Meet the heavyweights leading Mark Levine’s transition team

Just over one week after his resounding victory in the New York City comptroller race, Mark Levine is introducing a team of experts with deep ties across city government, labor, nonprofits, the business community and beyond to help him transition from the Manhattan Borough President’s Office to the powerful citywide position.

At the helm of that effort is Henry Garrido, executive director of the city’s largest union District Council 37, and Yvonne Stennett, the longtime executive director of the Community League of the Heights – a nonprofit that’s been serving communities in Washington Heights for more than 70 years. As Levine’s transition co-chairs, they’ll lead the team of more than 70 tasked with ensuring the comptroller-elect has a smooth path from the Nov. 4 election to his inauguration on Jan. 1.

The transition team was shared exclusively with City & State ahead of its Wednesday announcement. It’s a robust group of individuals. Members include well-known New Yorkers like Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein, New York City Independent Budget Office Director Louisa Chaffee, New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce President Quenia Abreu, Chinese-American Planning Council President Wayne Ho, former FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York Gary LaBarbera, Legal Aid Society Chief Attorney Adriene Holder, New York Building Congress President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo Scissura, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, NAACP NY State Conference President L. Joy Williams and Tech:NYC President Julie Samuels. The list goes on.

In a statement, Levine said he’s proud to have assembled a diverse and dedicated transition team that reflects the city’s array of values and voices. Together, he said, they will confront the challenges looming over the city.

“As comptroller, I’m committed to using every power and tool of this office to make New York more affordable, fight Trump’s agenda of cruelty, strengthen quality of life and safety, protect workers and pensioners and hold city government accountable to deliver for all New Yorkers,” Levine said. “Our city’s greatest strength lies in our resilience and shared commitment to our values. New York will succeed, because we always do, and because we must. I’m honored to have this incredible group of leaders standing with me in that fight.”

Levine’s transition team will meet multiple times over the next two months to discuss what policies to pursue in the comptroller’s office, filling vacancies and how to use “every tool in its disposal” to tackle the affordability crisis, safeguard the city’s finances from Trump and make sure local government effectively delivers for New Yorkers, according to a spokesperson for Levine.

The transition committee that readied current Comptroller Brad Lander to take office in 2022 was led by former Citizens Budget Commission President Carol Kellermann and Mark Winston Griffith, executive director of the Brooklyn Movement Center. Garrido – Levine’s pick for co-chair – was also a member of Lander’s team. 

The news comes about a week after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced his own transition team, which is being led by five women with deep experience across city government. While transitioning into the comptroller’s office is not as extensive of a task as readying to be mayor, it’s still an intensive process. The job, wonky as it is, is among the city’s most powerful positions.

Upon taking office, Levine will oversee a staff of around 800 people – far more than he oversaw as Manhattan borough president. He’ll be tasked with reviewing city contracts, conducting audits, issuing and selling bonds, resolving claims for and against the city and stewarding one of the biggest institutional investment funds on earth: the city’s five public pension funds of roughly $295 billion. The comptroller position also doubles as a check on the mayor. Levine for his part has already put out a bevy of plans for things he hopes to accomplish – including using the city’s pension system to launch a fund to create or preserve thousands of affordable housing units. And he’s vowed to be a bulwark against an increasingly hostile Trump administration, using the office’s powers to safeguard the city’s finances.

“People view the comptroller’s office the way they want to view it, but the reality is it’s a very unique and complicated office because it does a lot of different things at the same time,” said former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who held the role from 2014 to 2021. “When you unpack this office it is critical to build capacity, not just to hold the mayor accountable, but also to fulfill your fiduciary responsibilities.” 

Stringer lauded the team Levine assembled. “Having a strong, robust transition to attract the best and brightest is something that’s a credit to Mark Levine,” Stringer said. “He’s basically signaling, ‘Come one, come all. I want to build the best comptroller’s office I can.’”