{"id":39591,"date":"2026-02-12T15:04:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/?p=39591"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:04:25","slug":"mayor-mamdani-announces-key-appointments-to-three-city-agencies-and-offices-including-chief-technology-officer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/39591","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Mamdani announces key appointments to three city agencies and offices, including chief technology officer"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced three new appointments to lead critical agencies and offices across city government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani appointed Lisa Gelobter as New York City\u2019s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation; Nisha Agarwal as Commissioner of the Mayor\u2019s Office for People With Disabilities; and Lisa Scott-McKenzie as Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging.<\/p>\n

About Lisa\u00a0Gelobter<\/strong><\/p>\n

A recognized leader in\u00a0social impact\u00a0and digital equity,\u00a0Lisa\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0will serve as New York City\u2019s\u00a0Chief Technology Officer\u00a0(CTO)\u00a0and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI).<\/p>\n

Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0brings decades of experience at the intersection of technology, public service, and social impact.\u00a0Most recently, Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0founded\u00a0tEQuitable, which\u00a0helps organizations\u00a0identify\u00a0and address systemic workplace culture issues and\u00a0uses technology to make workplaces more\u00a0equitable.<\/p>\n

Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0served in the Obama Administration as Chief Digital Service Officer at the U.S. Department of Education,\u00a0where she focused\u00a0on improving access to government services and boosting outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n

Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0also worked as Interim Chief Digital Officer at BET Networks,\u00a0dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community.\u00a0She has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 100 Women Building America\u2019s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses and named to Fast Company\u2019s list of Most Creative People.<\/p>\n

Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0is one of the first 40 Black women to have raised more than $1 million in venture capital funding and\u00a0helped pioneer several foundational Internet technologies, including Shockwave, Hulu, and the ascent of online video.<\/p>\n

As CTO and head of OTI, Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0will\u00a0oversee the city\u2019s technology infrastructure, cyber security\u00a0efforts,\u00a0and data management initiatives. She will\u00a0focus on using technology to expand access to\u00a0vital\u00a0city services\u00a0and\u00a0advancing digital equity\u00a0across New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u00a0deeply honored to be appointed by Mayor Mamdani at a moment when technology is reshaping\u00a0nearly every\u00a0aspect of civic life. Technology impacts how people experience government every day \u2014 from accessing services to trusting that systems work fairly and responsibly.\u00a0As CTO and Commissioner, my focus\u00a0will be on using technology in service of the public good: improving delivery, strengthening accountability, and ensuring innovation reflects the needs of all New Yorkers,\u201d said\u00a0CTO and OTI Commissioner\u00a0Gelobter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to work alongside the extraordinary team at OTI, our partners, and communities across the\u00a0City\u00a0to deliver technology that truly works for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa\u00a0Gelobter\u2019s\u00a0decades-long career as a computer scientist, innovator, and entrepreneur has been defined by her commitment to leveraging technology for the public good,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Mamdani.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored that she will bring that same vision and leadership to City Hall as our next Chief Technology Officer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York City needs leaders who are smart, creative, and deeply committed to advancing the public good. Lisa\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0is all three. No matter where she works, Lisa brings a relentless belief in the ability of technology to uplift and empower people \u2014 to create a country where every person can access and afford an education, to create a tech industry where every person can deepen their skills and find a job, to create programs where every person can participate and get ahead. I am excited to see her bring that belief to the Mamdani Administration,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0State University of New York\u00a0Chancellor John B. King, Jr.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking in the trenches with Lisa at the U.S. Department of Education when I was U.S. Secretary of Education for President Obama, I saw first-hand Lisa’s intelligence and work ethic, her compassion and kindness, her commitment and drive. Congratulations to Mayor Mamdani on an excellent appointment and congratulations to Lisa on this extraordinary opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0is\u00a0the real deal.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0seen firsthand how she cancels bad contracts without hesitation, builds teams that deliver, and always puts the needs of everyday people first,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Erie Meyer,\u00a0former CTO, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe listened to overwhelmed students who were getting ripped off by for-profit schools and published the truth in open data. Lisa is fearless when it comes to making sure government serves the people\u00a0it’s\u00a0supposed to serve and that taxpayer dollars deliver real value.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0exactly the kind of CTO you want leading technology in the middle of an affordability crisis. Bad actors should be on notice \u2014 Lisa will make sure city tech works for New Yorkers, not just well-connected companies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa is absolutely the right person at the right moment to be leading technology efforts in the Mamdani\u00a0Administration. We have backed her as an entrepreneur for\u00a0nearly a\u00a0decade and seen her in action advising startups how to work with the public sector. Her unwavering commitment is to closing gaps of access,\u00a0opportunity\u00a0and outcomes for\u00a0low-income\u00a0communities and communities of color,\u201d said\u00a0Mitch\u00a0and\u00a0Freada Kapor, Founding Partners,\u00a0Kapor Capital.<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa is dedicated to using tech to create more inclusive and fair workplaces, and to make services more accessible, more\u00a0respectful\u00a0and more cost-effective. Our experience tells us that Lisa will make a transformative difference for her fellow New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa\u00a0Gelobter\u00a0has always been a catalyst for change. She brings the rare combination of deep technical and digital service design experience, and a lifelong commitment to equity that New York City needs in its next Chief Technology Officer,\u201d said\u00a0Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director,\u00a0BetaNYC.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom helping shape the early internet and streaming media to improving federal digital services in the U.S. Department of Education, she has consistently\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0how technology can deliver\u00a0real results\u00a0for the public. We are excited about the opportunity to work with a CTO who understands that modern, accessible, and trustworthy digital infrastructure is essential to a city that works for all New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Yorkers excited about Mayor Mamdani’s vision should be thrilled with his choice for OTI Commissioner and CTO,\u201d said\u00a0Jennifer Pahlka, author, Recoding America, and\u00a0founder, Recoding America Fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa is a wise and seasoned tech leader who has proven she understands more than technology. She knows how to make government work for people.\u201d<\/p>\n

About Nisha Agarwal<\/strong><\/p>\n

An accomplished public interest attorney as well as public servant,\u00a0Nisha Agarwal will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Mayor\u2019s Office for People with Disabilities\u00a0(MOPD).<\/p>\n

Working across the public, advocacy, and legal sectors,\u00a0Commissioner Agarwal has dedicated her career to empowering vulnerable New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Agarwal previously served as the Executive Director\u00a0for Policy and Communications at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Mental\u00a0Hygiene.\u00a0She also served as\u00a0Deputy Executive Director\u00a0for\u00a0Impact and a Senior Advisor at International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), a global legal aid and advocacy organization.\u00a0Under the de Blasio administration, Commissioner Agarwal led the Mayor\u2019s Office of Immigrant Affairs\u00a0\u2014\u00a0building landmark initiatives like IDNYC, the\u00a0city\u2019s municipal identification card, and Cities for Action, a national advocacy coalition of local elected officials.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Agarwal also served as\u00a0Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor\u00a0for Strategic Policy Initiatives, where she worked\u00a0to boost civic engagement among New Yorkers and build\u00a0DemocracyNYC\u2019s\u00a0efforts on immigration, people with disabilities, and justice involved communities.\u00a0Before entering city government, Commissioner Agarwal led\u00a0the Health Justice Program at the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, served as Deputy Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Popular Democracy, and worked as Executive Director of the Immigrant Justice Corps.<\/p>\n

As head of MOPD, Commissioner Agarwal will\u00a0work across city government and with the disability community to make sure that every New Yorker can access the city\u2019s\u00a0spaces,\u00a0services,\u00a0and\u00a0resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to be the commissioner of the Mayor\u2019s Office\u00a0for\u00a0People with Disabilities.\u00a0All of\u00a0the priorities that Mayor Mamdani supports are critical for people with disabilities: affordable housing and food, access to health and mental health, free transportation, education equity, and employment opportunities,\u201d said\u00a0MOPD Commissioner Agarwal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will work with and\u00a0on\u00a0behalf of disabled New Yorkers to tackle these issues and ensure that people with disabilities are at the forefront for creating this city more livable for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not enough for New York City to be affordable for everyone \u2014 it must be accessible to everyone, too. With decades of experience in public service, Commissioner Agarwal will help our administration deliver on that mission and build a city where every New Yorker can succeed,\u201d\u00a0Mayor Mamdani\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom housing to health care to education, Commissioner Agarwal will work across government to break down barriers and ensure that our administration delivers for New Yorkers with disabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York\u2019s most vulnerable populations rely on steady leadership in government to make our city more accessible, livable, and affordable,\u201d said\u00a0Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so proud to welcome these outstanding public servants \u2014 each of whom brings a wealth of experience in their respective fields \u2014 to the administration. Every voice should be heard and valued, and I look forward to working alongside the incoming commissioners to ensure New York is a city where everyone can live to their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Nisha Agarwal has been a staunch advocate for New Yorkers\u2019 health and the accessibility of care in her role at the NYC Health Department. She has always led the pursuit for equity with compassion and determination,\u201d said\u00a0NYC Health Department Acting Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michelle Morse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn public health, we champion the inclusion of peers and the irreplicable insight that comes with lived experience, opening the door to a wealth of knowledge that allows us to not only celebrate the strength of diversity but better serve our communities. We will all benefit greatly from Nisha\u2019s expertise in her new role as Commissioner of the Mayor\u2019s Office for People With Disabilities.”<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) applauds Mayor Mamdani\u2019s appointment of Nisha Agarwal as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities,\u201d said\u00a0Ruth\u00a0Lowenkron, Director,\u00a0NYLPI\u2019s Disability Justice Program.<\/p>\n

\u201cNYLPI has worked with Ms. Agarwal extensively over the years, including in her role as executive director for policy and communications at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and as executive director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, where she started up a disability justice program.\u00a0Her lived experience as a person with disabilities, as well as her advocacy on behalf of the disability community, make her an excellent candidate for the job, and we look forward to working with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNisha Agarwal will be a tremendous partner and advocate for disabled New Yorkers as Mayor Mamdani\u2019s Commissioner for the Mayor\u2019s Office for People with Disabilities,\u201d said\u00a0Joe Rappaport, Executive Director,\u00a0Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe congratulate her. As in her past work with us, we know she will listen to New Yorkers with disabilities, fight for us and work inside and outside the administration to advance equal access and equity for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNisha Agarwal is a dedicated public\u00a0servant\u00a0and we are thrilled to see her serve as the next commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities,\u201d said\u00a0Roderick Jones, President, Goddard Riverside.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Goddard, we help thousands of community members get the supports needed to live with dignity and respect. But we cannot do this without partners who understand diverse communities, the barriers they face, and how to ensure they have what they need to thrive. As a lawyer with both nonprofit and government leadership experience, Nisha has the combination of knowledge, creativity, and heart needed in City Hall to ensure New Yorkers with disabilities have\u00a0equitable\u00a0access to services and opportunities. We will be excited to work with her towards a more accessible New York City for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

About\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Lisa Scott-McKenzie<\/strong><\/p>\n

A longtime city employee and community leader,\u00a0Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging (NYC Aging).<\/p>\n

Dr. Scott-McKenzie\u00a0has served the North Brooklyn community for\u00a0nearly four\u00a0decades, most recently as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at New York City Health + Hospitals\/Woodhull.\u00a0In that role, she\u00a0shepherded multi-million-dollar construction projects and helped lead key divisions across the hospital, including\u00a0Facilities Management, Engineering, Central Sterile, Environmental Services, Emergency Management, Biomedical Engineering, Patient Relations, Social Work Services, Hospital Police, Environment of Care, Support Services, Ancillary Services, Public Affairs, Community Affairs and Patient Experience Divisions.<\/p>\n

For her work leading H+H Woodhull, Dr. Scott-McKenzie was voted one of the Top 50 COOs in the world and received a 2024\u00a0OnCon\u00a0Icon Award.\u00a0Dr. Scott-McKenzie is also a Certified Emergency Manager, serving as Incident Commander for events\u00a0ranging from the Y2K Conversion to the Northeastern Blackout\u00a0in 2003\u00a0to Superstorm Sandy in 2012.\u00a0She began her career in 1986 as a Stenographic Secretarial Associate in Radiology at NYC H+H.<\/p>\n

As the head of NYC Aging, Commissioner\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Scott-McKenzie will help\u00a0make sure that older adults can access the housing, health care, and city services they need to age in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my distinct honor to have been selected by Mayor Mamdani to serve New York City\u00a0seniors and older adults and be a strong advocate for affordable housing, enhanced safety, food and economic stability as well as to take measures to ease the effects of loneliness,\u201d said\u00a0<\/strong>NYC Aging\u00a0Commissioner Dr. Scott-McKenzie.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur seniors have earned the right to age gracefully with dignity and respect in the city that we love.\u00a0I will work tirelessly to make this a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure the seniors who shaped our city can stay in it \u2014 with an affordable place to live, accessible parks to enjoy and reliable access to the benefits\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0earned. NYC Aging is central to that mission, and I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0think of a better person to lead it than Dr. Scott-McKenzie,\u201d\u00a0Mayor Mamdani\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom helping oversee our public hospital system to coordinating emergency responses during major crises, Dr. Scott-McKenzie has dedicated her career to protecting,\u00a0uplifting\u00a0and empowering New Yorkers. She has fought relentlessly to make government work for the people who need it most, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0excited to bring her leadership and experience to NYC Aging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith so many older adults who are food insecure, in need of affordable healthcare, and suffering loneliness in New York City, I am super excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie as the new Commissioner for the Department for the Aging,\u201d said\u00a0New York City Councilmember Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have known Dr. Scott-McKenzie for almost two decades and worked alongside her at H+H\/Woodhull where I\u00a0witnessed\u00a0firsthand\u00a0how she treated those most vulnerable among us. She is smart,\u00a0warm\u00a0and kind.\u00a0I know our city\u2019s older adults (of which I am one) will be\u00a0in good hands\u00a0under her leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI congratulate the Mamdani Administration on the appointment of Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie as Commissioner for the Aging.\u00a0As a former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and DFTA Commissioner, I believe that Dr. Scott-McKenzie\u2019s experience in the healthcare field, her compassion and her management skills will enable her to make a real difference in the lives of the aging population of New York City,\u201d said\u00a0former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services\u00a0Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer commitment to addressing critical issues being faced by so many seniors, such as increasing poverty and isolation, unstable housing and food insecurity, make her appointment an important statement by the administration. I am sure that the seniors, the provider\u00a0community\u00a0and the advocates in the field will be well served by this appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe at\u00a0LiveOn\u00a0NY\u00a0congratulate Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie on her appointment as NYC Aging Commissioner and we are excited to begin this new chapter of aging in New York City,\u201d said\u00a0Allison Nickerson, Executive Director,\u00a0LiveOn\u00a0NY.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs our city ages we must ensure that we are doing everything\u00a0we can to make sure we have\u00a0the housing and services we need to remain vital members of our communities. We are looking forward to working with Dr. Scott-McKenzie to make New York a better place to age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani announced the appointments at the SAGE Center Brooklyn at Stonewall House, which provides LGBTQ+ seniors with a welcoming space to access culturally competent services, community spaces, and digital resources.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced three new appointments to lead critical agencies and offices across city government. Mayor Mamdani appointed Lisa Gelobter as New York City\u2019s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation; Nisha Agarwal as Commissioner of the Mayor\u2019s Office for People With Disabilities; and Lisa Scott-McKenzie as Commissioner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":39585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1469,31,1378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york","category-news","category-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39591"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39593,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39591\/revisions\/39593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}