Power Lists
The 2026 Manhattan Power 100
The borough’s evolving hierarchy in a time of disruption
City & State presents the 2026 Manhattan Power 100. Ayman Siam; William Alatriste, NYC Council Media Unit; The Campaign
Manhattan’s status quo is under threat, and not just because of a far-left mayor from Queens who’s making himself at home in Gracie Mansion. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, an Upper East Sider, hasn’t pulled any punches since assuming the leadership post at the start of the year. Three members of Congress representing parts of Manhattan – Reps. Jerry Nadler, Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman – are heading for the exits, with a trio of politicians lined up to succeed them. Meanwhile, there’s a new U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York, a new leader of the Partnership for New York City and a new president of Columbia University – and it’s an open question what each one will make of their new job.
But that’s a question for 2027. As for now, we have an updated ranking of the Manhattanites who are true power brokers in New York City and state politics and government. City & State’s latest Manhattan Power 100, written and researched in partnership with journalist Aaron Short, sheds light on the biggest players across the borough.
1. Julie Menin
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin has positioned herself as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s leading foil in government. After securing support for the speakership in November, the Upper East Side politician passed legislation to curb emergency contracts, scrutinized questionable education spending and secured funding to expand the city’s Fair Fares and housing voucher programs in the city budget. She continues to advocate for her district, advancing measures to revive year-round outdoor dining and ban horse carriages in Central Park. Now, Menin is demanding answers from City Hall over a Legionnaires’ outbreak on the Upper East Side.
2. Mark Levine
Mark Levine gained trust from Manhattanites by posting coronavirus updates during the pandemic and proposing solutions to the housing shortage as their borough president. Now, he has much broader responsibilities as New York City comptroller. He revealed in January that the city faced a $12.6 billion budget gap before revising that figure to $7.3 billion in March. He also called on a charter revision commission to clarify the rules around the city’s rainy day fund. Levine has also investigated the city’s approval process for outdoor dining setups and audited no-bid migrant shelter contracts.
3. Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s legislative record in Albany championing LGBTQ+ rights and strengthening tenant protections helped him comfortably win last summer’s Democratic borough president primary. Now, Hoylman-Sigal is focused on addressing the housing crisis, approving more than 1,400 new housing units and creating a Manhattan-wide tenants union. This summer, he announced he would direct his $50 million discretionary budget to museums and other cultural initiatives in response to the Trump administration’s threats to cut arts funding. And he joined Rep. Jerry Nadler to demand more transparency in the president’s Penn Station reconstruction plans.
4. Alvin Bragg
Alvin Bragg did not make his historic fraud prosecution of Donald Trump a centerpiece of his district attorney reelection campaign last year, but voters certainly remembered. The Manhattan prosecutor easily dispatched his primary challenger before overwhelming two opponents with three-quarters of the vote in November. Bragg’s allocation of resources toward reducing gun violence and recidivism has contributed to a steep drop in murders and shootings in the borough since 2021. He also scored several legislative wins in Albany, securing new restrictions for ghost guns and bolstering protections against tenant harassment.
5. Liz Krueger
State Sen. Liz Krueger’s institutional memory in the state Senate Democratic conference is newly important as the deputy majority leader announced his departure. The Senate Finance Committee chair, who represents Manhattan’s East Side, steered the state’s protracted budget process despite suffering a mild stroke in April (don’t worry, she’s bouncing back) before the budget was finally adopted in late May. In the midst of negotiations, Krueger got lawmakers in both houses to pass her SUNNY Act, which would legalize small plug-in solar panels to help households lower their energy bills.
6. Micah Lasher
Assembly Member Micah Lasher’s congressional campaign didn’t score an endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but Lasher relied on Morris Katz, one of the mayor’s key strategists, to win the country’s second-most expensive House primary ever. The West Side lawmaker did snag endorsements from his former bosses, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Lasher’s unassuming nature, long track record and slew of establishment endorsements won over enough voters to defeat Assembly Member Alex Bores and several other opponents. Now, Lasher hopes to bring a little of his magic to Congress.
7. Erik Bottcher, Cordell Cleare, Kristen Gonzalez, Robert Jackson & José M. Serrano
State Sen. Robert Jackson first made a name for himself as an advocate for equitable public school funding, and the Upper Manhattan lawmaker has continued to fight for education investments in Albany, recently securing an $860 million increase for New York City schools. He now chairs the Civil Service and Pensions Committee, which played a role in passing major pension reforms this year. He endorsed Zohran Mamdani, a fellow Muslim, in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary last year.
State Sen. Cordell Cleare of Harlem chairs the Committee on Aging. Cleare was ranked as a top 10 Senate Democrat in Albany in 2025 by The Center for Effective Lawmaking, based on the substance of her bills and how far they advanced. This year, she sponsored Karilyn’s Law, which would make it easier for friends and relatives to visit individuals under guardianship, if it’s signed by the governor.
State Sen. Erik Bottcher made a savvy move late last year when he exited a crowded congressional primary to seek the state legislative seat being vacated by Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Bottcher won easily, jumping from the New York City Council to a state Senate district covering the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea and parts of Greenwich Village. The state Senate Cities 1 Committee chair helped pass Francesco’s Law, a safety measure that would strengthen firearm storage requirements.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez is straddling several divides. Geographically, her district covers parts of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. Ideologically, she is a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America but has also earned the trust of the Democratic establishment in Albany. And she is the rare state lawmaker in Albany to chair two full committees, Elections as well as Internet and Technology. She has passed legislation targeting artificial intelligence and recently helped build support for a statewide data center moratorium.
State Sen. José M. Serrano, who represents the South Bronx and East Harlem, chairs the Senate Democrats’ Majority Conference and the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Serrano, who was first elected over two decades ago, is a champion of green spaces, affordable housing, and arts and culture.
8. Jessica Tisch & Merryl Tisch
The Tisches enjoy an outsized presence in Manhattan, with their family-run Loews Corp., an insurance, energy, hospitality and packaging conglomerate, headquartered on West 57th Street. Last year, Ben Tisch became the company’s third-generation president and CEO, and his father, James Tisch, chairs the board. But it’s the women in the family who have fully embraced public service. Jessica Tisch, Ben Tisch’s sister, is one of the most powerful public officials in New York City in her role as police commissioner. An Adams administration holdover, Jessica Tisch enjoys the backing of the business community and has helped Mayor Zohran Mamdani reassure some critics wary of his socialist ideology. Jessica Tisch’s mother is Merryl Tisch, who has chaired the SUNY board since 2019. The statewide higher education system has a presence in Manhattan, with the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies based in the borough. James and Merryl Tisch also helped fund the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center and a director of branch libraries and education position at the New York Public Library.
9. Darializa Avila Chevalier & Brad Lander
Two years ago, Darializa Avila Chevalier helped organize a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University. The CUNY doctoral student and DSA member was motivated to run for Congress after seeing how little effort Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s office put toward freeing pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. After gaining traction in the polls, Avila Chevalier received Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement in May before toppling Espaillat by nearly 4 points in a major primary upset. Starting next year, the Afro-Latina organizer will represent the Ivy League school where she spearheaded Gaza solidarity protests.
A third-place finish in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary would have disappointed most politicians, but Brad Lander embraced his role defeating Andrew Cuomo by cross-endorsing Zohran Mamdani and consolidating the progressive vote. The former city comptroller eyed a role in the Mamdani administration, but instead mounted a challenge to Rep. Dan Goldman, who represents a district straddling Brooklyn and Manhattan. Lander declared his candidacy in December, immediately earning Mamdani’s endorsement. Lander’s pointed criticisms of the Israeli government, in contrast to Goldman’s defense of the country, proved to be a key issue for voters who supported Lander by a 2-to-1 margin in the June primary.
10. Al Sharpton
The Rev. Al Sharpton has enjoyed his position as a Democratic Party kingmaker, welcoming nine prospective presidential candidates to his National Action Network conference in April. But the civil rights leader regularly meets with local candidates too. Last summer, he hosted an event with Zohran Mamdani after the mayoral primary, called on Andrew Cuomo to drop out, then facilitated a Hakeem Jeffries endorsement of Mamdani. This year, Sharpton had breakfast with Jack Schlossberg at The Regency and invited Darializa Avila Chevalier and Rep. Adriano Espaillat to address voters at a Harlem church in June.
11. Jerry Nadler
Last fall, Rep. Jerry Nadler made the difficult decision to retire after 34 years in Congress, citing a need for generational change in the Democratic Party. The Upper West Side institution endorsed Assembly Member Micah Lasher in February and then helped ensure his former aide would edge out several strong rivals in the pivotal Democratic primary. In the past few months, Nadler has sought to stand up to President Donald Trump, demanding more scrutiny over Amtrak’s Penn Station renovation plans and introducing a bill to block the president from putting his name on federal buildings.
12. Shaun Abreu
New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu built a reputation as an innovative public figure, initiating pilot programs on trash containerization and rat contraceptives to improve constituents’ quality of life. So it was no surprise that after he decisively won reelection, Council Speaker Julie Menin selected the West Harlem lawmaker to lead the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January. Abreu, who’s also in a key leadership role as majority leader, has continued an aggressive approach to making streets cleaner and safer by opposing criminal summonses for e-bikes, expanding Fair Fares and supporting legislation to ban horse carriages.
13. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez & William C. Thompson Jr.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and William C. Thompson Jr. have made the City University of New York one of the nation’s best deals in higher education at a time when college costs are spiraling out of control. Matos Rodríguez has helped revitalize CUNY, increasing its enrollment over the previous year for the third year in a row. Last fall, the chancellor unveiled CUNY Beyond, a universitywide career preparation program that will help 180,000 students receive a job offer or acceptance letter upon graduation. He is also overseeing CUNY’s redevelopment project turning Hunter College’s Kips Bay campus into SPARC Kips Bay, an academic, healthcare and commercial life sciences space.
For the past decade, Thompson has shepherded the city’s public university system, hired key leaders and shaped its strategic vision. He has presided over the school’s steadily rising enrollment in recent years, crediting the governor’s Reconnect program at community colleges for driving growth. Thompson helped secure a $6.7 billion investment in the CUNY system in the latest state budget. Thompson, a former New York City comptroller, also weighs in on the city’s finances as a member of the state Financial Control Board.
14. Keith Wright
Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith Wright knew this year would be challenging for incumbents during a period of anti-incumbent fervor. Wright went so far as to signal a thawing of his cold war with his longtime foe, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, with Wright’s son, Assembly Member Jordan Wright, attending an event with Espaillat. Espaillat couldn’t stop his left-wing challenger, but Wright’s son was one of few sitting legislators to defeat a DSA opponent this cycle. Keith Wright also runs the consulting firm Wright Strategies.
15. James McDonald
The Southern District of New York may no longer be known as the “Sovereign District” in the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys, but being appointed the top prosecutor of the U.S. Department of Justice outpost still confers plenty of power and prestige. In July, James McDonald rejoined the office as deputy U.S. attorney under Jay Clayton, and shortly afterward was appointed U.S. attorney by federal judges when Clayton was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence. McDonald, a former partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, represented Trump during his appeal of his criminal conviction.
16. Linda Rosenthal & Rebecca Seawright
Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal opted not to run for the seats opened up by Rep. Jerry Nadler, her former boss who’s retiring, or former state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, an ally who’s now the Manhattan borough president. Instead, the Upper West Side representative is staying put in the Assembly, where she has driven affordable housing policy as chair of the Housing Committee. The prolific lawmaker authored several major bills this session, including a ban on 3D-printed guns, a prohibition on shackling pregnant and postpartum women in the custody of law enforcement and a health data privacy measure.
Upper East Side Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright was a lead sponsor of New York’s Equal Rights Amendment, which was approved in 2024. This year, the Committee on Aging chair has taken aim at elder abuse and fraud, and she has championed legislation raising the income eligibility threshold for Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption and Disability Rent Increase Exemption programs.
17. Grace Lee
Assembly Member Grace Lee is poised to move to the state Senate after trouncing former Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou in the June Democratic primary for outgoing state Sen. Brian Kavanagh’s seat. In 2023, Lee made history when she became the first Korean American woman to serve in the state Legislature. The lower Manhattan lawmaker led the Asian Pacific American Task Force, launched the first Asian American and Pacific Islander Summit and served as co-chair of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. Lee’s bill to improve how schools teach AAPI history was signed into law last year.
18. Gale Brewer, Carmen De La Rosa & Yusef Salaam
New York City Council Member Gale Brewer has a good sense of how government works, thanks to her two stints serving in the city’s legislative body and two terms as Manhattan borough president. The Upper West Side legislator, who also has ample experience as a government staffer, now chairs the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation. She has plenty on her plate, from composting and cannabis enforcement to affordable housing and micromobility safety. She also secured funding for investigating what city government knew about toxins from the 9/11 attacks.
New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, a Dominican American politician representing Inwood and Washington Heights, has held her seat since 2022, when she moved over from the Assembly. The former Civil Service and Labor Committee chair recently passed a measure providing bonuses of up to $10,000 to school paraprofessionals, although the Mamdani administration has sued to block it on the grounds that it circumvents collective bargaining. She also sponsored the union-backed Construction Justice Act, which passed last year. Her political patron, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, recently lost his congressional primary.
New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam won a seat representing Central Harlem in 2023, completing a remarkable story arc for one of the “Central Park Five” who was wrongly convicted of raping and beating a jogger as a teenager and later exonerated. Salaam, a protégé of Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith Wright, ran unopposed for reelection last year, and now chairs the Committee to Combat Hate.
19. Andy Byford
When U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy announced in May 2025 that Andy Byford would oversee Penn Station’s renovation, expectations were high that the former New York City Transit leader would deliver the long-awaited overhaul. A year later, Byford named Halmar and Skanska as master developers and unveiled plans for the $8 billion redesign that will move the station’s main entrance to Eighth Avenue and create a single-level concourse while keeping Madison Square Garden in place. Byford also signaled he was open to through-running trains between New Jersey and Long Island, unifying the region’s railroad systems.
20. Jeff Blau
Few people have created an entirely new neighborhood, but Jeff Blau is one of them. The Related Companies executive spearheaded the Hudson Yards megadevelopment on Manhattan’s West Side. Blau also expanded Related’s luxury office portfolio with 70 Hudson Yards, anchored by Deloitte, and 625 Madison Ave. Elsewhere in the borough, Related is partnering on a major redevelopment of the New York City Housing Authority’s Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses. Last year, Related reached a deal with City Hall to finance a $2 billion platform over the Far West Side rail yard, but the current administration may not prioritize it.
21. James Whelan
James Whelan pledged to work with Zohran Mamdani to address the housing shortage last September after he won the Democratic mayoral primary. The president of the 14,000-member Real Estate Board of New York found common ground with Mamdani over upzoning neighborhoods to allow for more housing density, expanding low-income rental vouchers and staffing up city agencies. But Whelan could not convince the mayor that a rent freeze could make housing less affordable or that a pied-à-terre tax could weaken the economy. Whelan previously helped drive lower Manhattan’s recovery post-9/11 as a City Hall aide and ran the Hudson Yards Coalition.
22. Anthony Marx
Anthony Marx was thrilled when Zohran Mamdani pledged last year to end the annual library budget dance after the Adams administration repeatedly sought steep spending reductions. In February, the mayor’s preliminary budget proposed a $29 million cut to the city’s three systems, but Marx reminded the mayor to keep his campaign promise to set aside 0.5% of the city’s budget for libraries. By May, Mamdani had restored funding to libraries, although it accounted for only 0.42% of the budget. Marx meanwhile is exploring ways to add affordable housing above branches needing renovations.
23. Suri Kasirer
Suri Kasirer has been recognized as New York City’s top lobbyist during the past decade thanks to her relentless advocacy on behalf of her clients. Over the past year, her firm helped more than 50 nonprofits secure nearly $100 million, and it also worked with Northwell Health to win New York City Council approval of its $2 billion plan to modernize Lenox Hill Hospital. Kasirer also helped Louis Vuitton to obtain approvals to renovate its Fifth Avenue flagship store and represented the New York Historical in getting city approval for its $175 million Tang Wing expansion.
24. Bradley Tusk
Bradley Tusk is a man of many talents, including venture capitalist, political operative, philanthropist, podcaster and independent bookstore owner. The Tusk Strategies founder led a campaign called Solving Hunger to enact universal school meals statewide, helped pass the FARE Act to ban broker fees and worked with the New York City Council to reduce scaffolding. Tusk also invests in tech startups as well as technology that would enable smartphone voting. And he still finds time to write columns for the Daily News and offer advice to investors on CNBC and Fox Business.
25. Adriano Espaillat & Dan Goldman
Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Dan Goldman were toppled in June amid an anti-incumbent wave driven by voter dissatisfaction with the status quo. Espaillat had endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor once Mamdani won the Democratic primary, then sought Mamdani’s support for his reelection campaign. But the mayor backed Darializa Avila Chevalier, a political neophyte, instead of the five-term lawmaker after observing her gain momentum. Espaillat secured endorsements from much of the political establishment, visited a Newark immigration detention facility and campaigned extensively in Harlem. But it wasn’t enough to prevent the state’s biggest congressional primary upset since Joe Crowley lost to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.
Goldman was a prominent Donald Trump critic and a leading liberal Jewish voice in Congress. But his refusal to endorse Mamdani after he won the primary and his pro-Israel stance made him a top target among the mayor’s allies, who consolidated support behind Brad Lander. Goldman touted his lawsuit forcing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to grant access to its facilities, but acknowledged his views on Israel did not match the electorate. Goldman lost by more than 30 points, and he has continued speaking out against antisemitism.
26. Christine Quinn
Christine Quinn has been fighting for more resources to help New York’s most vulnerable residents. Last year, she urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to backfill funding for food assistance for 3 million New Yorkers after the Trump administration cut SNAP benefits. Quinn also called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to expand CityFHEPS, New York City’s housing voucher program, and defend New Yorkers’ right to shelter. When Mamdani reversed his stance on CityFHEPS, Quinn called the move a “betrayal” – then kept up pressure for more funding before praising a final budget deal that added $175 million for rental assistance.
27. Marc Holliday
Marc Holliday had dreams of building a $5.4 billion casino in Times Square, but a key advisory committee voted down the project last September. Meanwhile, Holliday still presides over New York City’s largest portfolio of commercial properties. He’s also behind the 750 Third Ave. office-to-residential conversion, with more than 650 units, and a new office tower at 346 Madison Ave. The rest of his Manhattan commercial portfolio looks great too, thanks to a rebounding office market that’s the strongest Holliday has seen in his career.
28. Elsie Encarnacion, Harvey Epstein, Virginia Maloney, Christopher Marte & Carl Wilson
New York City Council Member Christopher Marte is having an eventful summer. In July, his legislation to ban horse carriages got a hearing after gaining crucial support. In August, the news broke that the Mamdani administration scrapped a long-simmering plan to turn the Elizabeth Street Garden into affordable housing, siding with Marte and others. Marte, who has been in office since 2022, is reportedly eyeing a run for public advocate.
New York City Council Members Harvey Epstein, Virginia Maloney and Elsie Encarnacion were all victorious in 2025. Epstein brings the most experience to the job, having previously served in the Assembly. Epstein, who's known nationally thanks to a “Saturday Night Live” skit poking fun at how his name evokes both Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein, represents a district that includes Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side and the East Village. He formed the Animal Welfare Caucus and chairs the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee.
Encarnacion brings ample government experience to her job as well, as she was chief of staff to former New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala and director of youth services for former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. The East Harlem native now chairs the Immigration Committee, pushing for protections for immigrants in legislation.
Maloney literally grew up in government circles, thanks to the long congressional tenure of her mother, former Rep. Carolyn Maloney. The younger Maloney, who represents a district that includes the Upper East Side, chairs the Committee on Economic Development. She has also joined her mother in calling on Congress to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.
New York City Council Member Carl Wilson was elected earlier this year in a spring special election for the seat vacated by Erik Bottcher, his old boss who moved up to the state Senate. Wilson won handily, winning support from Council Speaker Julie Menin and overcoming a foe backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The lawmaker also kept the seat representing the Stonewall Inn as a “gay seat.”
29. Steven Rubenstein
Since joining Rubenstein in 1992, Steven Rubenstein has enhanced his family’s legacy as a premier strategic reputation management firm and PR adviser to New York City’s iconic institutions, including “Saturday Night Live” and The Museum of Modern Art, among hundreds of clients. He also chairs the Association for a Better New York, an influential civic group, interviewing Zohran Mamdani about democratic socialism before a live audience in October. Rubenstein recently added the Manhattan Jewish Foundation to its client list to promote Rabbi Mark Wildes’ global book tour.
30. Steve Fulop
Steve Fulop once lured employers from New York to New Jersey, but now he’s working to keep them in Manhattan. As Jersey City’s mayor, he ran one of the fastest-growing cities in the Northeast, adding nearly as many apartments as Manhattan did in 2024. After finishing third in New Jersey’s Democratic primary for governor last year, Fulop moved to New York in January to run the Partnership for New York City following Kathy Wylde’s retirement. He has the business group fighting the Mamdani administration on tax hikes and economic development policies.
31. Brian Kavanagh
State Sen. Brian Kavanagh announced in February he would not seek reelection after representing lower Manhattan for two decades, igniting a scramble for his seat. During his tenure, the state Senate Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee chair helped craft laws to protect tenants, maintain affordable housing and create thousands of homes for homeless and working-class New Yorkers. He recently passed an extension of the J-51 tax credit for co-ops and condos, increased income thresholds for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption and other programs, and launched a four-year pilot of the Housing Access Voucher Program.
32. Jessica Lappin
Since joining the Downtown Alliance in 2014, Jessica Lappin has overseen the dramatic transformation of Lower Manhattan. Its population rose above 70,000 for the first time last year while demand for office space was at its highest since 2019, with 4.75 million square feet leased in 2025. This year, the business improvement district leader teamed up with property owners to launch the RE:Store program, offering small businesses three months of free rent and build-out grants as retail vacancies lag. The former New York City Council member also called for a crackdown on placard abuse to reduce gridlock.
33. Allen Roskoff
Allen Roskoff vowed that his political club would ensure that Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo didn’t get elected as mayor last year, and he was right. The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club president got excited about the Mamdani administration, but tempered his views when Zohran Mamdani endorsed Lindsey Boylan for a vacant City Council seat. Roskoff believed the West Side needed LGBTQ+ representation and endorsed Carl Wilson, who won an April special election in one of the mayor’s few political miscalculations. Roskoff’s support for David Siffert’s Assembly bid helped make the difference in a race decided by 15 votes.
34. Manny De Los Santos, Charles Fall, Keith Powers, Tony Simone, Al Taylor & Jordan Wright
Assembly Member Jordan Wright upheld the family legacy this year when he held on to his Harlem seat despite a primary challenge from a candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America in an otherwise strong cycle for the DSA. Wright’s father is Keith Wright, a former Assembly member who now leads the Manhattan Democratic Party.
Assembly Member Tony Simone was floated as a potential candidate for Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat or former state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s seat, but he opted to stay put in his Assembly district that includes Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and the heart of Midtown. Simone is making the most of his office, introducing measures that would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks and repeal a ban on adult saunas and bathhouses.
Assembly Member Keith Powers is back in elected office after winning a special election earlier this year for the East Side seat vacated by Harvey Epstein, who was elected to the New York City Council. Powers previously served in the New York City Council, where he was majority leader, then mounted an unsuccessful bid for Manhattan borough president last year.
Assembly Member Charles Fall represents a district covering a sliver of lower Manhattan as well as Staten Island’s North Shore and parts of Brooklyn. The lawmaker, who’s also the Democratic Party chair for Staten Island, hasn’t ignored his Manhattan constituents, helping secure long-term rent protections for Gateway Plaza residents, in addition to advancing resiliency and quality-of-life improvements in Battery Park City. He also chairs the Subcommittee on Consumer Fraud Protection.
Assembly Member Al Taylor has represented Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood since 2017. He has pushed for housing affordability and passed legislation protecting children with food allergies.
Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, an acolyte of outgoing Rep. Adriano Espaillat, was first elected in a 2022 special election. He represents Upper Manhattan and sponsored a 2025 lithium-ion battery safety measure.
35. Jon Silvan
Jon Silvan’s Global Strategy Group just keeps growing. The public relations executive runs one of the most trusted polling operations in the business, building a national profile while counting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Google, National Grid and Seaport Entertainment among the clients he has assisted in New York. This election cycle, the firm has been working with Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as congressional candidates Micah Lasher and Brad Lander. GSG has also helped Vanderbilt University in its expansion into New York City and has supported the Gateway Program.
36. Emily Giske
For more than three decades, Emily Giske has served as one of New York’s most effective lobbyists and a transformational force behind the state’s landmark civil rights laws. Giske, who joined Bolton-St. Johns in 1999, helped pass the landmark New York Marriage Equality Act as a top lobbyist for LGBTQ+ coalitions. She also has served as a Democratic superdelegate and has mentored public affairs professionals as well as Democratic women candidates through Eleanor’s Legacy and Women Lead. She currently leads a team of 30 government relations staffers.
37. James Dolan
The New York Knicks’ unlikely title run has made some New Yorkers reconsider James Dolan’s legacy. The long-vilified Madison Square Garden head honcho fired the team’s previous coach last year while vowing to win a title. Dolan invited President Donald Trump to attend Game 3, then sparred with the mayor and police commissioner over a watch party’s cancellation. He even insulted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s speech during the Knicks victory party. Meanwhile, Dolan has continued to throw money around in electoral campaigns, recently getting behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, and he has become the GOP’s biggest donor in New York.
38. Rob Speyer
Tishman Speyer’s $3.5 billion Rockefeller Center refinancing two years ago made investors wonder whether New York City’s commercial market was undervalued, but Rob Speyer has always been a believer in midtown Manhattan. After refinancing The Spiral in Hudson Yards for $2.8 billion in January 2025, Speyer opened JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s new headquarters at 270 Park Ave. Now, Tishman Speyer is in advanced talks to repurchase the Chrysler Building. Speyer, a co-chair of the pro-business Partnership for New York City, has reportedly been in favor of a more adversarial approach against Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
39. Lisa Silverstein
For more than a quarter century, Lisa Silverstein has worked with her father, Larry Silverstein, to rebuild Lower Manhattan and develop housing in some of the nation’s hottest markets. Now 25 years after 9/11, Silverstein Properties and American Express broke ground on 2 World Trade Center, a 55-story skyscraper that will be the last tower in the WTC footprint. Since becoming CEO in 2023, Silverstein has led the development of several projects, including 55 Broad St. and the Brooklyn Tower. Her firm’s Opportunity Zone funds have also financed the development of nearly 5,000 homes across the country.
40. Jonathan Bing, John Mascialino & Ed Wallace
Ed Wallace has been involved with several New York firsts throughout his career. He shaped the city’s skyline by negotiating land use review approvals for the Columbus Circle towers, Riverside Center, as well as the city’s three most prominent private universities and served as counsel to the city’s 2012 Summer Olympics bid. At Greenberg Traurig, where he serves as co-chair of the firm’s New York office, Wallace represented Hornblower in the city’s first ferry contract and JCDecaux in the citywide bus shelter agreement. He is chair of the French-American Foundation and a vice chair of the Citizens Budget Commission.
In February, Jonathan Bing was named chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Liquor Licensing Group, a role in which he coordinates with a dozen GT attorneys across multiple states. Bing, a former Assembly member who represented Manhattan’s East Side, is part of the firm’s New York Government Law & Policy Practice. In Albany this session, he helped the domestic violence services provider Sanctuary for Families build support for Kyra’s Law, which if signed by the governor will require taking a child’s health and safety into account when determining child custody and visitation.
John Mascialino is the chair of the New York City Government Law & Policy Practice at Greenberg Traurig, where he deals with government contracting as well as regulatory and administrative law. Earlier in his career, he was counsel to the New York City deputy mayor for operations. He is now board chair for the Riverside Park Conservancy and serves as treasurer on the Grand Central Partnership board.
41. Grace Bonilla
Grace Bonilla was appointed to Zohran Mamdani’s all-female transition team because of her deep roots in New York City government and progressive ideals. The Bloomberg and de Blasio administration alum took the reins of the United Way of New York City in 2022 and has since helped distribute 15 million pounds of food to families and provided hundreds of thousands of students with school supplies. This year, the United Way partnered with the National Grid Foundation and Brooklyn Org on an initiative to support energy efficiency upgrades and community-designed solutions.
42. Carlo Scissura
Carlo Scissura may be a Brooklyn guy at heart, but he’s a big advocate for major infrastructure projects in Manhattan. Scissura, who made a name for himself as a top aide to former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and then leading the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, took over the New York Building Congress nearly a decade ago. During his tenure, he has pushed for redeveloping Penn Station, advancing the Gateway Program and converting Manhattan office buildings into residences. He was also among the proponents of state State Environmental Quality Review Act reforms that passed this year.
43. Betsy Smith
Betsy Smith has spearheaded a seven-year restoration effort ensuring one of the world's most famous parks remains accessible to its 42 million annual visitors. Last spring, Smith unveiled the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, a $160 million swimming and ice skating facility. This summer, the Central Park Conservancy reopened Grand Army Plaza South after a $16 million refurbishment, then announced a $37 million renovation of the Bethesda Fountain and Conservatory Water Basin. Smith has gotten political too, calling for a horse carriage ban months before some local elected officials did.
44. Brendan Carr
Dr. Brendan Carr has made difficult decisions to sustain Mount Sinai. He shuttered Beth Israel last year because the hospital was hemorrhaging money. In January, Carr grappled with a nurses strike before agreeing to a new contract. Then in April, a nationwide report showed hundreds of hospitals, including Mount Sinai Hospital, faced dire risks due to federal Medicaid cuts. Carr still kept Mount Sinai ranked among the nation’s best, according to Newsweek, and last year saw its Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center receive a top-level designation from the National Cancer Institute.
45. Camille Joseph-Goldman & Rodney Capel
Camille Joseph-Goldman is celebrating her 10-year anniversary this year at Charter Communications, where she oversees government relations and strategic partnerships for the Northeast region. The former New York City deputy comptroller worked with the city to extend a municipally subsidized broadband program, which provided free high-speed internet service to 330,000 residents across 220 New York City Housing Authority properties. Joseph-Goldman was recently honored at the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies gala.
Rodney Capel joined Charter Communications in 2017 after serving as state director for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and as special adviser to the governor, interacting with the state Legislature and Congress. Capel has managed Charter’s government affairs work in New York and New Jersey and assisted with the company’s community outreach initiatives, including awarding a Spectrum Digital Education grant to The STEM Alliance in Mount Vernon.
46. Jennifer Mnookin
Jennifer Mnookin hopes to bring some stability to Columbia University after the Ivy League school has cycled through five presidents in four years. The former University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor’s deft touch handling students at a pro-Palestinian encampment in May 2024 impressed Columbia’s trustees, who appointed her president after a nine-month search. Mnookin took office in July with a long to-do list, including the management of a $221 million settlement with the Trump administration to restore $400 million in federal grants and assessing how to reopen community access to Columbia’s iconic Manhattan campus.
47. Linda Mills
After 24 years at New York University, Linda Mills took charge of New York City’s largest private university in 2023, leading a school powering 35,400 jobs and generating $7.6 billion in economic impact. Earlier this year, Mills co-founded a Higher Education Design Lab with SUNY to test and generate evidence about which programs help students thrive. Mills has been working with Tokyo leaders to establish an NYU campus in Japan to expand the school’s international footprint. In March, she negotiated a new agreement with nontenure-track faculty after a two-day strike.
48. Brian Donley
Dr. Brian Donley has kept NewYork-Presbyterian in good hands since Steve Corwin announced his retirement last fall. The orthopedic surgeon served in senior leadership roles at the Cleveland Clinic for more than two decades before joining NewYork-Presbyterian in 2023. Donley has since accelerated the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced breakthroughs in CAR T-cell therapy and precision oncology. But he got a rude welcome from House Republicans, who questioned whether consolidation contributed to soaring medical prices at an April congressional hearing (Donley instead blamed rising labor, drug and medical supplies costs).
49. Alex Bores, Edward Gibbs & Deborah Glick
This trio of Manhattan Assembly members are leaving office at the end of the year, though each one is taking a different path to get there. Assembly Member Deborah Glick was a trailblazer in Albany, becoming the first out LGBTQ+ state lawmaker in New York decades ago. The Greenwich Village resident declined to run for reelection this year, but she didn't let up in her push to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which nonetheless fell short this session.
Meanwhile, Assembly Member Alex Bores garnered national attention for targeting artificial intelligence during his Democratic primary bid for Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat. While the prolific Upper East Side lawmaker ultimately lost the race to a colleague, Assembly Member Micah Lasher, he was successful in drawing attention to the issue and inspired other elected officials to regulate AI.
Assembly Member Edward Gibbs was the only one of the three to seek reelection. But Gibbs, the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state Legislature, was bounced in his Democratic primary race against former New York City Council Member Diana Ayala. Gibbs had focused on criminal justice reform and local issues in his East Harlem district.
50. Mike Morey
After serving as a partner and strategist at SKDK since 2012, Mike Morey was promoted to a new role of president last year to manage the public relations firm’s growth and acquisition strategies. Morey has continued helping a myriad of Manhattan clients, assisting the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in obtaining land use approvals for its $2.3 billion cancer center, which broke ground in June, and advising Win, which advocated for $50 million in the state budget for the Housing Access Voucher Program. Morey also advised Heather Gerken on her appointment as Ford Foundation president.
51. Michael Woloz & Danna DeBlasio
Michael Woloz has made CMW Strategies a top government affairs firm for arts and culture organizations. As the lead representative for New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group, Woloz has secured baselined arts and culture funding in the city budget. Woloz has also worked with TikTok, Netflix, Anthropic and Con Edison and serves as the chair of the New York City chapter of the New York League of Conservation Voters. This year, Danna DeBlasio will celebrate her 10-year anniversary at CMW Strategies, where she has helped clients secure millions of dollars and has navigated a constantly shifting legislative environment. She has recently led efforts to support independent grocery stores and advocated on behalf of the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar and Lounge Association to eliminate wholesaler fees. DeBlasio also helped Woodside on the Move secure funding to provide immigrants with food assistance, education and employment opportunities.
52. S. David Wu
S. David Wu has helped make Baruch College one of the nation’s top public colleges for social mobility and economic value. The president of the Manhattan school has been developing a campus master plan to ensure a more welcoming experience and a collegewide initiative to build artificial intelligence literacy across disciplines. Last fall, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority renamed the No. 6 line’s 23rd Street stop after Baruch in recognition of the school’s impact on the city. Wu also helped the school haul in $1.96 million for the Baruch College Fund at its annual dinner.
53. Fred Cerullo
Fred Cerullo has made the area around Grand Central Terminal a vibrant commercial district by beautifying streetscapes and utilizing plazas for new programming. The Midtown business improvement district leader has raised money for homeless people while showcasing local restaurants at his annual Grand Gourmet gala. Cerullo also celebrated the completion of Pershing Square Plaza, where his BID has held outdoor jazz concerts this summer to make lunch and happy hours more enjoyable for commuters. This year, he won the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his philanthropy and contributions to civic life.
54. Alec Kimmelman
Dr. Alec Kimmelman has continued longtime Dean Robert Grossman’s legacy to transform NYU Langone Health into one of the nation’s most advanced providers of high-quality medical care. Kimmelman, a pancreatic cancer expert and Perlmutter Cancer Center director, was selected in a nationwide search following Grossman’s retirement. By the time Kimmelman started last fall, NYU Langone reported $15.4 billion in revenue, with a 9.6% increase in operating revenue compared with the previous year. This year, Kimmelman unveiled plans to build a 500-bed academic hospital in Melville, expanding NYU's footprint on Long Island.
55. Jessica Walker
Manhattan remains one of the nation’s most desirable places to live, with rents reaching all-time highs, and Jessica Walker is focused on keeping local businesses afloat. For the past 10 years, she has advocated for the borough’s 125,000 small businesses through networking events, research and legislative advocacy. This spring, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce drew attention to lower Manhattan’s 22% retail vacancy rate in 2025, the worst of anywhere in the borough, and she also called on the city to ease restrictions on short-term rentals ahead of the World Cup.
56. Wellington Chen
Wellington Chen was trained as an architect and always paid attention to how people utilize the neighborhoods where they live. For nearly 15 years, the Chinatown Partnership leader has found ways to make the iconic Manhattan neighborhood more accessible by developing better street signs and maps, organizing Lunar New Year events and creating new parking for noncommercial vehicles on Canal Street. Chen has raised concerns about illegal vendors on Canal Street but worried that federal immigration raids would cause anxiety among residents and workers who may be afraid to leave their homes.
57. Rob Byrnes
Rob Byrnes will be celebrating his silver anniversary next January at the East Midtown Partnership, which he helped launch in 2002. This year, the Manhattan business improvement district leader developed a 10-year plan to increase the organization’s presence on Manhattan’s East Side with more streetscape programs and centralized waste container units that remove unsightly bags from street corners. Byrnes also serves on the boards for The Publishing Triangle and Big Apple Performing Arts and has written six novels and numerous short stories.
58. Vanessa Aronson, Eli Northrup, Illapa Sairitupac & David Siffert
The Assembly will have a number of new faces next year, including a quartet of political neophytes from Manhattan. Illapa Sairitupac, who had mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Assembly Member Grace Lee in 2022, ran for her open seat in lower Manhattan this year and won a Democratic primary with over a third of the vote in a crowded race. The social worker is among a slate of state legislative candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America to enjoy electoral success this cycle. Similar to Sairitupac, Eli Northrup fell short against Assembly Member Micah Lasher in 2024, only to break through this year with 60% of the primary vote against Stephanie Ruskay as Lasher moved up to run for Congress. Northrup, a public defender and criminal justice reform advocate, did not run as a DSA candidate but his progressive positioning earned him endorsements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Civil rights attorney and law professor David Siffert eked out a victory in the West Side seat of retiring Assembly Member Deborah Glick and is poised to join Sairitupac as the first two nonbinary state lawmakers in New York. Siffert, who had previously helped build support for LGBTQ+, artificial intelligence and transparency legislation, ultimately won the Democratic primary by just 15 votes. Vanessa Aronson also ran for an open Assembly seat – with East Side Assembly Member Alex Bores running for Congress – but unlike the others, she ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and faces no general election rival. She is a former public school teacher and animal rights advocate who mounted an unsuccessful run for New York City Council last year, losing to Virginia Maloney.
59. Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson got to know nearly everyone in New York City government and politics while serving as council speaker. The former West Side lawmaker has been on the other side since founding his own boutique lobbying firm. Johnson has represented a mix of real estate, tech, and finance clients, including Vornado, DoorDash, Deloitte, the Brooklyn Nets and Bally’s, which purchased a site in the Bronx for its $4 billion casino. He serves on the board of the Community Service Society and continues to mentor lawmakers.
60. George Fontas
Since founding Fontas Advisors nearly a decade ago, George Fontas has grown his boutique consultancy into one rivaling some of New York City’s largest lobbying operations. His firm has specialized in land use and zoning approvals, affordable housing development, labor relations and issue advocacy. Fontas has also tracked and advocated on a mix of legislative and regulatory matters for some of the world’s most influential tech companies, including Google, Lime, Lyft, DoorDash, Airbnb and Uber. He’s also a supporter of Plus Pool, which is behind a floating swimming pool set to launch in the East River.
61. Michele de Milly & Ethan Geto
Since establishing their public affairs firm in 1980, Michele de Milly and Ethan Geto have helped scores of corporate, nonprofit, labor and governmental clients craft their issue campaigns and advocate for their legislative interests. De Milly served as a senior adviser at what is now Empire State Development before deciding to launch a firm with Geto. She has built up the firm’s real estate and nonprofit client list and has become a key player in some of New York City’s largest rezonings and megadevelopment projects. De Milly helped the New York City Football Club secure land use approvals for a professional soccer stadium in Queens and helped secure a license for more tennis facilities on Randall’s Island. Geto served as assistant buildings commissioner in New York City and the state attorney general’s communications director before establishing the firm with de Milly. He has played a significant role improving mental health care, ensuring the creation of more affordable housing, lowering child poverty and reducing recidivism. He recently helped found the American LGBTQ+ Museum, the nation’s first such museum, which is slated to open in 2028.
62. Jonathan Durst
It is impossible to envision Manhattan’s skyline without The Durst Organization. During Jonathan Durst’s tenure, the Dursts developed 151 W. 42nd St. in Times Square; One World Trade Center, which is home to Condé Nast; and Bank of America’s headquarters at One Bryant Park. Vacancies in the company’s office towers are scarce, but this year credit reporting company TransUnion signed a 30,000-square-foot lease at 1155 Sixth Ave. while Norm Ai, an AI-powered compliance firm, moved into 64,000 square feet at One World Trade Center.
63. Winston Fisher
Winston Fisher helped lead Fisher Brothers into the 21st century by rapidly expanding its portfolio in New York and beyond. Last year, he managed several refinancings, including a $500 million deal at 299 Park Ave. and an $850 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan alongside Blackstone to refinance 1345 Sixth Ave. The Hochul administration also selected Fisher Brothers, the Gotham Organization and Mural Real Estate Group to develop a 1,100-unit mixed-use property in Hell’s Kitchen. Fisher serves on the boards of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Real Estate Board of New York and the Intrepid Museum.
64. Julian John, Georges Leconte & Eric Wei
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the country, with 11 hospitals dotted across the five boroughs. That includes three hospitals in Manhattan: NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. Dr. Eric Wei runs Bellevue, an 1,215-bed facility that claims to be the country’s oldest hospital. Wei, an emergency medicine physician and a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, launched the Bellevue 2030 strategic plan, with a focus on quality, safety and fiscal health. NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan is run by Julian John, a financial and operational expert who was the hospital’s deputy executive director and chief financial officer after serving as CFO in other safety-net hospitals. On his watch, the 419-bed hospital launched an innovative childhood development center to address neurodiversity, including autism. Georges Leconte leads the system’s 556-bed Harlem hospital, the largest hospital in Central Harlem. Leconte took over in 2022.
65. Bryan Kelly
Dr. Bryan Kelly has helped make Hospital for Special Surgery one of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals for orthopedics and neurological care. As people live longer lives and want to stay active, the HSS president developed a new institute for movement and longevity and collaborated with Peloton to develop injury prevention classes. The Manhattan hospital also announced a new agreement with EmblemHealth in December, allowing city workers to access its orthopedic center and other providers, and entered into a joint venture partnership with Lumexa Imaging.
66. Seth Pinsky
When he joined the 92nd Street Y in 2020, Seth Pinsky began spearheading a $200 million redevelopment plan and rebranding as 92NY ahead of its 150th anniversary in 2024. By the end of this summer, the Upper East Side cultural center will have completed a $24 million modernization of Buttenweiser Hall, added a new dance studio, upgraded its gym and revamped its lobby. The former Bloomberg administration official has continued organizing compelling speaking programs, with guests ranging from Jill Biden to Dave Portnoy, bringing together people with different opinions to exchange ideas.
67. Nancy Cantor
Nancy Cantor came to Hunter College in 2024 after a distinguished career serving as chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark, Syracuse University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has continued former President Jennifer Raab’s legacy of making the CUNY school one of the nation’s best values in education. This year, Cantor outlined how colleges have a responsibility to preserve democracy and free speech while prohibiting immigration agents from entering campus without a legal order. She also co-chairs the advisory council of the Anchor Institutions Task Force, a nearly 1,000-member organization emphasizing higher education’s role in local communities.
68. Tom Harris
Tom Harris’ efforts to maintain Times Square’s status as one of New York City’s most appealing plazas earned global appreciation this summer. He chided officials who expressed anxiety over the World Cup, as the world’s crossroads successfully hosted spirited match send-offs (complete with Viking rows) and Spanish fiestas, not to mention some impromptu Knicks championship celebrations. Harris, a former police officer, also ensured special events, such as solstice yoga and a Fourth of July ball drop, went forward as scheduled, while ensuring that homeless people in the area can obtain resources.
69. Cristyne Nicholas
Cristyne Nicholas is a real pro in the world of PR. The former City Hall aide, congressional press secretary and campaign adviser co-founded Nicholas & Lence Communications in 2007. While in the private sector, she has continued to serve in governmental roles, including a stint as president and CEO of New York City’s tourism and marketing organization, and her current post as chair of the state Tourism Advisory Council. Among her clients are the Times Square Alliance, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center and NYC Tourism + Conventions.
70. Dan Biederman
Dan Biederman has been recognized as the visionary behind Bryant Park’s revitalization, which sometimes involves making tough decisions about its amenities. He chose not to renew the Bryant Park Grill’s lease after 30 years, believing a high-end restaurant would draw more revenue, and he sought to evict them last year. The fight has been a messy one, but a court ruled in June that Bryant Park Corp. can boot the Grill. As head of 34th Street Partnership, Biederman is also concerned about rising retail vacancies in Herald Square.
71. Arthur Aidala
Arthur Aidala garnered attention as the lawyer who represented Harvey Weinstein and others splattered over the tabloids before taking on clients in the president’s orbit. Donald Trump even considered him for Brooklyn U.S. attorney, but Aidala instead has defended the president’s policies in media appearances. Now, Aidala’s most prominent local client is Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to then-Mayor Eric Adams who was indicted in June in a federal corruption investigation for allegedly accepting $120,000 to steer a migrant shelter contract to a Queens hotel owner. Carone pleaded not guilty.
72. Mariko Silver
Mariko Silver took the reins of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts two years ago with a mission of broadening its cultural reach beyond classical music. The seasoned nonprofit executive has led an ambitious $335 million renovation to Damrosch Park to remove the wall along Amsterdam Avenue, reorient the amphitheater and add new trees and water features. As Lincoln Center broke ground this spring, Silver has expanded the Summer for the City program with a new contemporary dance festival at Alice Tully Hall, installations and lighting designs, and nine new commissions of dance and classical music.
73. Eva Moskowitz
Eva Moskowitz has become one of the nation’s leading charter school proponents, having spent 20 years aiming to close the achievement gap. The Success Academy Charter Schools founder and CEO is currently operating 59 schools with a total enrollment of 22,000 students, three-quarters of whom came from low-income backgrounds. The former New York City Council member recently organized staff to participate in pro-charter school rallies and advocated for state education officials to authorize more charters. She sought to transfer a Bronx school to her husband, but the teachers union sued to block the move.
74. B.J. Jones
On a map, Roosevelt Island is its own land mass in the East River – but administratively it’s part of the borough of Manhattan. B.J. Jones is a key player on the island as he heads up the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp., a public benefit corporation that oversees planning and operations there. After joining RIOC a year ago, he secured an extension of the island’s master lease and launched a flood risk assessment. Previously, Jones ran the Battery Park City Authority, in another unique Manhattan neighborhood, and worked in New York City government.
75. David Picket
David Picket has positioned his family’s 110-year-old real estate firm to thrive for another century. This summer, Gotham filed plans for the second phase of Innovation Urban Village, which will include three new buildings with 599 affordable homes in East New York, Brooklyn, and received approvals from the New York City Council to build Monitor Point, a three-tower 1,324-unit complex in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. But his most significant project this year is Hudson Landing, a 50,000-square-foot parking lot in Hell’s Kitchen that the Hochul administration awarded to Gotham and two other developers to convert into 1,127 new homes.
76. Joyce Leveston
Joyce Leveston came to the Javits Center last year with more than 30 years of experience in the convention center industry and a mission to refresh its brand. Under her leadership,the Javits Center is strengthening its role as an international destination for business and entertainment. She has also established new employee resource groups to build a more employee-centered organization. This year, Leveston led the Manhattan convention center’s 40th anniversary celebration. She was also elected chair of UFI’s North American chapter.
77. Raju Mann
Since his appointment to lead the Battery Park City Authority in 2023, Raju Mann has overseen a key part of New York City’s $2.7 billion effort to protect Lower Manhattan from storm surges. In June, Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Mann to announce the completion of the first phase of the Battery Coastal Resilience project, which rebuilt and elevated part of the wharf promenade and overhauled Wagner Park. The project’s second phase, which involves installing a new flood wall, pump station and tide gates on the southern end of the neighborhood, should be finished by 2031.
78. Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt is one of the nation’s most prominent voices in the fight against antisemitism. Since becoming CEO of the Anti-Defamation League in 2015, Greenblatt has sought to modernize the organization while building solidarity with non-Jewish organizations to combat discrimination. The ADL leader has drawn attention to rising violence against Jews outside of Israel, encouraging Congress to pass the Sacred Act to ensure safe access zones outside houses of worship and prodding social media companies to take more action against algorithms amplifying hateful messages. But some of Greenblatt’s tactics calling out progressive leaders have drawn criticisms.
79. Anthony Munroe
Since he came on as president of the Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2020, Anthony Munroe has led an impressive turnaround. Under Munroe’s leadership, the CUNY community college increased its enrollment to nearly 22,000 students this spring and restored its financial stability. Munroe has opened pathways to four-year bachelor’s degrees and graduate education, positioning BMCC as a national model for social mobility. This year, he instituted new partnerships with Morgan State University, allowing eligible students to transfer to the historically Black university, and he convened a regional leadership summit.
80. Allison L.C. de Cerreño
Allison L.C. de Cerreño knew that a toll for drivers to enter Manhattan’s central business district would be a tough sell to New Yorkers. So the Metropolitan Transportation Authority executive led a public outreach campaign and released an analysis to get buy-in for the congestion pricing program. The number of daily vehicles entering the zone ultimately shrunk 11%, easing traffic in Manhattan and the outer boroughs, while ambulance response times dropped by over a minute. Last fall, de Cerreño was recognized by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association for her agency’s success.
81. Joel Towers
Few understand the challenges The New School has faced better than Joel Towers. Since his presidential appointment two years ago, the former Parsons School of Design executive dean led a restructuring to reduce the school’s $48 million deficit as enrollment has fallen 20% since 2021. After meeting with several working groups last year, Towers embarked on a plan to reorganize the school’s programs this fall, combining design and performing arts departments in one college and liberal arts and sciences in another. But faculty, students and staff have protested the overhaul, which led to 87 layoffs in June.
82. John Catsimatidis
John Catsimatidis threatened to shutter his Gristedes supermarkets last summer if Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race, and then threatened to move the company to New Jersey or Florida after Mamdani triumphed. The Red Apple Group owner and GOP political donor has not left town, but he warned that the mayor’s calls to hike taxes on the wealthy and corporations would hurt the economy. Catsimatidis met with the new mayor but panned his pied-à-terre tax and called a plan to open city-run grocery stores “not viable” to operate. Catsimatidis also had a supporting role in the movie “Marty Supreme.”
83. Daniel Baker
Dr. Daniel Baker is expanding Northwell Health’s footprint across Manhattan. Baker has led Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital since 2022, and last year the New York City Council approved a $2 billion hospital expansion – even as local opponents have sought to block it in court. Baker also took on an additional title of president of Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital last year, as Northwell transformed its Lenox Health Greenwich Village clinic at the old St. Vincent’s Medical Center site into a cardiac and stroke center. Baker is also Northwell’s medical director for patient experience.
84. Barbara Blair
Barbara Blair has been waiting a long time to see new housing in Midtown South. The longtime Garment District Alliance leader advocated for New York City to rezone swaths of the area, and last summer the New York City Council finally approved a mixed-use rezoning plan that will bring 9,500 new homes to the neighborhood. But Blair opposed a City Council-approved carve-out keeping several industrial buildings in the northwestern quadrant of the Garment District from being converted into residences. She has also called on the city to redesign Eighth Avenue during Penn Station’s redevelopment.
85. Ralph Bumbaca
As a regional banking leader, Ralph Bumbaca has always prioritized giving back to his community. In 2024, the veteran financial executive was promoted to regional president at TD Bank in 2024, overseeing 310 locations and lending teams throughout the metropolitan region. Bumbaca helped steer the TD Bank Community Impact Plan, which will provide $20 billion to support lending and banking access in underserved communities. His team also hosted a small-business summit this spring in Midtown to show how banks can provide entrepreneurs with financial advice, mentorship and access to other resources.
86. Jonathan Boulware
Over the past 15 years, Jonathan Boulware has helped revitalize the South Street Seaport by strengthening the museum’s role as an educational and cultural destination. Under his leadership, the museum secured $75 million in capital support and refurbished its historic fleet. This year, Boulware completed the restoration of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, opened an exhibition featuring the nation’s founding documents and rare artifacts in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday. The museum also hosted part of Sail4th 250, which drew millions of visitors to see the parade of tall ships.
87. Samara Karasyk
Since joining the Hudson Square Business Improvement District in 2021, Samara Karasyk has made the streets safer and more walkable. Her efforts have drawn businesses to the neighborhood, helping reduce Hudson Street’s vacancy rates from 31% to 6%. She has recruited artists to create colorful wall murals and street paintings, while the business improvement district’s tribute to Andy Cohen in the form of a named garbage can garnered attention. Karasyk is currently developing a plan to make Canal Street safer for all road users while calling for a redesign of West Houston Street.
88. Phillip Jackson
Trinity Church Wall Street leaders were so impressed with the Rev. Phillip Jackson while he temporarily served as priest-in-charge that they named him their 19th rector in 2022. Throughout his tenure, Jackson has ensured that the historic Episcopal church serves a vast population beyond its congregants, feeding hundreds of people during the holidays and offering recreational facilities in the Financial District through its new community center, Trinity Commons. This summer, Trinity awarded $19.5 million in grants to 84 community organizations, bringing its total charitable giving to $522 million since 2019.
89. James Mettham
Flatiron has become one of New York City’s hottest neighborhoods this decade, thanks in part to James Mettham’s leadership. After taking over the Flatiron NoMad Partnership in 2019, Mettham has introduced art installations, such as the live portal with Dublin, interactive spinning tops and whimsical pink sculptures that have often gone viral, while his efforts to make the neighborhood cleaner and safer have been widely approved by residents. Brands like Salomon are opening stores in the area while condos in the iconic Flatiron Building, now an office-to-residential conversion, will likely fetch top dollar.
90. Karol Mason
Karol Mason joined the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2017 with a mission to strengthen academic achievement, improve graduation rates and expand its career preparation. So far, she has raised $47 million and established new initiatives including the Completion for Upper-Division Student Program and MBK Connect. Last year, John Jay graduated more than 3,500 students and ranked among the top schools in the North for social mobility. Mason currently serves on the Independent Rikers Commission and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Council on Criminal Justice.
91. Madelyn Wils
Fifth Avenue is getting its biggest makeover in 200 years thanks to Madelyn Wils. The Fifth Avenue Association leader, who joined the business improvement district in 2024, helped lead a $350 million overhaul to turn the 20-block stretch into a pedestrian-centered boulevard by widening sidewalks by 46% and removing two of the three car lanes. Wils has also led beautification efforts in a public space around Pulitzer Plaza with new seating and planters. She was recently honored by the Parsons School of Design for her leadership in urban development and has led the Joyce Theater Foundation’s building committee.
92. Johanna Garcia
For many political observers, Darializa Avila Chevalier came out of nowhere to oust Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a stunning Democratic primary upset this year. But Johanna Garcia saw Avila Chevalier coming a mile away, and played an outsize role in helping the insurgent campaign gain traction. Garcia is an education advocate who previously served as president of Community Education Council District 6 and is currently the chief of staff and campaign manager to state Sen. Robert Jackson, who notably endorsed Avila Chevalier. She’s also co-president of Uptown Community Democrats, an influential political club.
93. Kyle Ishmael & Raziq Seabrook
Kyle Ishmael and Raziq Seabrook are the founding partners of Back Chamber Consulting, which has strong ties to the Manhattan Democratic Party and the influential Wright family. Ishmael, an experienced campaign consultant, serves as chair of the Manhattan Democratic Party and helped Assembly Member Jordan Wright fend off a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate this cycle. Ishmael, who lives in Harlem, previously ran the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus and is currently co-chair of the New Pride Agenda board. Seabrook helped launch BCC after stints at Mercury and in the state Department of Labor. He also advised the campaigns of Jordan Wright and New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, a protégé of Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith Wright. The firm recently worked with Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens on an alternative to incarceration program.
94. Marc Landis
Marc Landis has long advocated for social and economic justice and stood up for New York City’s Jewish community. Earlier this year, he marked his 20th anniversary at the Manhattan law firm Phillips Nizer, where he co-chairs its real estate and Israel practices with a focus on affordable housing. Landis is also a former Democratic district leader on the Upper West Side and is the treasurer to Westside Progress, a super PAC that spent $144,500 to support Carl Wilson for New York City Council. Last year, Landis was sworn in as a Democratic New York City elections commissioner.
95. Milton Tingling
Milton Tingling is the first Black county clerk in Manhattan’s history. He has modernized the office over 100 employees and 11 divisions by helping them switch to electronic filing and changed protocols to make processing cases and wrangling jurors easier. Tingling also shortened the period of eligibility for jurors from every six years to two to make the pool larger. He was appointed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary and also chairs the West Harlem Development Corp., which has come under scrutiny lately amid allegations of mismanagement.
96. Julie Stein
Julie Stein has made Union Square one of New York City’s most attractive destinations thanks to her commitment to safe streets and livability. Over the past three years, the former New York City Economic Development Corp. official has brought new sanitation, public safety and beautification improvements to the area. Thanks to her efforts, Union Square welcomed 51 new businesses, increased foot traffic by 16% and saw retail occupancy improve. Now, Stein is working with city agencies to launch a $3 million design study to modernize Union Square Park and reconfigure the 14th Street corridor.
97. Miesha Smith
Weeks after Brad Hoylman-Sigal took office as the new Manhattan borough president, he hired Miesha Smith to serve as his No. 2. Smith was appointed deputy borough president in February, bringing a representative from Harlem into the office’s leadership team. Smith was previously assistant dean for student life at Hunter College, where she launched the CUNY school’s food pantry and fresh food program and worked on improving student retention and graduation rates. Her current work involves promoting public education, small businesses as well as arts and cultural institutions.
98. Larry Scott Blackmon
Larry Scott Blackmon has always felt like a bridge-builder for his Harlem community. The Manhattan state committee member and former New York City Council candidate founded his own political consulting firm in 2023 to connect uptown organizations, entrepreneurs and businesses with the city’s political establishment. At the end of February, Blackmon convened the Harlem Black Men’s Brunch after seeing the lack of resources and opportunities that brought Black men together to network professionally. He has also sought to increase awareness about the need for prostate screening among Black men.
Editor’s note: Larry Scott Blackmon is a member of City & State’s advisory board.
99. Reggie Thomas
A year ago, Reggie Thomas took on a new challenge handling government affairs in New York for one of the biggest companies in the world. On behalf of Google, Thomas engages with policymakers and business and community leaders on issues such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, workforce development and tech literacy. Google has a major campus on Manhattan’s West Side, where it employs thousands of New Yorkers. Thomas served in the Bloomberg, de Blasio and Adams administrations and had a stint at the Real Estate Board of New York.
100. Laura Ann Rosenbury
Laura Ann Rosenbury’s three-year tenure atop Barnard College has been far from smooth. She faced opposition from the campus community for disciplining students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, received a no-confidence faculty vote in 2024 and laid off 77 staff members last year to reduce its $252 million debt. Yet Rosenbury has also boosted the school’s endowment, completed the renovation of the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being and issued $63 million in need-based scholarships last year. This fall, she plans to open the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, the city’s first net-zero carbon, all-electric academic science building.
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