20 Chiefs of Staff Selected for the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders
Today, we announced the second cohort of the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders. The Kriegel Fellowship is a leadership and professional development program for chiefs of staff of city and state legislators serving the New York City area. The program aims to support and empower legislative chiefs of staff to excel in their current positions, network with other chiefs of staff, and grow confidently into the next generation of elected officials and public service leaders.
“Chiefs of staff are the public service leaders of tomorrow. Many go on to become elected officials or serve in leadership roles across government, nonprofit, and other sectors. The Kriegel Fellowship is an opportunity to provide a rich professional development experience to these future leaders and build upon their great potential to help them flourish in their current roles and as public servants throughout their careers,” said Michael P. Jacobson, executive director of the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance.
The 2021 class of Kriegel Fellows includes:
John Blasco, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Manhattan
Elaine Cheung, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Peter Koo, Queens
Robyn L. Enes, Esq., Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, Queens
Andrew Bard Epstein, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Brooklyn
Marvin Holland, Chief of Staff to State Senator James Sanders, Jr., Queens
Raida Hossain, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember David Weprin, Queens
Simone A. Jones, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Kevin Riley, Bronx
Tori Kelly, Chief of Staff to State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Brooklyn
Jason Laidley, Chief of Staff to State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Bronx
Tunisia Morrison, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Queens
Danny Randell, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, Queens
Brian Romero, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, Queens
Esther Rosario, Chief of Staff to State Senator Jessica Ramos, Queens
Anna Scaife, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Mark Treyger, Brooklyn
Kate Theobald, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Keith Powers, Manhattan
Tim Thomas, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal, Queens
Karl A. Valere, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson, Queens
Justin Westbrook-Lowery, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Karines Reyes, Bronx
Malik Wright, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Kenny Burgos, Bronx
Jenny Zhang, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, Brooklyn
The Kriegel Fellows were chosen through an open application process that sought to identify promising public service leaders in the chief of staff role who would benefit from and contribute to this unique professional development opportunity. Chiefs of staff were invited in Summer 2021 to submit a resume and application and to complete an interview with ISLG leadership, who made the final selection decisions. Fellows were selected based on their commitment to public service, their desire to grow in the chief of staff role, and the diversity they would bring to the program. The second cohort reflects a talented and diverse group of leaders with a wide variety of professional experiences, years in the chief of staff role, and geographic representation of New York City.
Housed at ISLG, the Fellowship builds on the success of the Institute’s fellowship program for newly elected New York City and State legislators—the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice—which ISLG launched in 2017. The Lindsay Fellowship and Kriegel Fellowship programs are made possible by support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
The Kriegel Fellowship seeks to recognize Jay L. Kriegel’s legacy of exceptional, tireless service as long-time chief of staff to Mayor John Lindsay, and his dedication to mentoring chiefs of staff, legislators, and other public service leaders.
The Kriegel Fellows will meet virtually from late September to December 2021 for a series of interactive sessions with ISLG staff and experts in leadership, management, strategic communications, negotiation, community engagement, and key policy issues facing New York, including city and state budgeting, affordable housing and property taxes, criminal justice and public safety, food insecurity, environmental justice, and mental health. Sessions will be hosted and facilitated by ISLG staff, including its co-founders Michael Jacobson and Marc Shaw, and experts drawn from government agencies, CUNY and other universities, and leading nonprofit organizations.
About the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders
The Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders is a leadership and professional development program for the chiefs of staff of city and state legislators serving the New York City area. The Fellowship aims to support legislative chiefs of staff to excel in their current positions, network with other chiefs of staff and experts, and grow confidently into the next generation of elected officials and public service leaders.
The Kriegel Fellowship honors the legacy of Jay L. Kriegel, who served as chief of staff to New York City’s Mayor John Lindsay and was dedicated to mentoring chiefs of staff, legislators, and other public service leaders. The program was developed based on research and interviews with New York City and State legislators and chiefs of staff to understand the demands of the chief of staff position and corresponding needs for leadership development, learning community, and other support. The program builds on ISLG's experience running the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice for city and state legislators.