Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Coming up next, we'll tell you what the most checked-out New York Public Library books were in 2021 and invite your calls and what you were reading this year. First, Five Deputy Mayors, Five Women to fill those positions named by Eric Adams yesterday. We'll find out who they are now in a roll call segment with our senior politics reporter Brigid Bergin. Hi, Brigid.
Brigid: Good morning, Brian.
Brian: Let's just start. The first deputy mayor, which is I guess the closest thing that we have to like a vice president in New York City. It's going to be Lorraine Grillo. Who is Lorraine Grillo?
Brigid: Lorraine Grillo is really a veteran of city hall and city government. She worked in the de Blasio administration as head of the School's Construction Authority, also head of the Department of Design. Right now, she's currently advising the mayor's pandemic recovery efforts. Here's someone who brings a lot of knowledge of, how to build things in the city, how to repair things in the city, and really how to run things in the city and she will be Eric Adams' top deputy mayor.
Brian: Let's go on to Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services important at any time, certainly during a pandemic that Adams was hoping not to be presiding on another surge in but Health and Human Services deputy mayor Anne Williams-Isom, who is she?
Brigid: Well, she's currently the Chair of Child Welfare Studies at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Services. It's interesting she is someone who is new to city government in this context for my understanding of her background, and she will be overseeing some roles that are really vital to the delivery of social services in the city. Currently, this role is filled by Melanie Hartzog. This is a position that oversees the city's COVID-19 pandemic response in terms of social services. Then we're also talking about child services, homeless services, and then also oversees health and hospitals and sits on that the health and hospital corporations board.
Brian: By the way, he didn't name a health commissioner, which again, at that the surge moment of the pandemic, you would think is one of the central positions he has named a police commissioner, a school's chancellor, transportation commissioner, yesterday, Adonis Rodriguez, but no health commissioner yet, right?
Brigid: Not that has been publicly announced a lot of questions on that front. That person would likely report to this deputy mayor. Certainly, we hear a consistent message from Mayor de Blasio's office and Mayor de Blasio's current health commissioner, Dr. Chokshi, that they are in frequent communication with Mayor-elect Adams. Mayor-elect Adams was at a briefing with Mayor de Blasio on Sunday. I believe it was along with Dr. Chokshi. I think they're trying to be consistent in their messaging there and now they have the person who will be at least overseeing that position in place. That's a step forward.
Brian: Deputy Mayor number three, Meera Joshi, soon to be Deputy Mayor for operations. This should be a familiar name to some.
Brigid: Yes, this is our former Taxi and Limousine Commissioner. She currently has a federal position. This is another person who's going to play a really important role in the way the city runs. Clearly, this is an individual who had some background with overseeing, a very vital and an active part of the city government. Another woman, another voice that's going to add to Adams' cabinet, and another really exciting pick for people who want to see some diversity in the city's leadership.
Brian: Maria Torres-Springer will be Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development. I know that name. She works in that field, doesn't she?
Brigid: She certainly does. She's currently vice president for programs at the Ford Foundation, but Maria Torres-Springer is another individual similar to Lorraine Grillo and Meera Joshi, who has an extensive amount of experience in City Hall. She was most recently commissioner of HPD, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. She also serves as the first woman president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, again, as part of the de Blasio administration. She was commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. She worked closely with former Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, who was among the people really praising these pics yesterday.
She tweeted out five awesome women DMs and said specifically about Maria Torres-Springer, how proud she was to see this woman who was her friend and mentee, named to be the Deputy Mayor of Economic Development because she has worked on, building the city's talent pipeline. She launched a program for women entrepreneurs in the city and she really understands how to support women and immigrant-owned businesses. This, again, is a real sign, a signal, I think, to some degree about where Mayor-elect Eric Adams' values lie when it comes to developing economic development and recovery in the city.
Brian: Finally, some of our listeners know the name, Sheena Wright. She's currently the CEO of the United Way of New York City and was just on the show recently, in her role as the chair of Eric Adams' transition team. She's going to be Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, I see. Is that a new post?
Brigid: No. Under Mayor de Blasio there has been a mayor for strategic operations, strategic projects. Richard Buery held the position initially, and he was overseeing the implementation, and rollout of universal pre-kindergarten and then thrive. Currently, it's Phillip Thompson, someone who has deep experience in city government, dating back to the Dinkins administration, and is also a well-respected academic. He has been overseeing the mayor's democracy initiatives, the task force on racial equity.
It's not an entirely new position, I should say. I think it's very interesting that Sheena Wright, who is, as you said, leading up the transition committee is going to take on this position of strategic operations because it gives you a sense of how closely this individual will be working with the mayor. We know she is a close ally of Mayor-elect Adams. She will likely be tasked with things that are among his biggest priorities and overseeing the implementation of those initiatives.
Brian: As a footnote, this deputy mayor happens to be married to the incoming School's Chancellor, right?
Brigid: Exactly.
Brian: What does it all add up to, Brigid, in our last 30 seconds? Is this a revolutionary slate in any other respect, other than it being five women for the five deputy mayor positions or maybe that's revolutionary enough right there and we don't even need to say more on day one?
Brigid: I think that is revolutionary enough. I think you combine that with the likely election of Adrienne Adams as speaker of the City Council. We are seeing some different representation among our city government leaders. It will be exciting to see what that means in terms of how the city operates and the policies that they put priority focus on.
Brian: WNYC Senior Political Reporter, Brigid Bergin, thanks a lot.
Brigid: Thanks, Brian.
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