/16. NY Sec. of Purpose: any lawful act. State designated agent of LLC upon whom process Notice of Qualification Notice of Formation of against it may be served of Comprehensive Belnord Hotel Operating and shall mail process Hospitalists of Florida, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed to: c/o CT Corporation LLC. Authority filed with with NY Dept. of State on System, 111 8th Ave., NY, Secy of State of NY 7/19/16. Office location: NY 10011. DE addr. of (SSNY) on 7/7/2016. Office NY County. Princ. bus. LLC: c/o The Corporation location: NY County, LLC addr.: 209 W. 87th St., Trust Co., 1209 Orange formed in FL on 5/13/11. NY, NY 10024. Sec. of St., Wilmington, DE SSNY designated agent State designated agent of 19801. Cert. of Form. filed upon whom process may LLC upon whom process with DE Sec. of State, 401 be served and shall mail against it may be served Federal St., Dover, DE copy of process against and shall mail process to: 19901. Purpose: all lawful LLC to: 11 Eighth Ave, New Belnord Hotel Operating purposes. York, NY 1011. Principal LLC, c/o Talbert & business address: 200 Talbert LLC, 80 Maiden Notice of Qualification Corporate Blvd. Lafayette, Lane, Ste. 1506, NY, NY of Cerberus Redwood LA 70508. Certificate of 10038. Purpose: all lawful Levered Opportunities LLC filed with Secy of State purposes. GP A, LLC. Authority filed of FL Located at: 1200 S with NY Dept. of State on Pine Island Rd, Plantation, Name of LLC: SIGN 9/30/16. Office location: FL, 33324. Purpose: any Networks LLC. Arts. of NY County. Princ. bus. lawful act. Org. filed with NY Dept. addr.: 875 3rd Ave., NY, of State: 5/1/15. Office NY 10022. LLC formed in Notice of Formation of loc.: NY Co. Sec. of State DE on 9/15/16. NY Sec. of Aten Lighting Design, designated agent of LLC State designated agent of LLC. Articles of Org. filed upon whom process LLC upon whom process with Secy. of State of against it may be served against it may be served NY (SSNY) on July 18, and shall mail process and shall mail process 2016. Office location: NY to: James P. Healy, Jr., to: c/o CT Corporation County. SSNY has been 200 E. 10th St., Ste 719, System, 111 8th Ave., NY, designated as agent upon NY, NY 10003, regd. agt. NY 10011. DE addr. of whom process may be upon whom process may LLC: c/o The Corporation served and shall mail copy be served. Purpose: any Trust Co., 1209 Orange of process against LLC to lawful act. St., Wilmington, DE principal business address: 19801. Cert. of Form. filed 350 Cabrini Blvd., Apt 3H with DE Sec. of State, 401 315 Rose Hill Holdings NY, NY 10040. Purpose: Federal St., Dover, DE LLC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arts of Org. filed any lawful purpose. 19901. Purpose: all lawful with Secy. Of State of purposes. NY (SSNY) on 7/18/2016. Notice of formation of Office location: New York SempreLei LLC. Art. Of Co. LLC address c/o Notice of Forma LLC. Art Org. filed with SSNY Ganfer & Shore LLP, 360 or Org filed with Secy. 6/8/2016. Office: NY Lexington Avenue 13th of State of Ny (sony) County. SSNY designated Flr., New York, NY 10017. 0n 10/20/2015. Office

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October 17, 2016

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Ganfer & Shore LLP, 360 Lexington Ave., 13th Flr, New York, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activities. NOTICE OF FORMATION of GRS Lab USA LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/5/2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: US Corp. Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Slow Sugar, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 07/15/16. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against it may be served. Principal business address: 860 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10075. Purpose: any lawful purpose. NOTICE OF FORMATION of SHADMOOR, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/28/2016. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 652 Grandview Avenue #2R, Ridgewood, New York 11385. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of Broadsheet Communications LLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY 9-1-16. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to c/o The LLC, P.O. Box 427, NY, NY 10272. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of Mrs. Gallery, LLC. Arts of Org

filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/14/2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: 26 Apollo St., #2, Brooklyn, NY 11222. Principal business address: 6040 56th Drive, Maspeth, NY 11378. Purpose: any lawful act. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NOBLE HOUSE USA LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) 9/21/16. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to NOBLE HOUSE USA LLC, 708 Third Avenue, 5 Fl., New York, New York, 10017, attention Rubin Ferziger. Purpose: for any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of Katonah Yoga Bowery LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/2/2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: 41 Carmine St. NY, NY 10014. Principal business address: 302 Bowery, 2nd Fl, NY NY 10012. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Qualification of HAWKING LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/08/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/10/16. NYS fictitious name: HAWKING DE LLC. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 125 Cambridgepark Dr., Ste. 301, Cambridge, MA 02140. DE addr. of LLC: Incorporating Services, Ltd., 3500 S. Dupont

Hwy., Dover, DE 19901. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qual. of Galeon Navigation Management (USA) LLC, Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 7/29/16. Off. loc: NY Co. LLC org. in DE 6/24/16. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom proc. against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to CSC, 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE off. addr.: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of BitsyBoho, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on June 6, 2016. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC at: 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF ORESTE DRAPACA ARCHITECT, PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Sec’y. of State of NY (SSNY) on 27 JUN 2016. Office location: NEW YORK County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against PLLC to principal business address: 419 PARK AVE SOUTH 7 FLR NEW YORK NY 10016. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of MATTHEW BERNSTEIN, M.D., PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/07/16. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of PLLC: 406 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 02474.

SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Abrams Fensterman, et. al., LLP, 1111 Marcus Ave., Ste. 107, Lake Success, NY 11042. Purpose: Medical purpose. Notice of Formation of SkyFloat LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/14/16. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Gonen Productions & Talent, Inc., 105 E. 34th St., Ste. 240, NY, NY 10016. Purpose: Mobile device accessory manufacture, sales and distribution. Notice of Formation of T/S 221 EAST 17, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/15/16. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 221 E. 17th St., NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Brad M. Kaplan, Esq., The Kaplan Law Group, PC, 51 John F. Kennedy Pkwy., Ste. 1E/RXR, Short Hills, NJ 07078. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qual. of 500 Seventh Mezz Funding LLC, Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 8/5/16. Off. loc: NY Co. LLC org. in DE 8/3/16. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom proc. against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to NRAI, 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011, the Reg. Agt. upon whom proc. may be served. DE off. addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp: any lawful activities. Notice of Qual. of 500

Seventh Funding LLC, Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 8/5/16. Off. loc: NY Co. LLC org. in DE 8/3/16. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom proc. against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to NRAI, 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011, the Reg. Agt. upon whom proc. may be served. DE off. addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp: any lawful activities.

Notice of Qual. of 333 East 22 Lessee LLC, Auth. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 7/19/16. Off. loc: NY Co. LLC org. in DE 7/15/16. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom proc. against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to NRAI, 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011, the Reg. Agt. upon whom proc. may be served. DE off. addr.: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. on file: SSDE, Townsend Bldg., Dover, DE 19901. Purp: any lawful activities.

ADVERTISE HERE

CityAndStateNY.com

October 17, 2016

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING Chairman Steve Farbman, President/CEO Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Vice President of Strategy Jasmin Freeman, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Sales Coordinator Patrea Patterson, Junior Sales Associate Cydney McQuillan-Grace cydney@cityandstateny.com

Who was up and who was down last week

THE BEST OF THE REST SEAN BASINSKI – Street Vendor

SLANT Slant Editor Nick Powell npowell@cityandstateny.com, Editor-at-Large Gerson Borrero gborrero@cityandstateny. com, Slant Columnists Nicole Gelinas, Bruce Fisher, Richard Brodsky, Karen Hinton CREATIVE - creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Creative Director Guillaume Federighi, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Marketing Designer Charles Flores, Junior Graphic Designer Kewen Chen

LOSERS BHAIRAVI DESAI – The New York Taxi Workers Alliance president crashed Uber’s party thanks to a state ruling that two drivers were in fact employees, and not independent contractors, a status for its drivers that the ride-sharing company has pushed. The drivers will be able to claim unemployment insurance, meaning the company will have to pay its part of the bill. While this seems a small victory, it could have larger implications in future cases.

OUR PICK

WINNERS

There’s only a few weeks left in this tumultuous presidential campaign, and with all the twists and turns, nobody can tell how it will end. Of course, the All-Seeing Trump may have an idea, but should we be careful what we wish for? All we know for sure is who the latest Winners & Losers are.

EDITORIAL - editor@cityandstateny.com Editorial Director Michael Johnson mjohnson@ cityandstateny.com, Senior Editor Jon Lentz jlentz@ cityandstateny.com, Albany Reporter Ashley Hupfl ahupfl@ cityandstateny.com, Buffalo Reporter Justin Sondel jsondel@cityandstateny.com, City Hall Reporter Sarina Trangle strangle@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Web/Engagement Editor Jeremy Unger, Editorial Assistant Jeff Coltin

DIGITAL - digital@cityandstateny.com Digital Manager Chanelle Grannum, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi MULTIMEDIA Multimedia Director Bryan Terry

BILL DE BLASIO – “Terrorist”? Union suckup? “Progressive friend”? The WikiLeaked emails show the Clinton camp had a lot of words for the mayor, and most of them weren’t flattering. He’s got problems outside of cyberspace too, like his apparently hush-hush plans to build a new jail on Rikers being revealed, and having to scale back plans for a Maspeth homeless shelter. Worst of all, he was shamed into talking to the Post again.

ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Event Sponsorship Strategist Danielle Koza dkoza@ cityandstateny.com EVENTS - events@cityandstateny.com Events Manager Lissa Blake, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Events and Marketing Coordinator Jenny Wu

Vol. 5 Issue 40 October 17, 2016

THE REST OF THE WORST JOHN CERETTO – playing politics

Project director sees progress for food

with taxpayer funds

carts

LISA COICO – City College

ROBERT HOLDEN – gets NYC to

president resigns under scrutiny

scale back Maspeth homeless shelter

WENDY LONG – bad timing for her

TOM SUOZZI – Democrat ahead by

“Women for Trump” rally

16 in L.I. congressional race

ALAN SCHULKIN – Dem elections

LEE ZELDIN – Republican up by 15

official secretly taped complaining

in another L.I. congressional race

about voter fraud

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email. Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

TONY SHORRIS

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