Power Lists
The 2025 Manhattan Power 100
The borough’s biggest bigwigs.
City & State presents the 2025 Manhattan Power 100. Office of Senator Liz Krueger; New York City Council; Office of Rep. Adriano Espaillat
It’s a time of transition for Manhattan’s political class. The borough president is likely moving up to become New York City comptroller, and a state lawmaker is set to take his place. A trio of New York City Council members are on the way out thanks to term limits, and three contenders won pivotal primaries to replace them. Some top City Hall officials are making their mark on the borough – at least until the end of the year – and an early front-runner for speaker of the New York City Council hails from Manhattan. The city’s chief business advocate announced her retirement, “Train Daddy” is back and an interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York is still in place – for now. Meanwhile, a casino could be coming soon to a Manhattan neighborhood near you, as three of the bids for a downstate license are based in the borough.
City & State’s Manhattan Power 100 highlights these and dozens of other local movers and shakers in the world of New York politics and government. The list, written and researched in partnership with journalist Aaron Short, features public officials, real estate titans, health care executives, higher education leaders, prominent advocates and activists, and influential figures from every corner of the borough.
1. Mark Levine
Mark Levine is preparing to move floors inside the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building after defeating New York City Council Finance Committee Chair Justin Brannan by 14 points in the city comptroller Democratic primary in June. Levine, who is expected to win easily in November, put together a coalition of moderate Democrats, Jewish voters and outer borough leaders as well as the city’s influential United Federation of Teachers and labor union 1199SEIU. He has promised to use the city’s pension system to invest in affordable housing and prevent the Trump administration from clawing back federal contracts for city initiatives.
2. Alvin Bragg
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg garnered nationwide recognition for securing a felony conviction in his historic hush money case against President Donald Trump last year. Even though Trump was sentenced without any penalties before retaking office, the district attorney won the argument that his conviction should remain. Bragg weathered the ire of conservatives and his emphasis on curtailing gun violence and homicides in the borough helped him easily win the Democratic primary in June. Now he’ll face Republican nominee and former public defender Maud Maron in November.
3. Liz Krueger
When New Yorkers panicked about President Donald Trump’s return, state Sen. Liz Krueger made preparations. She warned about the devastating effects Trump’s tax plan would have on state Medicaid funding, contemplated withholding $300 billion in federal tax dollars and even threatened to secede to Canada. Krueger helped prod Gov. Kathy Hochul to unpause congestion pricing, much to the president’s dismay, which has eased traffic and reduced car crashes in the congestion pricing zone. Her mayoral endorsement of Brad Lander in the Democratic primary didn’t pan out, but Krueger helped her Senate colleague Brad Hoylman-Sigal secure his place as Manhattan’s presumptive incoming borough president.
4. Adriano Espaillat
From Washington Heights to Washington, D.C., Rep. Adriano Espaillat is a staunch defender of immigrants – and he believes it’s a winning issue for Democrats. As the new chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, he gave a Spanish-language rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in March. Espaillat has criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation efforts in Los Angeles and sought to visit ICE detention facilities in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. He also serves on the influential Appropriations Committee in Congress. Meanwhile, Espaillat’s feud with the Manhattan Democratic Party escalated when party leaders tried to remove him and three allies from district leader roles, but that effort proved unsuccessful.
5. Randy Mastro
Famed attorney Randy Mastro did all he could to get confirmed as New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ corporation counsel last year. Though that didn’t pan out due to the City Council’s staunch opposition, he would later take an even better job within City Hall as first deputy mayor. Now Mastro – who has represented Madison Square Garden as well as New Jersey in its fight against congestion pricing – is largely running the city with the mayor’s blessing. He has already halted construction of senior housing at Elizabeth Street Garden, created a new antisemitism office, restricted e-bikes to 15 mph and got a $116 billion city budget passed with relatively little drama.
6. Cordell Cleare, Kristen Gonzalez, Robert Jackson, Brian Kavanagh & Jose M. Serrano
As chair of the state Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, state Sen. Brian Kavanagh has been in the thick of debates over affordable housing policy in Albany. He followed up last year’s major housing package by passing a Housing Access Voucher Program pilot in this year’s state budget. Kavanagh also sponsored the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, which passed in the state Senate but not the Assembly this year.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez chairs two full committees: the Internet and Technology Committee and the Elections Committee. The two-term lawmaker, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, represents a district covering parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. She advanced legislation this year regulating use of artificial intelligence by government agencies.
State Sen. Robert Jackson, who represents parts of northern Manhattan and the Bronx, is the chair of the Civil Service and Pensions Committee. The veteran legislator has championed more generous pension benefits for state workers and is now pushing to end the subminimum wage for tipped workers in New York.
State Sen. Cordell Cleare, who has represented her Harlem district since 2021, chairs the Committee on Aging. She has advocated for increased health care funding for older New Yorkers’ in the state budget and expanding the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption Program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption Program.
State Sen. Jose M. Serrano is the chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks & Recreation and also serves in the Democratic leadership as majority conference chair. His legislation to create arts and cultural districts passed in the state Senate this year but didn’t make it through the Assembly. He was also on hand for the opening of the new Delacorte Theater in Central Park in July.
7. Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Brad Hoylman-Sigal is set to make history as New York City’s first out LGBTQ+ borough president next year when he’s likely to be leading Manhattan. The West Side state senator is a prolific lawmaker known for sponsoring the Child Victims Act, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and a ban on gay conversion therapy. He defeated term-limited New York City Council Member Keith Powers in the Democratic primary in June and is expected to cruise to victory in November. Meanwhile, Hoylman-Sigal has defended his Protect Our Courts Act, which shields people without immigration records from being detained at or near court, from a Trump administration lawsuit seeking to overturn it.
8. Jessica Tisch
Jessica Tisch is one of America’s leading local government innovators, and now she has her dream job as New York City Police Department commissioner. Mayor Eric Adams appointed Tisch in November 2024 after a groundbreaking tenure as Sanitation Department commissioner. In less than a year at One Police Plaza, she has reorganized the department’s executive staff, led the NYPD through the Luigi Mangione manhunt, outlined a comprehensive vision for the force and pursued an ambitious Albany agenda. Her work has prompted others to contemplate what office she might run for in the future.
9. Jerry Nadler
Rep. Jerry Nadler relinquished his Judiciary Committee leadership post in December, as House Democrats sought to confront President Donald Trump’s return to power aggressively. But the dean of New York’s congressional delegation has been an effective messenger against the Trump administration’s abuses after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents handcuffed one of Nadler’s aides inside his downtown office and barred the lawmaker from visiting detention areas at 26 Federal Plaza. Nadler was one of the first House members from New York City to endorse Zohran Mamdani after his stunning primary victory, likening the Democratic mayoral nominee to Barack Obama.
10. Kathryn Wylde
New York’s second-most powerful Kathy, Kathryn Wylde is the rare New Yorker equally comfortable among billionaires on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue and with small-business owners on Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge. Perhaps that’s why she has become one of the city’s premier civic leaders who has half the city on speed dial. Wylde helped ensure the implementation of congestion pricing, launched the Coalition for New York’s Future and pushed to pass the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s 2025-2029 capital plan, highlighting its economic impact. Wylde, who has announced her plans to retire next year, is now organizing meetings between business leaders and Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani to soothe their concerns.
11. Dan Goldman
Rep. Dan Goldman has been one of Congress’ most forceful voices against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions. The Manhattan lawmaker excoriated his old foe, President Donald Trump, for threatening to deport U.S. citizens, confronted mask-wearing ICE agents at federal immigration court and detailed the horrific conditions of detainees living on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza. He also helped secure $676 million for the World Trade Center Health Program in 2023, and his office has resolved nearly 5,600 constituent cases. Goldman could face a primary challenge next year, perhaps from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
12. Shaun Abreu, Gale Brewer, Carmen De La Rosa, Julie Menin & Yusef Salaam
If New York City Council Member Julie Menin plays her cards right, she could become the next council speaker. The Upper East Side lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, has been forging alliances with labor unions and contributing to her colleagues’ campaign funds – although it’s still early and council speaker races can be unpredictable. Menin, who previously held key roles in the de Blasio administration, is a moderate Democrat who has passed legislation on universal child care, medical cost transparency and hotel licensing.
City Council Member Gale Brewer mounted her own bid for council speaker four years ago, but stepped aside for Adrienne Adams and won a key post as chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations. Brewer served in the City Council previously, then became Manhattan borough president and returned to the legislative body in 2022. She recently passed legislation to add drinking fountains to city parks and open school playgrounds to the public after the school day ends.
City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, a Dominican immigrant representing parts of Upper Manhattan, chairs the Civil Service and Labor Committee and co-chairs the Women’s Caucus. She has secured funding for mental health programs, supportive housing, domestic violence survivors and maternal health.
Last year, City Council Member Shaun Abreu took over as chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management. Abreu, who, like De La Rosa, is an ally of Rep. Adriano Espaillat, followed his mentor’s lead in endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor last month.
City Council Member Yusef Salaam has come a long way since he was wrongly convicted in the infamous Central Park Five case in 1989. He was later exonerated, and his successful campaign in 2023 garnered national headlines. He now chairs the Committee on Public Safety.
13. Diana Ayala
New York City Council Member Diana Ayala couldn’t run for reelection since she is term-limited at the end of this year, but she ensured her office would be in good hands by helping her chief of staff win the Democratic primary to succeed her. The East Harlem lawmaker spearheaded efforts to expand the CityFHEPS housing voucher program and introduced a redemption program for the city to offer payment for used syringes. Ayala is monitoring a 2,200-bed shelter for migrants in the Bronx for any issues that may pop up, and she said she secured $100 million to repair New York City Housing Authority properties through the City of Yes negotiations.
14. Al Sharpton
The Rev. Al Sharpton can still be a Democratic kingmaker when he wants to be one. The Harlem civil rights leader was supportive of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ reelection bid – until Adams aligned himself with President Donald Trump after his federal indictment was dropped. By April, Sharpton hosted multiple mayoral candidates, including Adams, who skipped the Democratic primary, but declined to endorse anyone. Once the primary concluded, Sharpton met with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and called on former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to drop out of the race to let Adams duke it out with Mamdani this fall.
15. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez & Bill Thompson
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez recently completed his sixth year leading the City University of New York having presided over its second straight year of increasing enrollment and spun off CUNY School of Medicine in Harlem into a standalone medical school. He has focused on workforce issues and increasing employment pathways for graduates. Chair Bill Thompson and the board in May extended the chancellor’s tenure. Matos Rodríguez brushed aside accusations of antisemitism at a congressional panel in July after House Republicans questioned the beliefs of CUNY professors and students.
16. Keith Wright
As the leader of the Manhattan Democratic Party, Keith Wright often finds himself in the middle of political battles. After backing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, Wright endorsed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. In his long-running feud with Rep. Adriano Espaillat, he has taken aim at Espaillat’s district leader post and waged a proxy battle in the New York City comptroller primary. Wright, a former Assembly member, is also the founder of Wright Strategies and serves as a government relations consultant to Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, a politically connected law and lobbying firm.
17. Marc Holliday
Marc Holliday has his eyes on a potential Times Square jackpot. The SL Green Realty Corp. chair and CEO, whose contract was extended three more years, submitted a $5.4 billion bid for a Caesars-operated casino in Times Square, which would include a hotel, restaurants and a nightclub. The proposal also partners with Roc Nation. Now that one Manhattan rival dropped its bid, Holliday’s pitch may have an edge. The company is also working on an office-to-residential conversion on Third Avenue that aims to create 650 new housing units.
18. Deborah Glick, Linda Rosenthal & Rebecca Seawright
Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal teamed up with state Sen. Brian Kavanagh to pass the Housing Access Voucher Program pilot as part of this year’s state budget. The Upper West Side lawmaker also passed legislation banning the use of algorithms in setting rents, a measure requiring transparency about diaper ingredients and a law protecting health data.
Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick has represented lower Manhattan for more than three decades. Glick was the lead sponsor of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which passed in the state Senate but stalled in the Assembly. Glick also passed legislation on recycling lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters and championed the reauthorization of New York City’s school zone speed cameras.
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, who chairs the Committee on Aging, advanced a bill through her chamber that would establish an elder financial exploitation public awareness campaign, but it has yet to move in the state Senate. Seawright’s bill reauthorizing consumer protections for borrowers of open-end loans was signed into law. Her district spans parts of the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.
19. Jeff Blau
Jeff Blau’s Related Companies was in the hunt for a downstate casino license before stopping its bid with Wynn Resorts at Hudson Yards. Instead, Related will construct up to 4,000 new apartments, a public school, hotel and office tower on the site, as well as a 6.6-acre park that connects to the High Line. Blau has plenty of projects in his portfolio, including the full-scale redevelopment of Willets Point, where he celebrated topping off two buildings comprising 880 affordable housing units in May. Additionally, he launched Related Digital, a data center development and investment platform. Blau is chair and founding partner of energyRe, a renewable energy company.
20. Jim Whelan
Jim Whelan has had his wins and losses. The influential REBNY president advocated for the passage of City of Yes, a fully funded Metropolitan Transportation Authority capital plan and more funding for housing access voucher programs. This year in Albany, he helped secure the passage of the Affordable Housing Retention Act and the child care care facility tax credit. But some policies, such as the city’s law requiring landlords who hire brokers to pay the fees rather than tenants, have moved ahead despite REBNY’s forceful opposition.
21. Jay Clayton
Jay Clayton had never served as a federal prosecutor before President Donald Trump selected him to lead the nation’s most prestigious prosecutorial offices in November. Trump named the former Securities and Exchange Commission chair to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in April, but U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer used his “blue slip” power to block him. Clayton is serving as interim U.S. attorney and his office led the prosecution of Sean “Diddy” Combs for sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs was acquitted on those charges, but he was found guilty on lesser charges. The office has seen its famed independence wane under Clayton.
22. Anthony Marx
Anthony Marx’s New York Public Library faced an existential crisis last year when New York City Mayor Eric Adams sought to slash $58 million from the city’s three library systems. Marx warned some branches could close, but cooler heads prevailed and Adams reversed his budget reductions. This year there was no such budget waltz, and Marx secured $17 million for libraries that would extend Sunday service to several branches. Marx has also added educational programs on Rikers Island and the Manhattan Detention Complex, expanded digital services and launched citizenship support programs for immigrants.
23. Suri Kasirer & Julie Greenberg
Suri Kasirer has turned the bespoke lobbying firm she launched from her apartment into New York City’s top government affairs office with more than $17 million in compensation in 2024. She and Julie Greenberg, the firm’s executive vice president, have ensured Kasirer has a deep stable of talent to take on landscape-altering projects like the Innovation QNS rezoning, Stony Brook University’s climate change center on Governors Island and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. In fiscal year 2025, the firm helped nonprofits raise $24.8 million in capital funding.
24. Christine Quinn
Christine Quinn may have left office as speaker of the New York City Council 12 years ago, but she continues to affect power in City Hall and Albany. The nonprofit leader had spent the past decade running the city’s largest nonprofit provider of supportive housing and shelter and overhauling the way the city addresses homeless services. Quinn helped secure $50 million for the Housing Access Voucher Program pilot in the state budget, increased vouchers for CityFHEPS recipients and is working to increase mental health resources in shelters.
25. Charles Fall, Edward Gibbs & Grace Lee
Assembly Member Grace Lee is a rising star in the Democratic Party. Lee, who represents several neighborhoods in lower Manhattan, has criticized the impact of new tariffs on Chinatown businesses in her district; advanced programs that incentivize businesses to relocate their offices to New York City; and secured state funding for nonprofits serving Asian, Black and Latino New Yorkers. She chairs the Asian Pacific American Task Force in the state Legislature.
Assembly Member Edward Gibbs is the first formerly incarcerated person to serve in the state Legislature. Last year, he fended off a primary challenge from Xavier Santiago, who was backed by Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Gibbs chairs the Commission on Government Administration, which reviews the operations of state government.
Assembly Member Charles Fall’s district mostly covers the North Shore of Staten Island, but he also represents a sliver of lower Manhattan. This year, he has assailed efforts to cut funding for health benefits for survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and called for more investment in public safety in lower Manhattan. He chairs the Subcommittee on Consumer Fraud Protection.
26. Sid Davidoff
Sid Davidoff traces his roots to New York City Mayor John Lindsay’s administration where he worked on the 1966 transit strike and the Young Lords’ Lincoln Hospital takeover. More than a half-century later, Davidoff has built a government relations firm with an extensive land use and development practice. His firm recently helped more than 50 cannabis entrepreneurs launch their businesses and won approval for the rezoning of 73-99 Empire Blvd. The original Nixon enemies list member has also warned people what to do when targeted by the Trump administration.
27. Emily Giske & Violet Moss
Emily Giske and Violet Moss have helped make Bolton-St. Johns an indispensable player in the New York government relations field. They helped the firm haul in $10.5 million in New York City lobbying compensation last year and recently worked with several clients in the corporate, education and nonprofit sectors, including the Greater New York Hospital Association, Children’s Aid and Barnard College. The lobbying firm has also increasingly become known for training and advancing women in the public affairs profession, including Keyla Espinal Antigua, Debra Feinberg and Juanita Scarlett.
28. Rob Speyer
Rob Speyer is optimistic about New York’s renaissance and has continued making key investments in the region. Last year, Tishman Speyer completed its $3.5 billion refinancing for Rockefeller Center, the largest commercial mortgage-backed security loan for a single office building. Speyer followed that up with a $2.85 billion refinancing of his West Side office tower, The Spiral, and purchased 148 Lafayette St. in SoHo. He is the advisory board chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New City.
29. Steven Rubenstein
Steven Rubenstein leads a communications firm that has represented many iconic New York City institutions. He helped “Saturday Night Live” manage the crush of inquiries for its 50th anniversary, and represents the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting, the Metropolitan Opera, NewYork-Presbyterian and the redevelopment of Rockefeller Center. As chair of the Association for a Better New York, he has hosted events featuring mayoral candidates and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and welcomed the organization’s new CEO, Emma Pfohman.
30. Andy Byford
Train Daddy is back! Former New York City Transit President Andy Byford left the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2020 after clashing with then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo over how to fix the subways, before coming aboard Amtrak in 2023. In May, U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy appointed Byford to supervise Penn Station’s $7 billion redevelopment after the Trump administration took over the project. Now he’ll plan to modernize the hub, increase concourse capacity, make its operations more efficient and upgrade the user experience.
31. James Tisch & Merryl Tisch
Few have done more for New York schools in the 21st century than Merryl Tisch. The former state Board of Regents chancellor has led SUNY’s board since 2019 and helped secure billions of dollars in capital funding for SUNY campuses. Her husband James Tisch recently attended a corporate confab with Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. The parents of New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch are not shy about sharing their opinions on a wide range of issues.
32. Jessica Lappin
Jessica Lappin has spearheaded lower Manhattan’s revitalization since taking over the Downtown Alliance a decade ago. The former New York City Council member oversaw a $30 billion retail and transportation makeover for the Financial District, making it one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, and helped attract anchor retailers, including Eataly, Century 21 and Printemps, the French department store. Lappin has been a strong supporter of expanding outdoor dining and the city’s Open Streets program, which have helped revitalize Manhattan’s downtown, though the city has grappled with enforcing new regulations.
33. Alex Bores, Manny De Los Santos, Micah Lasher, Tony Simone, Al Taylor & Jordan Wright
Assembly Member Tony Simone had big shoes to fill when he succeeded Richard Gottfried, who had served in the Assembly for over 50 years. Simone, who took office in 2023, is unlikely to come anywhere close to matching Gottfried’s longevity in the seat – especially if he jumps into the race to succeed state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who’s on track to become the next Manhattan borough president.
This past session, Assembly Members Jordan Wright and Micah Lasher were high-profile newcomers in Albany, after Wright won the seat vacated by Inez Dickens and Lasher won the seat that opened up when Daniel O’Donnell retired. Wright, the son of Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright, has prioritized securing funding for public housing, providing rental assistance to homeless New Yorkers and supporting youth sports teams. Lasher has his own powerful connections, with his longtime ties to Rep. Jerry Nadler and his recent tenure as policy director in the Hochul administration. The lifelong Upper West Sider was the lead Assembly sponsor of the Fostering Affordability and Integrity Through Reasonable Business Practices Act, which would give the state attorney general more power to protect consumers – if signed by the governor.
Assembly Member Alex Bores, who took office in 2023, doesn’t chair a committee yet – but it hasn’t stopped him from driving policy around artificial intelligence. Bores, who represents a district on Manhattan’s East Side, has introduced more than a dozen bills dealing with AI.
Assembly Member Al Taylor has represented parts of Harlem and Upper Manhattan since he first took office in 2017. He was among a group of Black lawmakers who warned Gov. Kathy Hochul against removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office after the federal government dropped corruption charges against the mayor.
Upper Manhattan Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, who was first elected in a 2022 special election, is an ally of Rep. Adriano Espaillat. He is focused on education funding, public safety and affordable housing.
34. Allen Roskoff
Allen Roskoff was one of the earliest people to seek to recruit a primary challenger to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The influential Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club leader vowed he would not let Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo win the race at the club’s annual gala in March. Club members ranked Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani second behind Adrienne Adams before the Democratic primary. Now that the primary is over, Roskoff has been recruiting a progressive candidate for City Council speaker and meeting with national Democratic leaders, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential presidential candidate.
35. Steven Corwin
Last fall, Steven Corwin launched the most ambitious fundraising campaign in NewYork-Presbyterian’s history, with a $2 billion plan to transform clinical spaces at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Then in January, Corwin celebrated the opening of a new spine center on the second floor of The Spiral at Hudson Yards. But NewYork-Presbyterian hasn’t been immune to financial challenges. The hospital system announced it would lay off 1,000 employees, or 2% of its workforce, in May following a $750 million settlement.
36. Larry Silverstein & Lisa Silverstein
Larry Silverstein’s 2024 memoir “The Rising” tells the story of how the Manhattan developer rebuilt the World Trade Center after 20 years of public fights with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and multiple governors. But the billionaire and his daughter, CEO Lisa Silverstein, aren’t resting on their laurels. The Silversteins are pursuing a casino bid for The Avenir, encompassing two proposed 46-story towers on the West Side. They also tried to get American Express to anchor Two World Trade Center then pulled its application for a $3.7 billion financing program for the site.
37. Stacy Lynch
Stacy Lynch may work quietly behind the scenes as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s chief of staff, but she’s influencing policy statewide. The first woman of color to be a New York governor’s chief of staff, Lynch has worked on a number of the Hochul administration’s key initiatives, crafting legislation that closed illegal cannabis shops, making investments in SUNY Downstate Medical Center and New York City Housing Authority arrears, and advising Hochul when she considered removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office as he skirted federal corruption charges.
38. Jon Silvan
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Global Strategy Group, which Jon Silvan and his partners have established as a leading firm for strategic communications, public affairs and research not just in New York but nationwide. Democrats might want to forget 2024 at the national level, but the firm helped several New York candidates win tough races. Silvan also has turned GSG into a worldwide behemoth representing Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And his vision to partner GSG with SEC Newgate helped the company increase its revenue by 16% in 2024.
39. Jonathan Bing, John Mascialino & Ed Wallace
Jonathan Bing, John Mascialino and Ed Wallace have helped make Greenberg Traurig one of New York’s go-to firms for government regulatory advice, budget initiatives and land use matters. Wallace, who’s the co-chair of the firm’s New York office, has been a key voice in zoning reform and represented the city’s top institutions of higher education, including Columbia, NYU and Fordham University. Mascialino, who leads the firm's New York Government Law and Policy Practice, specializes in government procurement and contracting, particularly around the complex request for proposal process and compliance. Bing, a former Assembly member, has helped restaurants manage their liquor licenses after the COVID-19 pandemic and assisted the $330 million expansion of the Frick Collection and $1 billion renovation of David Geffen Hall. He has also counseled a range of clients, including the city’s fashion houses and fast-casual restaurant employers.
40. Erik Bottcher & Christopher Marte
Since his 2021 election, New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher has emerged as a key quality-of-life leader in Manhattan. He has introduced legislation to put time limits on sidewalk scaffolding and prohibit pedicabs near theater entrances. Bottcher opposed a Hudson Yards casino proposal while getting developers to keep plans for new housing units in a deal to rezone Hudson Yards. Bottcher is seen as a likely swing vote on community advisory committees for the Times Square and The Avenir casino bids.
New York City Council Member Christopher Marte’s primary race encapsulated a larger citywide battle between pro-development and antidevelopment forces. Marte has sought to protect residents of lower Manhattan from displacement by voting against the City of Yes zoning overhaul and opposing a new Tribeca tower while preserving neighborhood green spaces like the Elizabeth Street Garden in a deal with the Adams administration to provide senior housing elsewhere. He handily defeated two primary opponents in the second round of ranked choice voting earlier this summer.
41. Grace Bonilla
Grace Bonilla is focused on the United Way meeting New Yorkers’ basic needs and providing pathways for economic mobility. Last year, the nonprofit helped distribute 15 million pounds of food, delivered hundreds of thousands of books and 600 hygiene kits, and conducted 5,000 free preventative health screenings. She also led the publication of the True Cost of Living report. But Bonilla worries federal funding cuts could imperil United Way’s efforts to alleviate poverty.
42. Brendan Carr
Brendan Carr knew running Mount Sinai wouldn’t be easy. Two months before he became CEO in November 2023, the health system announced it would close Beth Israel hospital citing low capacity and losses of $1 billion. Community activists fought the decision but lost in court and the East Village facility officially closed in April. Carr has been looking toward the future, launching a new Center for Artificial Intelligence in Children’s Health and opening a multispecialty practice on Staten Island.
43. Elsie Encarnacion, Harvey Epstein & Virginia Maloney
Most New York City Council members are on track to win reelection this fall, but a few seats will be filled by newcomers due to term limits. One of them is Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, who won the pivotal June primary for the seat being vacated by New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera. Epstein is something of an established name, having served in the Assembly since 2018 – and a “Saturday Night Live” skit suggesting voters would confuse him with Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein further boosted his profile. In Albany, he passed legislation that protected tenants, funded public transit and expanded early voting.
A City Council candidate with an even more well-known name is Virginia Maloney, the daughter of former Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Last fall, the Meta product manager announced her bid for City Council Member Keith Powers’ seat and campaigned to create more affordable housing and improve access to health care. Other well-connected candidates raised enormous sums of money, but Maloney got the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council’s endorsement and touted her mother’s congressional legacy. She ultimately won the primary in the fifth round of ranked choice voting with 53% of the vote.
Meanwhile, Elsie Encarnacion won the Democratic primary for the seat that was long occupied by her boss, New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. The establishment-backed contender was one of seven candidates seeking to represent the district, which covers East Harlem and the South Bronx.
44. Jessica Walker
For nearly 10 years, Jessica Walker has advocated for more than 129,000 businesses across the borough and better economic conditions to strengthen them. Walker helped secure changes in discovery laws in the state budget after businesses complained about an increase in retail theft. She has also promoted tourism and touted the potential benefits of a new casino in Manhattan. But her members’ biggest concern may be the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which will increase expenses for restaurants and retailers reliant on foreign goods.
45. Camille Joseph-Goldman & Rodney Capel
Camille Joseph-Goldman and Rodney Capel have brought decades of public sector experience into their roles at Charter Communications. Joseph-Goldman, Charter’s government affairs leader for New York and New England, has sought to connect communities throughout the Northeast to Charter’s broadband and other telecommunications products. An alum of both the offices of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, she also serves on the boards of the National Action Network, Citymeals on Wheels and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and as a trustee to the Citizens Budget Commission. Capel served as senior adviser to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and as executive director of the state Democratic Committee before joining Charter as a vice president of government affairs. He has sought to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that Charter redesigned its deal with New York City to provide free internet to New York City Housing Authority tenants and awarded a $25,000 community grant to the Public Housing Community Fund.
46. William Floyd
As Google embarks on a shift to generative artificial intelligence that will fundamentally alter how we use the internet, William Floyd will help translate those changes to skeptical elected officials. Floyd worked in New York City government for nearly a decade before joining Google in 2012 to manage the region’s external affairs office. Now, he manages a team of 12 from Google’s new $2.1 billion headquarters at St. John’s Terminal and recently celebrated a new cloud deal with the state Office of Information Technology Services.
47. Wellington Chen
Wellington Chen has dedicated his career to ensuring that Chinatown thrives as a residential, commercial and destination neighborhood. The Chinatown Partnership leader has improved lower Manhattan streetscapes and lighting, supported the pedestrianization of Doyers Street and Pell Street, and has overseen events and marketing campaigns, including Weekend Walks and the Mid-Autumn Festival. He co-founded the Chinatown Community Land Trust. Chen is now concerned that President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals could disproportionately affect Asian-owned small businesses.
48. Linda Mills
Linda Mills is transforming New York University and navigating turbulent waters for higher education. She helped the school exceed 120,000 applications for the first time and launched a financial aid initiative offering free tuition to students whose families earn under $100,000. She appointed Juan de Pablo to lead a major science initiative, launched an artificial intelligence initiative with South Korea and opened a study away site in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mills has developed plans in case federal funds are reduced and addressed President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
49. Robert Grossman
Few executives have transformed their medical centers as dramatically as Robert Grossman. Over the past 18 years, he expanded NYU Langone to include seven inpatient and 320 outpatient facilities, helped raise $5.5 billion and offered tuition-free medical school to students. As Grossman prepares to retire in September, he has dealt with President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity programs by removing “trigger words” and gender-affirming care by canceling some appointments for minors before facing a backlash from state leaders who pressured the hospital to resume treatment.
50. Natalia Cineas, Julian John, Georges Leconte & Eric Wei
New York City’s public hospital executives have the enormous responsibility of providing health care that remains accessible and affordable for more than a million New Yorkers who depend on their safety net institutions for clinical and preventative care each year.
Natalia Cineas became the chief nurse executive at NYC Health + Hospitals in 2019, and she has managed more than 9,600 nurses at 80 patient care locations across the city. Her mission hasn’t been an easy one. Cineas has sought to recruit and retain nurses while the industry has weathered an acute workforce shortage and excessive burnout since the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also ensured the city’s public hospitals comply with the state’s safe staffing law, which has been a challenge at hospitals statewide.
Julian John became CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan last year and has sought to make the 150-year-old hospital a welcoming lifeline for East Harlem’s immigrant and working-class families. He celebrated the completion of a new flood wall and stormwater detection system outside the hospital in December, brought in a new chief medical officer and relaunched its Pride Health Center on the ground floor in July.
Georges Leconte has run NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem since 2022. Leconte has launched a state-of-the-art eye surgery service to help people with retina complications and continued programs to diagnose and treat gun violence. He also managed protracted labor negotiations with physicians, who accepted the terms of a deal and ratified it in March.
Eric Wei was named CEO at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in January after William Hicks stepped down after 11 years leading the system’s largest acute care facility. Wei solidified his reputation as a competent manager during times of crisis when he temporarily ran NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. He has since led NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in an infectious disease response drill and was recognized for having one of the best pediatric emergency services in the nation.
51. Bryan Kelly
Since taking on the role of president in 2023, Bryan Kelly has modernized the Hospital for Special Surgery campus in New York City. Under Kelly’s leadership, HSS opened new surgery and outpatient facilities in New Jersey and was recognized as the top U.S. hospital for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report in 2024 and 2025. Last month, Kelly hosted HSS’ 40th Tribute Dinner, which raised $6.5 million for research and patient care. He is also a professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College.
52. Keith Powers & Carlina Rivera
New York City Council Members Keith Powers and Carlina Rivera will be out of office at the end of the year due to term limits, though both have actively sought other elected posts in the recent past. Rivera, a Lower East Side lawmaker known for supporting early childhood education and defending library funding, ran for Congress in 2022 for a seat that was ultimately won by Rep. Dan Goldman. Both Rivera and Powers had also fallen short in their respective campaigns to be council speaker. Powers, an advocate for affordable housing whose district covers parts of the East Side and Midtown, did get to serve as majority leader – until he was unceremoniously removed from the post with the start of the new term last year. This year, he ran unsuccessfully for borough president, and now he’s said to be a potential candidate for an Assembly seat that’s expected to be open next year.
53. Alfred C. Cerullo III
Alfred C. Cerullo III is used to handling crises, but the COVID-19 pandemic may have been the greatest challenge midtown Manhattan experienced. The Grand Central Partnership leader worked with real estate titans to ensure that pedestrians felt safe by providing 24/7 safety patrols, sanitation services and organizing outdoor concerts at Pershing Square Plaza. Last month, Cerullo celebrated the long-awaited completion of Pershing Square Plaza’s reconstruction. He has reimagined the partnership’s horticultural program, tripled the size of the pedestrian counting data program and is working with stakeholders on the redesigns of Fifth Avenue and the Park Avenue medians.
54. Michael Woloz & Danna DeBlasio
Michael Woloz and Danna DeBlasio have invigorated CMW Strategies with their depth of knowledge and experience navigating complex state and city bureaucracies. DeBlasio joined CMW in 2016 after a stint at Patricia Lynch Associates. She was promoted to partner in 2024. She recently helped craft New York City’s outdoor dining legislation, secured legal services funding in the city budget and worked with minority-owned businesses to push for discovery reform legislation in order to combat retail theft. Woloz, who is known as the top taxi lobbyist in the city and one of New York’s leading arts advocates, is celebrating 25 years with CMW. The former Queens resident, who now resides in Manhattan, helped libraries and cultural institutions successfully fight tens of millions of dollars in proposed funding cuts last year and worked to ensure they didn’t face any drastic reductions this year.
55. S. David Wu
Since being appointed president of Baruch College in 2020, S. David Wu has helped make the public college one of the nation’s top institutions for upward mobility. Last year, three-fifths of Baruch students received Pell Grants while the school’s six-year graduation rate ranked above the national average. Wu has since helped launch a transfer agreement with LaGuardia Community College and unveiled an Antisemitism Studies Laboratory to grapple with the root causes of discrimination and global conflict.
56. Elizabeth Smith
Since coming on as the Central Park Conservancy’s president and CEO seven years ago, Elizabeth Smith has made Central Park easier for visitors to navigate without sacrificing any of its natural beauty. Smith led a redesign of the park’s drives that would make pedestrian and bicycle paths consistent throughout its six-mile loop, sought to convert some sidewalks to bike lanes and recommended removing 50 traffic lights. She also spearheaded the addition of several amenities, including pickleball courts at Wollman Rink and the $160 million Davis Center, which includes the new Gottesman Pool that opened in the Harlem Meer in June.
57. James Dolan
James Dolan is on a winning streak, with the success of his $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere and the New York Knicks enjoying their deepest playoff run since 2000. Negotiations over Penn Station’s future renovations will be even more difficult. Dolan has refused to move Madison Square Garden to make way for the hub’s renovations, but some Trump-aligned donors want a classical-inspired terminal while Amtrak wants more space to double its capacity. Dolan does have the ear of First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who has continued to represent Madison Square Garden despite taking the high-profile job at City Hall.
58. Rob Byrnes
Rob Byrnes has been a key player in East Midtown’s turnaround, including in its yearslong rezoning plan that enabled the construction of new skyscrapers and its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which emptied out the neighborhood. The business improvement district leader launched holiday-themed programming for Halloween, Easter and Mardi Gras, drawing record attendance in recent years, as well as a public art exhibit in honor of the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Byrnes also worked with community groups to organize a new coalition to advocate for their concerns and collaborate on programming.
59. Jonathan Durst
For nearly a quarter century, Jonathan Durst has helped his venerable family real estate company expand its portfolio while filling up its star properties, like One Bryant Park and One World Trade Center. He finished the $150 million renovation of 825 Third Ave., which helped revitalize the corridor, and recently welcomed Macerich and Edward Jones as new tenants. This year, Durst welcomed new residents to Halletts Point in Astoria, which started leasing 647 units in January, and launched its affordable housing lottery two months later.
60. George Fontas
George Fontas founded Fontas Advisors in 2017 with a mission of providing lobbying, land use and community relations services to tech and corporate clients throughout the Northeast. Last year, Fontas worked with Homeowners for an Affordable New York to lobby the mayor’s office on a campaign opposing “good cause” eviction legislation. As chair of Plus Pool, he secured new funding for a floating swimming pool near Pier 35 that began construction this summer and is expected to open in 2027. Now, he’ll have an influx of new business, as his former employer Capalino is closing up shop and sending their clients his way.
61. Winston Fisher
Fisher Brothers has been investing in New York for 110 years and Winston Fisher helped steer the family-owned firm into the 21st century. Earlier this year, Fisher secured a $500 million refinancing for 299 Park Ave. and welcomed Canyon Partners to 1345 Sixth Ave. But likely the company’s biggest recent deal was with Blackstone, which acquired a 46% stake in Fisher’s $1.4 billion 1345 Sixth Ave. tower as Fisher’s firm increased its majority ownership stake too. Fisher is a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board member.
62. Ethan Geto
Since co-founding Geto & de Milly in 1980, Ethan Geto has leveraged his experience in multiple levels of government to help clients manage strategic campaigns and respond to unexpected crises. Geto advised developers who supported Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood rezoning and worked with the New York Housing Conference to ensure the City of Yes’ passage last year. Soccer fans can also thank Geto for helping the New York City Football Club break ground on a Willets Point stadium in Queens. He secured funding for the American LGBTQ+ Museum at The New York Historical.
63. Dan Biederman
Dan Biederman’s work beautifying Bryant Park and revitalizing 34th Street has helped the area recover swiftly from the pandemic as tourists and office workers returned in droves. The influential business leader has made Midtown even more livable by creating pedestrian plazas along Broadway, publicly urging the removal of sidewalk sheds and pushing city officials to open the 34th Street busway – which is advancing after City Hall unpaused it. Biederman also declined to renew the Bryant Park Grill’s long-term lease and evicted the restaurant in favor of a Jean-Georges eatery.
64. Bradley Tusk
Bradley Tusk has always been ahead of the curve. He changed his venture capital business model when he decided to give startups advice instead of cash. When Zohran Mamdani won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, Tusk argued that business leaders should help him succeed and wrote about how he would win the general election. Tusk has led a campaign for mobile voting in all elections while his family foundation has lobbied to pass a ban on broker fees and reforming scaffolding requirements. And he opened P&T Knitwear, which has become a stalwart on the Lower East Side.
65. Mike Morey
In June, Mike Morey was named the first president of SKDK, where he has lent his crisis communications expertise to clients for years. The seasoned political strategist has advised former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and her organization Win, New York City’s largest family shelter provider, as it campaigned for housing vouchers and rental assistance. He has also worked with clients Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Good Shepherd Services. Morey will strive to continue growing SKDK and ensure the firm works cohesively with Sloane & Company and Jasper Advisor within Stagwell’s network.
66. Nancy Cantor
Nancy Cantor had big shoes to fill when she replaced longtime Hunter College President Jennifer Raab last year. In her first year, the former Rutgers University-Newark leader helped secure $35 million in HVAC upgrades for Thomas Hunter Hall, held conferences about the role of universities in community-building and backed a hydroponic farm at Hunter’s elementary school. Cantor also navigated a controversy among students, faculty and Gov. Kathy Hochul over a job posting for a Palestinian studies professor. Cantor has also led Syracuse University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
67. Seth Pinsky
Providing a platform for civil conversation seems harder than ever in our politicized environment, but Seth Pinsky believes it’s still worth trying. The 92NY CEO led a rebrand and $200 million restoration of the famed Upper East Side cultural center ahead of a series of performances for its 150th anniversary celebration, including the modernization of the Arnhold Center and Buttenwieser Hall. Pinsky has revamped the forum’s programming with political guests, innovative dance performances and a new discussion series on current events. He expanded the 92Y’s digital capabilities to continue growth of the organization’s global reach.
68. Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt isn’t shy about calling out discrimination wherever it festers. The Anti-Defamation League head called antisemitism a national emergency on CNBC after noting an increase in violence last year. He also warned about the rise of antisemitic incidents on college campuses, and criticized the nation’s largest teachers union for attempting to boycott the ADL over the Israel-Hamas war. He has created the Center for Technology and Society to fight online hate, the Sports Leadership Council to address bigotry and discrimination in sports and the Campus Antisemitism Report Card.
69. Tom Harris
Times Square at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic sometimes felt like that scene in “Vanilla Sky,” but Tom Harris helped the “Crossroads of the World” bounce back by working with Mayor Eric Adams and the Sheriff’s Office to crack down on pedicab violations, counterfeit vendors, illegal cannabis shops and excessive litter. Harris worked with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and business leaders to make sure discovery reform and mental health intervention laws were included in the state budget.
70. Eva Moskowitz
With a network of 57 schools and more than 22,000 students under her auspices, the Success Academy Charter Schools CEO Eva Moskowitz is the city’s leading proponent of school choice. However, the former New York City Council Education Committee chair continues to have a frosty relationship with the education establishment. She told a congressional education subcommittee that teachers unions are holding back charter schools and compared them to former Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s antidesegregation actions back in 1963. She has called on Congress to pass a $5 billion charter school tax credit and expanded her network into Florida.
71. Mariko Silver, Shanta Thake & Leah Johnson
Mariko Silver was appointed Lincoln Center’s 12th president and CEO in September 2024 after leading the Henry Luce Foundation and serving as Bennington College’s president. Silver is leading Lincoln Center’s $335 million plan to reimagine the western side of its campus by renovating Damrosch Park with a new amphitheater and removing its wall on Amsterdam Avenue by 2028. She also secured a $50 million donation, the single largest programming gift in Lincoln Center history to create the Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance.
Shanta Thake joined Lincoln Center as its chief artistic officer in 2021 and has made the arts hub more inclusive through new festivals including globalFest in January and the Summer for the City festival from June through August. This summer, she brought the American Modern Opera Company to Lincoln Center and established the artist-in-residence program.
Leah Johnson first traveled to Lincoln Center as a child and took pictures of its fountain. When she joined as executive vice president in 2019, she sought to expand the public’s access to its arts institutions with a choose-what-you-pay program and helped plan the “Legacies of San Juan Hill” exhibition series showcasing the residents displaced by Lincoln Center’s development.
72. Joyce Leveston
The convention center business has faced difficult headwinds since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Joyce Leveston has sought to make Javits Center an appealing attraction for the nation’s most prestigious conferences and trade shows. Leveston came aboard as Javits’ first woman CEO in March after stints with convention centers in Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston, San Diego and Miami Beach. She sent out an employee pulse survey to get feedback and recently led a reorganization with new positions. Javits has since hosted the Fancy Food Show, International Auto Show and IBEW Local 3’s 125th anniversary.
73. Arthur Aidala
Arthur Aidala has defended his fair share of well-known New Yorkers, but his association with MAGA figures like Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon brought him a new level of fame and an audience with President Donald Trump. Last year, the trial attorney was being considered to become U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York and has since defended Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations and moves to reform the U.S. Department of Justice on CNN. This spring, Aidala defended Harvey Weinstein in his sex crimes retrial which ended in a split verdict.
74. Raju Mann
When Raju Mann took on the role of leading the Battery Park City Authority in 2023, he was well-acquainted with the area’s climate challenges. Mann, who previously served as the New York City Council’s land use director, has started to implement the BPCA’s resiliency plan, including the reconstruction of Wagner Park and new flood protection measures. The public benefit corporation’s biggest step will be the $1.5 billion plan to build an 8-foot-high flood wall along the esplanade.
75. Angela Pinsky
Angela Pinsky joined Amazon in April to run its community engagement efforts in several states after serving in a similar government affairs role at Google for five years. The former Association for a Better New York executive director has focused on technology policy and economic development as the global e-commerce company delves into artificial intelligence and expands its Manhattan footprint, most recently, by leasing eight floors of office space at 10 Bryant Park. Pinsky also serves as a board member for Regional Plan Association, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and Building Energy Exchange.
76. Michael Hershman
Michael Hershman has placed his bets for the largest undeveloped lot in Manhattan. The Soloviev Group CEO has submitted his bid with Mohegan for an $11 billion casino complex just south of the United Nations Headquarters that includes more than 1,000 housing units, two hotel towers, retail and a park. Hershman reduced the number of units and scrapped a showy Ferris wheel but kept a democracy museum in the plan. In May, Soloviev launched an immersive public art installation on the 6.7-acre site celebrating American history ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday.
77. Joel Towers
Joel Towers has sought to stabilize The New School after the downtown university cycled through three presidents in five years. Towers, who served as Parsons School of Design’s executive dean, was appointed in August 2024 after establishing new graduate and undergraduate programs and creating the Making Center workspace. Towers has since raised $32 million to support research, including an $8 million grant for the Tishman Environment and Design Center.
78. David Picket
Since joining Gotham Organization in 1991, David Picket helped his family’s real estate firm develop more than 5,000 housing units and 1.7 million square feet of retail space to meet generations of New Yorkers’ needs. This year, he completed The Maybury, a 46-story luxury tower in Hudson Yards adding to Gotham’s portfolio. Work also began this month on the first phase of Innovative Urban Village in East New York, Brooklyn, with the Christian Cultural Center and Monadnock Development, bringing 385 affordable apartments to the area.
79. Ralph Bumbaca
Ralph Bumbaca’s long track record in the world of regional banking made him a shoo-in to lead TD Bank’s New York market. The bank promoted Bumbaca in December, giving him the responsibility of overseeing 310 branches and banking hubs across the metropolitan area. Bumbaca is an active community leader, enhancing the bank’s community relations involvement with a focus on small-business economic growth. He serves on a number of boards, including the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
80. Anthony Munroe
Anthony Munroe joined the Borough of Manhattan Community College just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. On his watch, BMCC has increased the types of opportunities available for his undergraduates. Munroe recently collaborated with the Council on International Educational Exchange and joined the Transfer Scholars Network to expand study abroad programs and joined the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to offer a degree-granting program to incarcerated students at Otisville Correctional Facility. This year, Munroe reached an agreement with Morehouse College allowing BMCC students to transfer to the Atlanta campus.
81. John Catsimatidis
Billionaire businessperson John Catsimatidis is so disgusted with Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s vision – particularly with his plans for city-run grocery stores – that he threatened to close his Gristedes grocery stores and possibly even uproot his company, Red Apple Group, to New Jersey if voters elect Mamdani. He also said Mamdani would turn New York into Havana with his public grocery store proposal if he ultimately wins. The radio host and conservative pundit encouraged fellow billionaires to support Mayor Eric Adams in the general election and hosted a Southampton event featuring former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
82. Jonathan Boulware
Jonathan Boulware has grown the South Street Seaport as a lively tourist destination and transportation hub with his museum as its centerpiece. The licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain joined the museum 14 years ago and has since grown the museum’s capacity, secured $50 million in capital funding from the Howard Hughes Corp. and the city, and restored the museum’s fleet of ships. Last fall, Boulware helped rededicate the A.A. Thomson & Co. warehouse, which opened with an inaugural exhibition featuring a model of the Queen Mary in March.
83. Madelyn Wils & Edward Pincar Jr.
Madelyn Wils’ Fifth Avenue Association has teamed up with New York City on the Future of Fifth project, a $400 million reconstruction of Fifth Avenue from Central Park to Bryant Park. Wils also leads the business improvement district’s efforts to market and improve security in the neighborhood. She was previously president of the Hudson River Park Trust and an executive vice president at the New York City Economic Development Corp. Earlier this year, the association brought on Edward Pincar Jr. as its president. Pincar was most recently the Manhattan borough commissioner for the New York City Department of Transportation, and he will bring his expertise to the Future of Fifth project.
84. Samara Karasyk
Samara Karasyk has made Hudson Square one of Manhattan’s most appealing areas. She joined the neighborhood’s business improvement district in 2021 and has helped reinvent the area, enhancing it with more open space, improved street safety for pedestrians and cyclists, planting 500 new trees and public art, including a recent collaboration with NASA for two space-themed murals. Karasyk supported congestion pricing, arguing it would improve air quality downtown. ABC recently moved its studios to the neighborhood.
85. Phillip Jackson
Trinity Church may be one of the richest Episcopal parishes in the United States, but it struggled to retain members even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rev. Phillip Jackson, who was named the church’s 19th rector in 2022, is working to turn that around by offering an array of programs at its Financial District community space, Trinity Commons. The church has given $370 million to nonprofit organizations since 2019. The church’s wide portfolio of community service programs includes services for asylum-seekers.
86. Milton Tingling
When Milton Tingling came aboard Manhattan’s county clerk office a decade ago succeeding Norman Goodman, the court was in the midst of an intensive transition from paper to electronic filing. Tingling, the first Black county clerk in Manhattan history, overhauled the office’s long-held practices during the shift and sought to make records more accessible to the public. As board chair of the West Harlem Development Corp., he is an Upper Manhattan economic leader where he has overseen the creation of arts programs and a popular night market.
87. Jonathan Andrechik
Jonathan Andrechik is the eyes and ears of New York Harbor and the Hudson River, where over 10,000 vessels travel through each year. The Coast Guard officer was promoted to port captain in a change-of-command ceremony in 2024 and has set about making New York’s ports more resilient from cyberattacks and superstorms. Andrechik also rescues boaters in choppy waters, and in February, led an expedition 842 square miles of the harbor for a missing person when a boat capsized off Staten Island.
88. Karol Mason
Karol Mason was a slightly unconventional pick when CUNY recruited her to run the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2017. But the former assistant U.S. attorney general has helped bolster the CUNY school’s research portfolio and criminal justice scholarship, which was recognized this year by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Mason has frequently hosted elected officials for public policy discussions, and in May, John Jay organized the Crossroads Convening, a two-day event addressing New York’s public safety challenges and innovative crime prevention solutions.
89. Gregory J. Morris
Gregory J. Morris joined the New York City Employment and Training Coalition in 2022 and has become one of the city’s chief workforce development leaders, making sure the issue is at the center of every economic conversation. Morris oversaw the release of NYCETC’s 10-point policy platform calling for more investment in workforce programs, increased employer partnerships and coordination across the citywide workforce development ecosystem. The coalition also issued reports on workforce funding and the tech economy. He hosted a major workforce conference last year that attracted top city leaders and launched a workforce podcast.
90. Rosemonde Pierre-Louis
Three years ago, New York University promoted Rosemonde Pierre-Louis to lead the McSilver Institute with a mission of understanding and rectifying the root causes of systemic poverty. The former Manhattan deputy borough president has made improving Black maternal health a focus by holding forums to spark policy changes. Pierre-Louis has also served as an executive board member of the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting and co-chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Authority panel on fare evasion reduction solutions.
91. Julie Stein
Union Square has historically been a pivotal place for political activism, and Julie Stein has worked in recent years to make the area a vibrant place to work and live. After joining the Union Square Partnership in 2023, Stein reenvisioned the neighborhood to add more space for cyclists and pedestrians with the removal of car traffic along Union Square West and construction of a new plaza with two-way bike paths on Broadway. A wave of buzzy restaurant and hotel openings has revitalized the area, on top of which Stein introduced free pickleball, outdoor movies and a comedy festival this summer.
92. Barbara Blair
Barbara Blair wants to ensure young fashion designers can continue to work in Garment District showrooms to launch their careers. She has sought to protect the nation’s greatest concentration of manufacturers as designers in the historic fashion center face displacement – assuming the full City Council approves the Adams administration’s Midtown South rezoning plan, which could see manufacturing buildings get demolished. Blair has also called for bolstered involuntary commitment laws to help homeless individuals get treatment.
93. Kiersten Barnet
After spending 15 years at Bloomberg, Kiersten Barnet joined the New York Jobs CEO Council in 2022 with a mission to hire 100,000 low-income New Yorkers by the end of the decade. Barnet’s nonprofit, which primarily works to connect CUNY students to the corporate world, reached 40,000 hires in 2023 and got halfway to its goal last year. Barnet has longer-term goals for her organization, including curriculum reviews and “earn and learn” programs for students.
94. Kyle Ishmael
After leading the state Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus, Kyle Ishmael co-founded Back Chamber Consulting in 2022 to help more candidates of color win higher office. So far, he has counted New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam and Assembly Members Jordan Wright and Khaleel Anderson among his successes. Ishmael has also supported various legislative initiatives, including the Uncap Justice Act and SAFE for Kids Act and defended Keith Wright in his power struggle with Rep. Adriano Espaillat in his role as the Manhattan Democratic Party’s executive director.
95. Andrea Catsimatidis
Andrea Catsimatidis has kept a somewhat lower profile than her father, the business executive and political donor John Catsimatidis, though she holds sway in conservative and MAGA circles as chair and CEO of the Manhattan Republican Party. The younger Catsimatidis was on hand at Mar-a-Lago when Donald Trump was elected president last year. In Manhattan, she has advised GOP candidates and managed the party’s endorsement process. She also made headlines last year for ending a romance with Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe.
96. Marc Landis
In April, the New York City Council appointed longtime politico Marc Landis to the city Board of Elections as Manhattan’s Democratic elections commissioner. This fall, Landis will celebrate two decades at Phillips Nizer, where he co-chairs the firm’s Real Estate and Israel practices. The former City Council candidate and longtime real estate attorney has also served as a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He is chairing a task force for the Union for Reform Judaism to develop a toolkit to combat antisemitism.
97. John Rhodes
Lt. Col. John Rockland “Rocky” Rhodes has reimagined the U.S. Army’s relationship with New Yorkers. As the New York City Recruiting Battalion commander – he just completed his two-year term in July – Rhodes’ locally focused strategic vision led the battalion to become one of the most successful in America. He positioned the Army as a community, educational and economic partner, led the Army’s 250th birthday celebrations citywide and oversaw the redesign of the Times Square recruiting station. Rhodes, a decorated infantry officer, is headed to West Point to shape the Army’s next generation.
98. James Mettham
James Mettham joined the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, a Manhattan business improvement district, in 2019 with the intention to expand the business improvement district and double its programming. Soon he was steering the neighborhood’s revival in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mettham supported several mixed-use projects that have spurred the neighborhood’s growth and welcomed 70 new businesses in 2024. The organization’s Portal installation certainly got attention too: The 24/7 livestream drew tens of thousands of visitors in less than a week.
99. Laura Rosenbury
Laura Rosenbury joined Barnard College when the school was at a crossroads. The feminist legal theorist has sought to maintain a safe campus which exploded after the Israel-Hamas war and unrest from faculty who passed a no-confidence vote in April 2024. When pro-Palestinian demonstrators organized a sit-in in Barnard’s library in February and March, Rosenbury called the police and expelled three students, arguing the protest caused $30,000 in damages. Then, in July, Rosenbury announced 77 staff layoffs amid a debt crisis that ballooned to a projected $252 million.
100. Claire Shipman
Reporting from the 1991 Soviet coup may have prepared Claire Shipman for tough situations, but nothing could prepare her to become Columbia University’s third leader in under a year. Shipman took over the beleaguered university in March and hasn’t left the hot seat yet. After the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal grants, Shipman negotiated a deal in July to restore funding by paying $220 million to resolve allegations Columbia failed to protect Jewish students. Shipman said the settlement aligned with the school’s values, but the decision was met with criticisms.
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