Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed an all-female transition leadership team to introduce a new era for New York City. Those selected will help build a government of public servants tasked with driving down costs and keeping all New Yorkers safe. The team includes nonprofit leader Grace Bonilla, City Budget and Social Service Expert Melanie Hartzog, former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, and housing and Economic Development Leader Maria Torres-Springer as transition co-chairs, with political strategist Elana Leopold serving as transition executive director. “From day one, our campaign was laser-focused on making this city affordable for working people. And on day one of my administration, with this talented transition team in place, we will be ready to make that vision a reality,” Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said. “Our transition leaders will help build a City Hall committed to excellence, integrity and a hunger to solve old problems with new solutions.” The transition team brings together leaders with deep experience in public service, nonprofit management, and city administration. Grace Bonilla Grace Bonilla has served as president and CEO of United Way of New York City, a nonprofit that coordinates services for low-income New Yorkers. She spent 10 years in the Bloomberg administration in leadership roles within the Human Resources Administration and was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2020 as the first executive director of the Task Force on Racial Equity and Inclusion. Bonilla also served as human resources administrator, helping more than 3 million New Yorkers access public assistance programs. She said she is honored to help tackle the city’s affordability crisis and deliver an administration that serves all New Yorkers. Melanie Hartzog Melanie Hartzog is president and CEO of The New York Foundling, one of the city’s largest and oldest human services nonprofits, serving tens of thousands of children, youth, adults and families each year. She previously served as New York City’s deputy mayor for Health and Human Services under Mayor Bill de Blasio, overseeing the city’s social service agencies. She also served as director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. Earlier in her career, Hartzog was family services coordinator for the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services and deputy commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services. She said she is proud to join Mayor-elect Mamdani’s transition team to ensure that the best and most principled leaders enter public service. Lina Khan Lina Khan is the former chair of the Federal Trade Commission, known nationally for her work on antitrust and consumer protection. During her tenure, she tackled corporate abuse across the healthcare, technology, and food industries, working to ensure that workers, small businesses, and consumers have equitable opportunities. Khan previously served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law, where she helped lead the congressional investigation into dominant digital platforms. She said she is excited to help Mamdani build a city “that working people can afford.” Maria Torres-Springer Maria Torres-Springer is the incoming president and CEO of the Revson Foundation, an independent nonprofit grant making organization that supports initiatives aimed at strengthening New York City’s civic institutions while promoting knowledge and human progress. Her public service career spans three mayoral administrations, including roles as commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. She also served as New York City’s first deputy mayor, overseeing day-to-day operations, a $110 billion budget, and a public sector workforce of more than 300,000. Torres-Springer said she is honored to join Zohran Mamdani’s transition team to help deliver a city where every New Yorker can find a home and a future. Elana Leopold Elana Leopold is a New York political strategist and the founder and president of Leopold Impact Advisory, an organization that partners with philanthropic initiatives and corporate clients to translate vision into actionable strategy. She has led statewide campaigns and advocacy efforts on immigration, criminal legal reform, and human services for national nonprofits and corporate clients, securing more than $900 million in funding. Throughout her career, Leopold has held several senior roles in city government, including during the de Blasio administration. Leopold said she is excited to work alongside Mamdani to lead a strong transition team that will deliver “the bold agenda he campaigned on.” The newly appointed transition team will help Mamdani shape a City Hall defined by tenacity, integrity, and a commitment to the people of New York, said the mayor-elect. “We will show the nation how government can deliver when we put the people, not billionaires, first,” Mamdani said.
