Power Lists
The 2024 Manhattan Power 100
The central players at the center of the world.
City & State presents the 2024 Manhattan Power 100. Alexander Spatari / Getty Images
Serving as Manhattan borough president isn’t exactly like being the mayor of the borough, but it can certainly be a starting point to being elected mayor of the entire city. Indeed, it worked for David Dinkins and Robert F. Wagner Jr., and Scott Stringer is hoping it’ll work out for him next year. Of course, that plan didn’t pan out for past borough presidents Ruth Messinger or C. Virginia Fields, but they moved past their respective mayoral losses to continue to serve their city and its residents in other important ways. Meanwhile, current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine is taking a step along a similar path with a newly announced bid for city comptroller, another springboard to run for mayor.
All five of the most recent occupants of the office – located appropriately enough at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at 1 Centre St. – are featured on City & State’s latest Manhattan Power 100. The list, which was written and researched in partnership with journalist Aaron Short, also puts a spotlight on dozens of other elected officials in Manhattan as well as key government appointees, business executives, advocates and more.
1. Alvin Bragg
Alvin Bragg did what Merrick Garland, Jack Smith and Fani Willis haven’t been able to do – secure a felony conviction against Donald Trump. The Manhattan district attorney, a Republican target since his swearing-in, remained in the background and focused on reducing violent crime as his team of prosecutors brought a 34-count indictment against the former president. Bragg has since called on a judge to extend Trump’s gag order, citing threats to his office, and even agreed to testify before the Republican-controlled House once Trump is sentenced. That may take a while as Trump's attorneys have asked the court to postpone sentencing following the U.S. Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling. Bragg has said that his office will defer to the court on the sentencing schedule.
2. Jerry Nadler
Don’t expect Rep. Jerry Nadler to retire anytime soon. He’s looking to serve another decade in office with his priority list, which includes the Second Avenue subway, a new freight tunnel and legal protections for Dreamers. The Upper West Side power broker isn’t afraid to take a stance on principle either, having rebuked Gov. Kathy Hochul’s last-minute decision to cancel congestion pricing, which may hamper the MTA’s budget while worsening gridlock and pollution. Nadler also helped position yet another Manhattan protégé, Micah Lasher, to win elected office with a pivotal primary victory for an open Assembly seat.
3. Liz Krueger
State Sen. Liz Krueger was stunned when Gov. Kathy Hochul abruptly announced in June that she would halt congestion pricing. It fell on lawmakers like Krueger, who chairs a key budgetary committee in Albany, to find the $1 billion in annual revenue that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would lose in the move, but the Manhattanite rejected the governor’s proposal for a payroll tax hike and called the decision a “staggering error.” Krueger, who’s a member of her local Four Freedoms Democratic Club, has also tried to improve the state’s rollout of legal marijuana licenses.
4. Adriano Espaillat
Rep. Adriano Espaillat has been a leading voice on immigration and how New York should solve its migrant crisis. He has toured facilities housing asylum-seekers at the border and in Manhattan hotels and argued the city’s 60-day shelter stay limit would create more homeless families. And he criticized the Hochul administration for bringing multiple drug treatment facilities to Harlem. Espaillat has also sought to tighten his grip on uptown politics too, backing two Latino challengers to Assembly incumbents in the Democratic primary – although his candidate couldn’t unseat Eddie Gibbs.
5. Damian Williams
Damian Williams hasn’t courted the media as much as his predecessors did, but politicians still fear him. The prosecutor secured a conviction against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey on public corruption charges and indicted Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, while also targeting crypto swindlers like Sam Bankman-Fried. Earlier this year, Williams asked a federal receiver to take over Rikers Island, putting him in opposition with the Adams administration. But Williams’ most noteworthy case – an investigation into the mayor’s ties to foreign donors that saw FBI agents seize Eric Adams’ phones – hasn’t been completed yet.
6. Cordell Cleare, Kristen Gonzalez, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Robert Jackson, Brian Kavanagh & Jose M. Serrano
State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal is not only one of the most prolific lawmakers in Albany, he’s also one of the most innovative policymakers, with a knack for latching onto issues that garner headlines. Lately, the Judiciary Committee chair has been focused on protecting fashion models from the threat of artificial intelligence, bolstering local media and passing legislation allowing medically assisted suicide. State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, one of a small but growing number of socialists in the state Legislature, has also focused on AI protections as chair of the Internet and Technology Committee. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, as chair of the housing committee, had a productive session, helping to reach a compromise on a package of housing legislation that increases protections for tenants and revives affordable housing incentives. State Sen. Robert Jackson, who chairs the Civil Service and Pensions Committee, scored a win in securing changes to the state’s pension benefits sought by public sector unions. State Sen. Cordell Cleare, the Aging Committee chair, is taking aim at food insecurity and also proposed the creation of a social housing development authority as an alternative to private development. State Sen. Jose M. Serrano, the majority conference chair, passed legislation this year creating cultural districts.
7. Diana Ayala
New York City Council Member Diana Ayala is not a fan of the mayor. The East Harlem lawmaker endorsed Adams in 2021, but more recently called him a “slumlord” for evicting migrants from shelters and joined a lawsuit against his administration over legislation expanding access to housing vouchers. Ayala opposes Adams’ appointment of Randy Mastro as corporation counsel and sought to reverse cuts to homeless and social services. The term-limited legislator is already floating her chief of staff, Elsie Encarnacion, as her replacement in 2025.
8. Mark Levine
After gaining citywide recognition for his timely COVID-19 updates and vaccine rollout, Mark Levine has used his borough pulpit more broadly. He has proposed expanding psychiatric care for homeless individuals, promoted the MTA’s unheralded underground public restrooms, advocated for residential parking permits for Manhattanites and appointed avowedly pro-housing community board members. This summer, he sounded the alarm that New York may be a “battleground state” in November. Levine is now looking to make his next big move, filing to run for city comptroller now that incumbent Brad Lander is running for mayor.
9. Dan Goldman
One reason Rep. Dan Goldman won a crowded congressional primary in 2022: He impressed voters by battling with House Republicans during Trump’s first impeachment trial. Goldman has since helped expel fraudster George Santos, filed a censure resolution against Rep. Elise Stefanik for peddling a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory and pitched a new office that would investigate U.S. Supreme Court corruption. But Goldman has also stood up to his own party too, backing Joe Biden amid calls for him to step aside. An outspoken defender of Israel, he has also argued that the country and Hamas must reach a temporary ceasefire.
10. Kathryn Wylde
New York’s business leaders aren’t an easy bunch to corral, but Kathryn Wylde has advocated for their interests with a singular voice for nearly 15 years. The Partnership for New York City leader championed congestion pricing and lambasted Gov. Kathy Hochul for shelving a plan that would reduce traffic that currently costs the region about $9 billion in productivity annually. Wylde has also lobbied for the Clean Slate Act to help formerly incarcerated individuals find work, urged the state to give the city more control over zoning policies to address the housing crisis and sought to block a bevy of other bills.
11. Al Sharpton
The Rev. Al Sharpton is the veritable pope of the Democratic Party who confers his blessing upon those who visit his Harlem headquarters for his endorsement. In April, Sharpton hosted the New York City mayor, New York governor and a bevy of next-in-line hopefuls seated in the front row at NAN’s annual convention. The civil rights leader has also remained a counselor to Democrats nationally and locally, standing behind Mayor Eric Adams in a Daily News op-ed despite shaky poll numbers. He even baptized Adams on Rikers Island on Good Friday.
12. Harvey Epstein, Charles Fall, Deborah Glick, Grace Lee, Linda Rosenthal & Rebecca Seawright
After two years of back-and-forth negotiations over a comprehensive housing package, Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal helped ensure that “good cause” eviction and other tenant protections were included in the final version of the state budget. Rosenthal also co-sponsored wage theft bills that would pull liquor licenses from restaurants and bars that stiffed their workers, after noting that wage theft cost workers $1 billion a year, and passed a proposal requiring stadiums and auditoriums to carry epinephrine auto-injectors to treat allergic reactions.
Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick had guided myriad environmental bills that were close to a floor vote before the governor’s abrupt pause on congestion pricing. Instead, measures that would have expanded the bottle deposit law, reduced plastic packaging and prevented utilities from charging customers to install new gas lines all sputtered. Glick has vowed to press onward, especially after the state has treaded backward on transit-related climate goals and now may miss renewable energy targets by 2030 too.
Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright is in a much better position today than she was four years ago when she missed a ballot deadline and found herself off of it. She still won reelection on another party line and cruised two years ago. Since then, Seawright has co-sponsored the Equal Rights Amendment, got two disability rights bills signed and has been pushing a package of electric scooter safety bills.
Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, who took office in 2018, is looking to stay closer to home as a candidate for a New York City Council seat held by the term-limited Carlina Rivera. He chairs the Commission on State-Local Relations and the Subcommittee on Retention of Homeownership and Stabilization of Affordable Housing. Assembly Member Grace Lee, the co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Task Force , spearheaded successful efforts to make the Lunar New York a school holiday and has emphasized the importance of the Asian American electorate. Assembly Member Charles Fall, whose primarily Staten Island district includes a sliver of lower Manhattan, chairs the Subcommittee on Consumer Fraud Protection and worked to obtain funding for affordable housing at 5 World Trade Center.
13. Keith Wright & Sid Davidoff
Keith Wright’s tenure as head of the Manhattan Democratic Party has not been completely smooth. Last fall, a faction of district leaders tried to force Wright out of his seat because of his role at the lobbying firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron. Wright crushed the proposal and brushed back a challenge to his No. 2 post from Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. And he extended his dynasty by helping Manhattan incumbents keep their seats and his son Jordan Wright won an open Harlem Assembly seat in the primary. Wright’s colleague Sid Davidoff has grown Davidoff Hutcher & Citron by adding new talent and won a case against MSG for violating privacy laws.
14. Jim Whelan
James Whelan did not get everything on his wish list from Albany, but the REBNY leader scored several new incentives and carve-outs for his members. After warning state leaders in December that they were not taking the housing crisis seriously, lawmakers cobbled together a housing deal that revamped the expired 421-a tax break, created a new abatement and removed a cap on floor area ratio. Tenants won several protections, but Whelan got legislators to allow owners to increase rents on vacant apartments that they renovate and won other exemptions.
15. Michael Dowling
Michael Dowling and his staff’s resilience in the face of relentless coronavirus surges during the pandemic was so impressive it was the subject of a documentary. Now that COVID-19 has become more manageable, Dowling has positioned Northwell Health toward the future to reverse inequities in health care. Northwell, which counts Manhattan’s Lenox Hospital and the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital among its many downstate health care facilities, appears on the right track after the health system posted $4 billion in revenue in the last quarter of 2023.
16. Jeff Blau
Stephen Ross’ announcement that he was leaving the real estate company he founded to start a firm in South Florida shocked the industry. But Related Companies remains in good hands with Jeff Blau, who is staying on as CEO and continues to lead the transformation of Manhattan’s West Side. In March, Related and Wynn Resorts unveiled renderings for a $12 billion casino complex that includes an 80-story tower next to the High Line and a 5.6-acre park. Across the East River, Blau is working with Sterling Equities on the Willets Point redevelopment that was approved in April.
17. Bill Thompson & Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
College campuses have become flashpoints over the Israel-Hamas war, forcing Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and Bill Thompson to make tough decisions to ensure student safety. In early May, CUNY leaders called on police to clear a City College encampment after attempts were made to occupy a building. Matos Rodriguez unveiled a new strategic plan for the CUNY system and the system its three largest donations in history, totaling over $240 million. Matos Rodriguez and Thompson continue to navigate cuts to the CUNY budget and negotiated new contracts with union representing 25% of the CUNY workforce.
18. Shaun Abreu, Gale Brewer, Carmen De La Rosa, Julie Menin, Carlina Rivera & Yusef Salaam
Few politicians have the institutional knowledge, let alone the political independence, of New York City Council Member Gale Brewer. Brewer, who had a previous stint in the council and then served two terms as borough president before returning to her old seat, now chairs the Oversight and Investigations Committee. One of her current priorities is cracking down on illegal marijuana shops that have proliferated in the city. Council Member Julie Menin brings a wealth of civic experience, including as a former city commissioner, to her role chairing the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee. She spearheaded labor-backed legislation increasing transparency surrounding hospital costs and is in the midst of another push for union-friendly legislation to license hotels.
Council Member Yusef Salaam is one of the newest city lawmakers, but he was well-known as one of the Central Park Five who was wrongly convicted in a rape case in 1990. Salaam, who was backed by Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright, beat two state lawmakers in the primary, and was named chair of the Public Safety Committee after taking office. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Wright’s rival, is the mentor of two other Manhattan council members, Shaun Abreu and Carmen De La Rosa. Abreu was reassigned to chair the Sanitation Committee this year, at a time when the city is overhauling how it collects trash. De La Rosa is the labor chair and has pushed to track workplace deaths and, more controversially, to shift New York City government retirees to a privatized Medicare Advantage insurance plan.
Council Member Carlina Rivera, who chairs the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations, has played a key role in efforts to block library funding cuts that were proposed by City Hall.
19. Keith Powers
New York City Council Member Keith Powers was unceremoniously stripped of his role as majority leader at the start of the year, with the consolation prize being his new assignment as chair of the legislative body’s Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections while also officially remaining part of the overall leadership team. The demotion may not mark the end of the term-limited lawmaker’s political career, however, since he is running for Manhattan borough president, now that current officeholder Mark Levine has opted to run for city comptroller.
20. Anthony Marx
Anthony Marx wasn’t about to take New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ moves to slash library budgets lying down. When the mayor first proposed reducing library funding from $36 million to $12 million in November, Marx launched a campaign to restore the funds. Then when Adams included $58 million in cuts in an April budget proposal and acknowledged that libraries were a pawn in his negotiations with the City Council, Marx ramped up the pressure. Adams blinked and by June the cuts got reversed, saving weekend service.
21. James Tisch & Merryl Tisch
With stints atop the state Board of Regents and SUNY’s Board of Trustees, Merryl Tisch has emerged as one of the foremost education leaders of the 21st century. Tisch advocated for lifting the cap on new charter schools and brought back former state education commissioner John King to serve as SUNY chancellor. This year, she and King helped secure $114 million in new funding to SUNY campuses after pressing lawmakers for more aid in the state budget. Meanwhile, James Tisch, along with Merryl Tisch, donated $60 million to Mount Sinai Health System, which has grappled with financial upheaval and sought to close Beth Israel hospital before postponing the move in July.
22. Christine Quinn
Christine Quinn may not be done with politics. The onetime mayoral hopeful found a rewarding second career as a leading advocate for New York City’s homeless families and migrants. She pushed for the Adams administration to expand access to housing vouchers, stop requiring unhoused people stay in shelters for 90 days before getting one and open up more shelter slots for thousands of migrants. Quinn called being council speaker the “best job I ever had” and is even mulling a bid for mayor next year, as long as Eric Adams doesn’t run for reelection.
23. Marc Holliday
Marc Holliday, whose real estate firm SL Green Realty Corp. owns the most commercial office space in the city, is no stranger to making large wagers. He has filled his high-rises with high-end restaurants from celebrity chefs like Daniel Boulud and pleaded with Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass legislation enabling the conversion of 40 million square feet of vacant offices to residential towers. Now that SL Green is on track to exceed its leasing expectations this year, odds are increasing that Holliday could score a state casino license for his Times Square casino plan at 1515 Broadway.
24. Suri Kasirer & Julie Greenberg
Suri Kasirer turned a fledgling business that she started in a studio apartment into the top lobbying shop, representing megadevelopers, hospital systems, universities and more. Last year, her firm hauled in $16.8 million in compensation, helping Stony Brook win New York City’s bid for a $700 million climate laboratory on Governors Island and assisted MGM Resorts in its proposal for a full casino license in Yonkers. Kasirer veteran Julie Greenberg helped build it into a powerhouse by picking the right projects and hiring a talented staff, such as former Nadler consigliere Amy Rutkin.
25. Emily Giske & Violet Moss
As their firm has moved up to the No. 2 spot in state lobbying earnings, Emily Giske and Violet Moss have also made it their mission to turn Bolton-St. Johns into one of the most diverse and inclusive government affairs firms in the Northeast. Giske, a Democratic National Convention delegate in 2016 who has repped clients such as Yum Brands, Airbnb and Pfizer, was instrumental in passing the state’s Marriage Equality Act and legalizing gestational surrogacy. Moss, a former Assembly Health Committee analyst, has represented hospitals, academic institutions and publicly traded companies with an emphasis on leading campaigns to pass legislation and securing government funding for her clients.
26. Edward Gibbs, Alex Bores, Tony Simone, Manny De Los Santos & Al Taylor
A younger group of Manhattan lawmakers is making some noise in the Assembly. Assembly Members Alex Bores and Tony Simone both took office last year after winning competitive primaries for open seats. Bores, who succeeded Dan Quart, came into office focusing on public safety, among other policy issues. Simone, who was endorsed by his predecessor, Richard Gottfried, is targeting the city’s housing crisis. Assembly Member Edward Gibbs became the first formerly incarcerated individual to serve in the state Legislature in 2022, and he recently fended off a primary challenge from an ally of Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Another Espaillat ally, Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, is coasting to reelection this cycle. Assembly Member Al Taylor is also seeking another term in the state Legislature after his bid for a seat on the New York City Council fell short.
27. James Capalino
James Capalino’s influence in New York City governance was so widespread it was once compared with a shadow layer of government when Bill de Blasio was mayor. His lobbying firm still enjoys a close relationship with the Adams administration, bringing in $6.3 million in compensation in 2023, making his firm a Top 5 lobbying outfit. Capalino oversaw a major relocation, which moved from its headquarters in the Woolworth Building in November to 730 Third Ave., where it leased 8,424 square feet of office space closer to Grand Central.
28. Jonathan Bing, John Mascialino & Ed Wallace
Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law firm with 2,750 attorneys in 47 offices around the world, but their competitive edge comes from honing in on hyperlocal issues. When former Assembly Member Jonathan Bing wasn’t busy repping hospitals, accounting firms and the Broadway League or helping win funding and push legislation in Albany, he secured liquor licenses for a dozen new Rockefeller Center restaurants and backed the Frick Museum’s application to serve booze at its Gilded Age mansion. Former New York City Council Member Ed Wallace, a top real estate lobbyist, has beefed up Greenberg Traurig’s New York office as its co-chair, while John Mascialino, who leads the firm’s New York Government Law & Policy Practice, recently joined the Queens Chamber of Commerce board.
29. Rob Speyer
When the pandemic forced people to work from home and emptied out business districts, Rob Speyer went on a $11 billion buying spree, acquiring more than $6 billion in office space while pursuing a strategy to make Tishman Speyer more innovative. This year, Speyer launched a credit business for commercial real estate loans. Speyer’s office market bet panned out, as his Spiral tower at Hudson Yards is 81% leased. He continues to co-chair the Partnership for New York City and is leading a new Workforce Development Council that Mayor Eric Adams launched in April.
30. Steven Rubenstein
Howard Rubenstein’s death in 2020 left a gaping hole in New York’s civic life, but his son, Steven Rubenstein, is doing all he can to provide steady leadership in an uncertain time. His stewardship of Association for a Better New York has allowed him to grill Rep. Hakeem Jeffries over the Democratic Party’s strategy to mobilize voters after losing congressional seats and had Mayor Eric Adams face tough questions over his budget cuts. Rubenstein continues to provide counsel to corporate and media titans across the globe and recently honored his mentor, Executive Vice President Nancy Haberman, who retired in April after a 45-year career.
31. Steven Roth
Steven Roth’s vision of building new office towers around Penn Station fizzled after the market cratered in the pandemic. But Vornado has been redeveloping Midtown West by revamping Penn Station’s Seventh Avenue entrance to add an elevator and widened sidewalks, adding two floors of glass offices above the Penn Station Plaza in Penn 2, and leasing out 700,000 square feet in Penn 1. Roth also proposed replacing the demolished Hotel Pennsylvania with tennis courts and fashion shows.
32. Erik Bottcher & Christopher Marte
When the New York City Council reshuffled its committee chairs in January, council members including Erik Bottcher and Christopher Marte were left without a committee of their own. Chairs or not, you won’t find them just sitting around. Bottcher, who co-chairs the council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, is pushing to build more housing in the city and introduced legislation that would mandate social workers in every police precinct in the city. Marte, who along with Bottcher is co-chair of the council’s Manhattan delegation, has been more skeptical of efforts to boost housing, raising doubts in particular about Mayor Eric Adams’ City of Yes initiative.
33. Jessica Lappin
Lower Manhattan was one of the last neighborhoods in the city to recover from the pandemic, but Jessica Lappin is no stranger to challenges. Now a decade into her role as head of the Alliance for Downtown New York, Lappin has helped make the neighborhood more livable by surveying residents’ concerns, promoting its restaurants and tourism sites, and sponsoring events like a jazz concert series and the Dine Around Downtown festival. This year, Lappin called for the extension of a tax abatement and lifting the density cap, and converting outdated offices into affordable housing.
34. Allen Roskoff
Last fall, Allen Roskoff launched a campaign to recruit progressive challengers to New York City mayor two years before the primary. Now, three Democrats are in the mix to run in 2025 and more could enter, but the longtime LGBTQ+ activist isn’t satisfied. Roskoff, whose enmity for Mayor Eric Adams arose due to the mayor’s anti-gay appointees, has also kept a close eye on Donald Trump, attending his civil fraud case in October and hosting Mary Trump at the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club dinner earlier this year.
35. Steven Corwin
Dr. Steven Corwin remembers the horrors of the pandemic, which sent thousands of COVID-19 patients to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and put hundreds of people into its ICU at its peak. The health center withstood multiple coronavirus surges and has remained one of the world’s best hospitals – and the top in New York City, according to U.S. News & World Report. This spring, Corwin helped launch a mobile health unit bringing pregnancy care throughout the borough and has been negotiating with the 32BJ SEIU Health Fund over its insurance plan.
36. Stacy Lynch
Stacy Lynch impressed Gov. Kathy Hochul serving as Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin’s chief of staff so much that when the lieutenant governor resigned in April 2022, Hochul transferred Lynch to run the Executive Chamber. A key member of Hochul’s inner circle, Lynch manages her schedule, relationships with other elected officials and hundreds of employees. Her late father Bill Lynch remains beloved in Harlem political circles for running David Dinkins’ 1989 mayoral campaign and Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns – but the younger Lynch has an impressive resume in her own right, including as a top aide in the de Blasio administration.
37. Larry Silverstein
Larry Silverstein will forever be known as the person who rebuilt ground zero after terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and reinvigorated lower Manhattan in the process. Now 93, Silverstein is still making seismic moves, establishing a debt platform and acquiring the tallest tower in Brooklyn, 9 DeKalb. Former CEO Marty Burger left the company in October and launched his own real estate and development firm, Infinity Global, five months later to pursue office to residential conversions. Silverstein’s daughter, Lisa Silverstein, is now CEO.
38. Jessica Walker
The pandemic may be behind most New Yorkers, but Jessica Walker has ensured that policymakers continue to help small businesses recover. Walker supported the Adams administration’s plan to reduce fines on regulations. Walker has been supportive of a proposal in Mayor Eric Adams' City of Yes initiative that would support creation of more home-based businesses, with the goal of those businesses becoming future store front based businesses. Walker also backed moving street vendors away from Brooklyn Bridge, as long as they had another place to operate nearby.
39. Wellington Chen
For nearly two decades, Wellington Chen has helped rejuvenate Manhattan’s Chinatown into a thriving, eminently livable destination. Its recovery was thrown into uncertainty during the pandemic, but Chen helped steady downtown businesses that were struggling to survive the lack of foot traffic. Meanwhile, a younger generation of Asian Americans have sought to revitalize the area with restaurants and boutiques. Chen also secured $55 million from the Adams administration to upgrade the streets around Park Row and Kimlau Square and make the area safer for pedestrians.
40. William Floyd & Angela Sung Pinsky
Angela Sung Pinsky and William Floyd have overseen Google’s steady expansion in Chelsea, a contrast to Amazon’s high-handed approach that soured many locals. So when the global tech company shifted 3,000 employees into a new headquarters at a renovated railway terminus near Hudson Square in February, New Yorkers celebrated the move for helping revitalize lower Manhattan. Pinsky and Floyd were unsuccessful in thwarting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s SAFE for Kids Act regulating social media use, but they’ll likely play a role in discussions over her proposed AI research center.
41. Brendan Carr
When Brendan Carr was named as Mount Sinai’s CEO in November, succeeding longtime leader Kenneth Davis, he was tasked with ensuring that the health system upheld patient care standards while maneuvering to close its money-losing Beth Israel hospital. The East Village facility had lost $1 billion over the past decade, and Carr, an emergency physician who joined just before the pandemic, sought to fast-track the closure but has postponed it temporarily amid pushback. In the meantime, he launched a new Center for Healthcare Readiness at the Icahn School of Medicine to coordinate responses to public health emergencies.
42. Grace Bonilla
Grace Bonilla had big shoes to fill when she replaced Sheena Wright, who served United Way for a decade and left to become a New York City deputy mayor. Bonilla, a former city Human Resources Administration leader, manages a bevy of direct services that help New Yorkers in need. The nonprofit group’s reports on the economic effect of the pandemic and the true cost of living showed that 50% of New Yorkers are struggling with their costs, and Bonilla has staunchly advocated for universal after-school programs as well.
43. Robert Grossman
Dr. Robert Grossman has positioned NYU Langone Health and its medical school as a top academic medical center. Grossman, who runs the health system and is dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine, established a free tuition program that was so successful it inspired other schools to scrap tuition too. At commencement this spring, Grossman exhorted medical students to embrace the responsibility that comes with being a health care leader. A few months later, Grossman and board chair Kenneth Langone announced they would both retire from NYU in August 2025.
44. Cristina Contreras, William Hicks & Georges Leconte
Cristina Contreras, William Hicks and Georges Leconte have led essential safety net hospitals in the NYC Health + Hospitals system as they continue to provide world-class care to New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Hicks, who was appointed in 2016, helped Bellevue obtain accreditation for its cancer care from the American College of Surgeons, one of 14 hospitals in the country to do so, and opened a new $285,000 lab allowing patients to be treated for skin cancer in a single visit. Contreras, appointed in 2021, got Metropolitan Hospital designated as a baby-friendly hospital this year. She also chairs the city’s annual Dominican Day parade. Leconte, who helped the system’s Harlem hospital emerge from the coronavirus pandemic since taking the helm in 2022, is a Haitian immigrant who has been in the NYC Health + Hospitals system since 1999.
45. S. David Wu
When David Wu took the job of running Baruch College in February 2020, he had no idea what was in store for him. Wu, the first Asian American educator to lead a City University of New York school, established a task force to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while also keeping an eye on how to position Baruch for the future by increasing instructional options and expanding online courses. Baruch has since become a model for upward mobility, with 74% of its students graduating within six years.
46. Camille Joseph-Goldman & Rodney Capel
Cable television is entering an anxious era as more customers end their subscriptions due to rising prices. But Charter Communications, which has 3.5 million customers in New York, has boosted its revenue this year as Camille Joseph-Goldman and Rodney Capel have improved its standing in the community and with policymakers. Joseph-Goldman got Charter to work with New York City to provide broadband service to NYCHA residents and joined the state’s broadband advisory committee last year. Capel presented a $20,000 digital education grant to a Mount Vernon STEM program and gave a $10,000 grant to the Bushwick Film Festival.
47. Jonathan Greenblatt
In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, Jonathan Greenblatt has become a leading voice defending Zionism as an American value. The Anti-Defamation League CEO forcefully argued that anti-Zionism stances were antisemitic. In April, Greenblatt made headlines when he called Columbia University’s pro-Gaza encampment a “disgrace” and posted a video calling for the National Guard to intervene. ADL also rated 85 institutions of higher learning on how well they protect Jewish students, giving a “C” to NYU and a “D” to Columbia University and Barnard College.
48. Linda Mills
Linda Mills made history last year when she became the first female leader in New York University’s 193-year existence. At her inauguration, Mills promoted the school’s mission by offering free tuition for undergraduates whose households earned less than $100,000, a new degree program for incarcerated individuals and an AI research cluster. But clashes over Israel-Palestine campus demonstrations took center stage for a time. In November, NYU alums criticized Mills for downplaying chants of pro-Palestine demonstrators. Six months later, students protested Mills’ decision to call police to dismantle a Gaza solidarity encampment.
49. Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrapped up his 12 years in office over a decade ago, but he’s still playing a role in politics as an ally of Mayor Eric Adams while also offering his opinions on local policy. His Bloomberg Philanthropies teamed up with City Hall on summer programming for charter schools, and the former mayor has weighed in recently on issues like mayoral control of schools in the city and banning student cell phones in class. Outside of Manhattan, Bloomberg teamed up with Alex Rodriguez on a bid for the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA team.
50. Winston Fisher
Winston Fisher has been working in the family business for more than 20 years, and he’s always had his eye on the future. Fisher leads the redevelopment Las Vegas' first-ever purpose built immersive entertainment district called AREA 15. Last year, Fisher announced plans to expand AREA 15 by 20 acres. Fisher isn’t ignoring New York either, inking white shoe law firm Paul Weiss to a 765,000-square-foot lease at 1345 Sixth Ave. Fisher, who is a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, recently stepped down as co-chair of the state’s New York City Regional Economic Development Council.
51. Katrina Armstrong
When Dr. Katrina Armstrong took the reins at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 2022, her résumé included stints at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and research into the racial inequities of cancer treatment. She’s now taking over as Columbia University’s interim president, following the abrupt resignation of Minouche Shafik. Earlier this year, Armstrong saw construction begin on New York City’s first all-electric university research building, a biomedical facility in Washington Heights.
52. Bryan Kelly
The Hospital for Special Surgery had never had a surgeon as its CEO in its 160-year history until board members named Bryan Kelly its new leader in February 2023. Kelly, who became surgeon-in-chief in 2019 and is an expert in hip preservation, has continued former CEO Louis Shapiro’s legacy in delivering top-ranked orthopedic and rheumatology care. Kelly has also kept HSS in the black, thanks in part to a $12 million gift from Kenneth Griffin at a June fundraiser and a donation from Lizzie and John Tisch to support the expansion of Kellen Tower. Kelly also served as head team doctor of the New York Rangers.
53. David Paterson
A few years ago, legendary Harlem politician David Paterson linked up with the Las Vegas Sands to help the company win a license for a $4 billion gaming facility in Uniondale. The project faced a hurdle when Hofstra University sued to block Nassau Coliseum’s transfer to Sands, although the Nassau County Legislature recently approved Sands’ lease of the property. Licenses won’t be awarded before the end of 2025, and in the meantime Paterson has continued to be a Democratic elder statesman, while also defending New York City Mayor Eric Adams and backing Adams’ nomination of Randy Mastro to be City Hall’s top lawyer.
54. Elizabeth Smith
Betsy Smith didn’t have to move far when she left the New York City Parks and Recreation Department’s Arsenal headquarters to join the Central Park Conservancy six years ago. Smith has ensured the iconic park adapts to extreme temperatures from climate change while also hauling in funds to maintain the city’s crown jewel. The park’s most significant upgrade may be its three-year, $150 million restoration of Harlem Meer Center, which will fully replace the Lasker Rink and swimming pool. This year, Smith launched a $64 million effort to level six miles of perimeter sidewalks.
55. Dan Biederman
As an urban revitalization expert, Dan Biederman consults on parks projects around the country, bringing innovative approaches he’s pioneered at Bryant Park. Biederman formed the Bryant Park Organization in the 1980s and developed a model of private ownership and management of a public park. Since then, he has added a winter village with an ice rink and a bevy of summer programs, including picnic concerts and its iconic outdoor movie series. He’s also made 34th Street more pedestrian-friendly and worked with Macy’s on a $235 million upgrade to Herald Square.
56. Alfred C. Cerullo III
Alfred C. Cerullo III is thrilled that commuters are finally returning to East Midtown after the devastating coronavirus pandemic. Some of that is due to perks landlords are offering commercial tenants, but the biggest amenity is the proximity to Grand Central and its new commuter rail terminal, which opened in February 2023. Cerullo credits Grand Central Madison for boosting Midtown foot traffic. Cerullo served on the mayor’s acclaimed “New” New York Panel, which aims to make the city’s commercial corridors more resilient, and he also serves as a city planning commissioner.
57. Rob Byrnes
For two decades, Rob Byrnes has seen East Midtown’s peaks and valleys, from its 2017 rezoning that enabled its modernized office towers to a pandemic that turned it into a ghost town. The business improvement district leader is making the neighborhood a place the city’s hordes of commuters want to visit even after business hours, holding dozens of events celebrating Pride, a World Poetry Day in collaboration with the New York Public Library, and a “Trick or Treat” giveaway that attracted 5,000 attendees. Byrnes also worked with The Doe Fund to keep Midtown spotless.
58. James Dolan
James Dolan has acknowledged he’ll never be beloved for owning the Knicks and Rangers until he’s dead. Perhaps that has been freeing for the executive, who has been blamed for obstructing progress on revitalizing Penn Station and for decades of basketball futility. But the opening of the $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere last fall brought Dolan something new – begrudging respect. Dolan has been on a winning streak ever since, receiving a five-year permit from the City Council to operate MSG and enjoying deep playoff runs for both the Knicks and Rangers.
59. Eva Moskowitz
Eva Moskowitz famously clashed with the de Blasio administration over her goals to expand charter schools, but her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams is the opposite. Adams and the New York City Department of Education leased space for all Success Academy schools in the 2023-2024 school year, a move supported by the charter school leader. The former New York City Council member is working to expand the Success Academy footprint in New York and possibly nationally. The network broke ground on a new 300,000 square foot campus in the Bronx, which will house 2,400 students, and is looking into expansion into Florida.
60. George Fontas
After more than a decade at Capalino, George Fontas struck out on his own seven years ago. He has since advanced zoning proposals through New York City’s land use review process and helped manage independent expenditure campaigns in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Last year, Fontas helped Homeowners for an Affordable New York, which includes the Real Estate Board of New York, lobby against “good cause” eviction and other bills. He also worked with technology clients to craft tech-friendly regulations and improve relations with the Adams administration.
61. Micah Lasher & Jordan Wright
Two of the biggest open Assembly races this year took place in Manhattan, with former Hochul adviser Micah Lasher winning the primary for Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell’s Upper West Side seat and Jordan Wright beating the primary field for the seat being vacated by Assembly Member Inez Dickens in Harlem. And both politicians have the buzz and the backing (Lasher is a protégé of Rep. Jerry Nadler, while Wright is the son of Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright) that could propel them to an even higher office in the years ahead.
62. Paul Schoeman & Howard Spilko
In their first year as co-managing partners at Kramer Levin, Paul Schoeman and Howard Spilko had to navigate the white shoe law firm’s remote work policies and vaccination rollouts before their offices reopened. Then they helped the firm bounce back after a relatively quiet period of deals in the mergers and acquisitions markets in 2022 and the early bank failures the following year. Last year, revenue rose to $435 million, the second highest in the firm’s history. They’ve also beefed up the firm’s corporate department and bankruptcy and restructuring arm with several recent hires.
63. Danna DeBlasio
After leading CMW Strategies’ day-to-day operations and building a roster of nonprofit, technology, trade association and corporate clients, Danna DeBlasio nabbed a nifty promotion and became a full partner in May. The Albany native, who has no relation to the former mayor, has lobbied city and state officials for a dozen years. Over the past year, she led a campaign with minority-owned businesses to combat shoplifting, resulting in a state budget investment; got more city funding for legal services; and helped formulate the city’s permanent outdoor dining program.
64. Nancy Cantor
Many Hunter College students worried about the future of the “crown jewel” of the CUNY system when Jennifer Raab announced she would step down after nearly a quarter century in charge. After a lengthy search, Rutgers University-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor was picked as Raab’s replacement in February. Cantor officially took office on Aug. 12 and promised to champion the school’s mission of social mobility and carry on her family’s legacy, as her mother attended Hunter and her father attended City College.
65. Alan Steel
Alan Steel is calling it a wrap. The Javits Center leader announced that he would retire in March 2025 after a dozen years running New York City’s premier events space, which has hosted Comic Con, Armory Week and the International Auto Show. Steel helped the convention center recover from Superstorm Sandy flooding by transforming it into a net-zero building with an eight-acre green roof that has become a home to migratory birds. He also oversaw the transformation of the Javits Center into a temporary hospital and mass vaccination site during the COVID-19 pandemic.
66. Elizabeth Velez
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth Velez pressed New York City leaders to jump-start the construction industry to keep workers employed during an uncertain time. The former chair of the New York Building Congress succeeded, and by 2023 the city reached $83 billion in construction spending, including $26 billion on housing construction alone. Now the Building Congress is advocating for zoning changes to allow more residential development and office conversions in central business districts to address the housing crisis. Velez also chairs the New York Building Foundation, the Building Congress’ charitable arm.
67. Seth Pinsky
This spring, Seth Pinsky celebrated the 150th anniversary of 92NY, a remarkable “temple of culture” that has sought to facilitate conversations between some of the world’s most influential thinkers. The venerable Upper East Side institution had already gone through a major transition with a rebrand, from 92nd Street Y to 92NY, in 2022. Pinsky, a former real estate executive and leader of New York City’s economic development arm, has led 92NY since 2020. He has also navigated an uproar over the cancellation of an event in October 2023 with a novelist critical of Israel.
68. Anthony Munroe
Anthony Munroe joined the Borough of Manhattan Community College in the fall of 2020 after leading Essex County College, with a mission of steering the Manhattan school out of the pandemic while improving retention and graduation rates and making the school more inclusive. Munroe has since signed a transfer agreement allowing BMCC business, paramedic and associates degree graduates to get bachelor’s degrees at SUNY Empire State University and launched a new study abroad partnership with the Council on International Educational Exchange. He has made strides in boosting retention too.
69. Laura Ann Rosenbury
Barnard College’s new president, Laura Ann Rosenbury, assumed the leadership role with a mission to foster collaboration across campus, modernize its dorms and academic buildings, and raise $1 billion over the next decade. But the former University of Florida dean’s first year in Morningside Heights has been marked by the fallout of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Rosenbury’s statements denouncing antisemitism after the Oct. 7 attacks drew criticism from pro-Palestine student groups and her move to rewrite policies to restrict campus political activity prompted an outcry.
70. Tom Harris
Times Square has always been a symbol of New York City’s mood, reflecting the isolation of the pandemic and a sense of lawlessness as the city reopened. But Tom Harris has the “Crossroads of the World” safe, fun and bustling again. After celebrating the 180th business to open in Times Square since the pandemic and welcoming 400,000 tourists per day back last summer, Harris rang Nasdaq’s opening bell in December and was honored at New 42’s gala this spring. He has also continued attractions such as solstice yoga and a Broadway-themed Earth Day celebration.
71. Melissa Mark-Viverito
The former New York City Council speaker isn’t running for elected office, but Melissa Mark-Viverito has been guiding Democratic candidates, particularly in New York. Since the MirRam Group’s Hamilton Campaign Network launched in 2016, it has helped Eric Gonzalez, Letitia James and Adriano Espaillat win big races. Now Mark-Viverito has her eye on helping Latino candidates in swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona. She has also worked with the Harlem African Burial Ground initiative to recover human remains at a former bus depot in East Harlem.
72. Jonathan Boulware
Since his appointment to the South Street Seaport a decade ago, Jonathan Boulware has helped lead the revitalization of the waterfront neighborhood into an artistic, foodie and transit destination. Boulware, an actual captain, helped reopen the seaport’s museum and 138-year-old tall ship Wavertree after the pandemic, brought culinary icons like Jean-Georges Vongerichten to open a luxury food hall in the Tin Building, and welcomed a new wave of competition-style bars including the Lawn Club, a 15,000-square-foot croquet venue.
73. Joel Towers
Joel Towers hopes to bring stability to The New School, which has cycled through presidents, experienced two labor strikes and was the site of the first pro-Palestine faculty encampment in the country in May. The former Parsons School of Design dean and renowned architecture professor succeeded Donna Shalala, who served for a year following Dwight McBride’s resignation last June. Towers, who began his tenure on Aug. 1, will expand The New School’s work helping cities and institutions adapt to climate change through sustainable design practices.
74. Shanta Thake & Leah Johnson
Shanta Thake and Leah Johnson have wasted no time putting their imprint on one of the world’s most significant cultural institutions by expanding its offerings to new audiences. Thake, a Public Theater alum, worked with Johnson to install a disco ball over Lincoln Center’s fountain, commissioned a multimedia jazz work and digital hub about San Juan Hill, expanded its “choose what you pay” offerings, and hosted naturalization ceremonies and weddings. Lincoln Center has quickly become one of the livelist destinations for summer arts programming thanks to their weeklong events celebrating Indian and Korean culture.
Perhaps the biggest change is yet to come, with former Bennington College President Mariko Silver just announced as the cultural institution’s next president, succeeding Henry Timms.
75. Arthur Aidala
Arthur Aidala, known for representing controversial defendants, made tabloid headlines this spring when the state Court of Appeals overturned his client Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes conviction. Aidala had argued that Weinstein didn’t get a fair trial and called the latest decision a “great day in America.” Now he’s vowing to get his client acquitted in New York and California. He’s also tracking Donald Trump’s hush money conviction, whose appeal he says will be the “height of lawyering.” (Is that an audition?) In the meantime, Aidala has been expanding his civil practice.
76. Raju Mann
Battery Park City is slowly sinking, and the next superstorm could threaten its existence. That’s why Battery Park City Authority’s Raju Mann has prioritized a climate resiliency plan to protect the neighborhood from coastal flooding. Mann, who joined BPCA in December after an eight-year stint as a top New York City Council land use staffer, has used funding from its $744 million bond offering to pay for a flood barrier along the coast, the restoration of the Rockefeller Park House and playground, and repairs to the Pier A Plaza.
77. Lisa Linden
This June, Lisa Linden led a revamp of her strategic communications firm LAKPR Group into Resilere Partners, which will expand its services to include private equity and investment firm advising as well as some of the best crisis communications services in New York City. Linden is one of the best in the field, having helped former Gov. Eliot Spitzer navigate several personal challenges as well as his city comptroller campaign. More recently, Linden worked with Clearview AI, which has helped identify missing child sexual abuse victims.
78. Ralph Bumbaca
As commercial market president for TD Bank in New York City, Ralph Bumbaca leads the bank's commercial and small business banking services at 135 branches across the region. Bumbaca previously served as regional vice president for Brooklyn, northern Manhattan and the borough of Manhattan, so he knows the needs of city business owners. Despite market volatility, small-business owners told TD Bank last year they were optimistic about the future. Besides managing a staff of 40 bankers, Bumbaca serves on the boards of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens, the Carroll Garden Association and the Frederick Foundation, and raises money for autism awareness and research.
79. C. Virginia Fields & Shirley Torho
C. Virginia Fields may have retired from her CEO position at Black Health, but she won’t stop being a voice for eliminating racial inequities in health care and boosting community engagement. The former Manhattan borough president joined the HIV/AIDS nonprofit in 2008 and led a rebranding a decade later – previously the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, now the National Black Leadership Commission on Health – as the organization sought to focus on a wider array of diseases affecting Black Americans. On June 19, Mayor Eric Adams designated Juneteenth as C. Virginia Fields Day. Public health professional Shirley Torho is the organization’s new leader.
80. Rosemonde Pierre-Louis
Rosemonde Pierre-Louis has dedicated her life to fighting the racial and social inequities that cause poverty and helping New York City’s most vulnerable residents receive basic services. The former deputy borough president and top adviser to the city’s gender equity commission became head of NYU’s McSilver Institute two years ago after serving as its chief operating officer. She has led research projects into child maltreatment and youth suicide prevention, and held roundtables with lawmakers on criminal justice reform, mental health and education. Pierre-Louis also co-chaired a panel on subway fare evasion.
81. Scott Stringer
Scott Stringer wasn’t happy with how the last mayoral election cycle turned out, so he’s considering another run. The former city comptroller declared in January he would explore a run against Mayor Eric Adams in next year’s Democratic Party primary, which made him the first significant challenger. Others have since announced bids (and others still may), but Stringer reported an eye-raising haul of $2.1 million including matching funds in June. With only 16% of New Yorkers backing Adams in 2025, Stringer could have a chance at redemption.
82. Samara Karasyk
Nestled between Tribeca and SoHo, Hudson Square had long been a sleepy home to printers and advertising offices, but thanks to Samara Karasyk’s efforts the secret is out. After joining the BID in November 2021, Karasyk unveiled a $13 million Hudson Street renovation with protected bike lanes and widened sidewalks. She’s adding greenery to the area and won a $4.5 million grant for Greenwich Street pedestrian improvements. And Google moved its headquarters to St. John’s Terminal in February, while Disney is opening its satellite at Hudson Square later this year.
83. Susan Stamler
Susan Stamler has ensured that New York City’s settlement houses continue to provide educational and social services to the latest wave of immigrants. For nearly nine years, Stamler has led United Neighborhood Houses, which represents 43 settlement houses that serve more than 750,000 New Yorkers. Stamler has sought to expand summer jobs programs, advocated for a working families tax cut and fought the mayor’s budget cuts targeting after-school and youth employment programs. She’s already turned her attention to ensuring the 2030 census accurately captures hard-to-reach populations.
84. Karol Mason
When Karol Mason took over John Jay College in 2017, the former assistant attorney general sought to offer a justice-focused education to more first-generation, immigrant and veteran students. The college has been recognized as one of the nation’s best for economic mobility while students incur the least amount of debt. Mason launched a public safety initiative to shape public policy and budgets to correct social and racial justice inequities, and she recently hosted Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and state Court of Appeals Chief Judge Rowan Wilson to discuss their career paths.
85. Peggy Shepard
Known as the godmother of the environmental justice movement, Peggy Shepard was once arrested on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for demonstrating against sewage pollution in Harlem. Now she’s a White House environmental justice council co-chair who has shaped environmental policy and called out U.S. Supreme Court rulings that prevent regulating environmental hazards and keeping our air clean. Last year, WE ACT was awarded a multiyear $10 million grant to develop a technical assistance center in EPA's Region 2 to assist non-profits and local governments in New York and New Jersey in applying for federal grants for environmental justice projects.
86. Cristyne Nicholas
Cristyne Nicholas has spent her career marketing New York City as the greatest city in the world. After stints working for Rudy Giuliani, Bill Bradley and George H.W. Bush, she co-founded Nicholas & Lence Communications in 2007 and set about overseeing messaging and marketing for the city’s tourism arm, NYC & Company. As chair of the Broadway Association, Nicholas was one of the most outspoken opponents of congestion pricing, arguing that a $15 toll would have deterred suburban customers from attending Broadway shows.
87. Phillip Jackson
When the Rev. Phillip Jackson became the first Black rector in Trinity Church’s 327-year history in 2022, he faced some challenges. Jackson lured congregants back to the Wall Street church after it held virtual services for many months. He stabilized the church’s esteemed music program by hiring a permanent musical director, Melissa Attebury, to start the 2024-25 season. And he set about awarding $36 million in grants to more than 100 nonprofits across the country and the world last year addressing housing instability, mental health and refugee resettlement.
88. Milton Tingling
Milton Tingling became the first Black county clerk in New York County's history in 2014. As county clerk, Tingling oversees hundreds of thousands of e-filings, over 30 different types of judgments, certifications of appeals, and docketing of tax warrants and adjudications from 10 different state and municipal agencies in addition to business filings to open LLCs and sole proprietorships and historical records going back almost 300 years. As Manhattan's commissioner of jurors, Tingling has a track record of providing jury pools to provide juror coverage for the borough's trials, overcoming a hurdle in a county with a history of residents trying to avoid doing their civic duty.
89. Ronald Richter
Ronald Richter has dedicated his career to ensuring that foster care and migrant children have an opportunity to improve their outcomes through health and educational services. With a $120 million annual budget, Richter’s JCCA provides more than 40 programs that serve 17,000 children and families. In December, JCCA opened a new mental health and preventative care clinic in Downtown Brooklyn after consolidating his East Flatbush and Manhattan offices. Richter previously served as commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services.
90. Michelle Ebanks
Michelle Ebanks turned the Essence Festival into the country’s largest Black cultural event, so she was a natural to continue The Apollo’s mission after longtime leader Jonelle Procope announced she would step down after 20 years. In her first year on the job, Ebanks led an $80 million fundraising campaign to rehabilitate the century-old theater with a new lobby cafe and upgraded seating and expand into two new stages at the Victoria Theater two doors down. She honored Usher and Babyface at the Apollo’s 90th anniversary celebration in June.
91. Barbara Askins
A business improvement district for Manhattan’s most important crosstown street wouldn’t exist if it were not for Barbara Askins. The community activist founded the BID three decades ago to remove litter piling up on 125th Street and has since tried to get ahead of the problem by adding more recycling bins and getting businesses to comply with carting rules. Those efforts have reduced crime and grime, although shoplifting and vacant storefronts remain concerns. Askins is also responsible for organizing holiday season light displays along the corridor.
92. John & Andrea Catsimatidis
John Catsimatidis has become one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in New York City, but he does have an independent streak. The Red Apple Group CEO and WABC radio owner was one of 15 people who attended a post-conviction fundraising dinner in May for the former president. But he didn’t hesitate to boot Rudy Giuliani from his radio show for discussing conspiracies about the 2020 election results. His daughter, Andrea Catsimatidis, stepped away from the family business to lead the Manhattan Republican Party. She’s now the most eligible Republican in the state after reportedly parting ways with reality TV star Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe.
93. Julie Stein
After running the mayor’s “New” New York Panel, Julie Stein stepped into a new role last June to help Union Square reimagine itself and regain foot traffic lost since the pandemic. Stein demanded more investment into accessibility and public safety after a social media stunt paralyzed the neighborhood and caused major damage to park landscaping last year. She has also encouraged commercial tenants to relocate to Union Square and created attractions, such as Tulip Day New York and an open air Night Market on Thursdays this summer.
94. Barbara Blair
While many think of the Garment District for its historic roots as the hub of New York City's fashion industry, Barbara Blair has looked to transform the neighborhood into a dynamic district with a mix of public art, small businesses, housing and dining. The business improvement district leader, who rebranded her group into the Garment District Alliance in 2014, lambasted government leaders for not doing enough to crack down on illegal marijuana stores in the area and complained that drug use prompted businesses to hire private security. Blair has also beautified her neighborhood. She unveiled a large button sculpture on Seventh Avenue and added colorful lanterns over Broadway.
95. Ruth Messinger
Ruth Messinger is one of her generation’s Jewish leaders who understands that the Israel-Gaza conflict is complicated. The former Democratic mayoral candidate has staked out a position that Israel must exist but that its attacks on Gaza threaten its future and contribute to antisemitism. She has sought to convince voters to support the Democratic ticket even if they disagree with the White House on Israel. Messinger’s work helping the city’s migrants has gotten less attention, but the former borough president has mobilized to provide food, clothing and shelter.
96. Blair Duncan
Blair Duncan learned the ropes about economic development in Upper Manhattan when he joined the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone as general counsel in 2003. So it was no surprise that the organization picked him to succeed Kenneth Knuckles, who retired in 2018. Under Duncan’s leadership, the group launched a hybrid microloan program to help businesses adapt to the pandemic, started a program to train Upper Manhattan residents for careers in the hospitality industry and supported the biotech incubator Harlem Biospace on its expansion in West Harlem.
97. Gigi Li
New York City Economic Development Corp. Vice President Gigi Li is focused on policy, but she’s had political ambitions as well. The former New York City Council candidate in Chinatown has been with the EDC since 2021, and she has worked on the city’s $1.6 million life sciences campus in Kips Bay, public investments at Kimlau Square and other projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. She also works on transportation projects, including an effort to bring quieter electric aircraft to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.
98. Kyle Ishmael
Harlem’s longtime leaders may be reluctant to give up power they’ve amassed for decades, but Kyle Ishmael isn’t waiting for his turn to make New York City better for his community. The Manhattan Democratic Party executive director and St. John’s alum founded his own political consulting firm, Back Chamber Consulting, in 2022 and helped convince exonerated activist Yusef Salaam to launch his political career in Harlem. (Spoiler alert: Salaam won). Ishmael also hosted a popular political podcast, “House Party,” with Malik Wright.
99. Malik Garvin
Malik Garvin is on a power play to make hockey one of the most popular sports in Harlem. Garvin began skating with Ice Hockey in Harlem when he was only 4 years old and eventually returned to the nonprofit in 2020 before becoming its executive director two years later. He spoke out about New York City’s decision to cut ties with the Trump Organization that led to the premature closure of the Wollman and Lasker rinks in 2021 (a de Blasio own goal). Garvin has since expanded the youth group’s efforts to include scrimmages in Detroit’s Clark Park.
100. David Aviles
David Aviles brought a bevy of fundraising and leadership experience to one of the oldest settlement houses in the nation when he joined Union Settlement in May. The nonprofit currently serves roughly 15,000 New Yorkers through more than 30 programs at 20 locations across the city. Aviles previously worked as a senior manager at the Bronx-based Knowledge House, where he helped young people learn coding and digital design skills so they could compete for technology jobs. He also ran a youth-focused workforce development program with the city.
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