Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced several key picks to preside over central aspects of his agenda. He tapped Julia Kerson, an infrastructure adviser to Gov. Kathy Hochul, as his deputy mayor for operations, and Emmy Liss, a veteran education leader, as director of the city’s child care office.
The two high-profile appointees could play important roles as Mr. Mamdani, who will be sworn into office early Thursday, seeks to fulfill two of his major campaign promises to make the city’s bus system “fast and free” and to provide free child care for every child from 6 weeks to 5 years old.
In choosing Ms. Kerson, Mr. Mamdani selected a leader whom he praised for playing a crucial role in major projects across the state, including efforts to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, one of the most critical infrastructure projects in the nation.
And in the child care world, Ms. Liss is well-regarded for helping former Mayor Bill de Blasio roll out his ambitious universal, free prekindergarten program for young children as the former chief operating officer of the Education Department’s early childhood division.
Mr. Mamdani named three other top officials on Wednesday, including his schools chancellor, Kamar Samuels, whose selection was largely the focus of a news conference about the appointments.
Louise Yeung, policy director for the Mamdani campaign, was selected as Mr. Mamdani’s chief climate officer, and Ahmed Tigani, the acting commissioner of the city’s housing department, will serve as his buildings commissioner.
The slate of deputies will take on a wide range of challenges across New York, including ensuring that the city’s transportation and sanitation systems operate smoothly; expanding access to high-quality preschool options for children; and preparing the five boroughs for the effects of the climate crisis.
Mr. Mamdani said that while their responsibilities will cover broad ground, the five appointees share a “a commitment to delivering a better future for those who call the city home.”
He had been expected to announce his Department of Transportation commissioner on Wednesday; people familiar with the matter said the favorite for the post was Mike Flynn, a former official of the agency. Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy group, even sent an email congratulating Mr. Flynn on his appointment.
Transit groups across New York have closely watched for Mr. Mamdani’s pick to lead the agency, after the incoming mayor pledged to make the city’s sprawling bus network fast and free. But the announcement was not made Wednesday afternoon.
Several of Mr. Mamdani’s appointments quickly won praise.
Ms. Kerson, as the deputy mayor for operations, will take on a role that is often obscure to many New Yorkers, but whose purview touches many aspects of their daily life, from overseeing parks and recreation to emergency management and trash collection.
Ms. Kerson, who is well-versed in collaborating with political leaders on major projects, described spending the last two decades working on vital programs that “were often met with skepticism,” an apparent reference to the questions that Mr. Mamdani has faced about whether his ambitious agenda is feasible.
“But I’ve also learned that with political will, commitment and creativity, nothing is impossible,” Ms. Kerson said at the news conference.
Kathryn Garcia, the director of state operations and incoming head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said in a statement that Ms. Kerson’s “ethos is always how to get to yes” on major projects, adding that she “is unfazed by an antagonistic federal government or complicated bureaucracy.”
Mr. Mamdani’s announcement also offered insight into the people he could rely on to achieve his expensive universal child care plan and shore up the city’s existing preschool offerings.
Today, New York has enough preschool seats to offer all 3- and 4-year-olds a spot. In practice, the available options are not always feasible for families, who typically look for programs within walking distance of their home — and yet are sometimes offered spots that require extended treks across boroughs.
Mayor Eric Adams’s administration struggled at times to move preschool slots, adjust for demand across neighborhoods and conduct outreach to families to help them sign up, issues with which Ms. Liss, the new director of the city’s child care office, has deep firsthand experience.
She played a significant role in the initial rollout of the universal prekindergarten program and its expansion.
Ms. Liss, a parent of young children in Brooklyn who left the Education Department in 2022 shortly after Mr. Adams took office, said on Wednesday that New York faced a “once in a generation opportunity” to create a city in which all families can thrive.
Stefanos Chen and Dana Rubinstein contributed reporting.
Troy Closson is a Times education reporter focusing on K-12 schools.
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