22 Local & State Legislative Staffers Selected for the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders
By Mia Greco, Policy Analyst
The CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG) announced today the 22 members of the 2022 class of the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders. Named for Jay L. Kriegel, longtime chief of staff to New York City Mayor John Lindsay, the Kriegel Fellowship is a leadership and professional development program for chiefs of staff and adjacent positions in the offices of city and state legislators serving New York City.
The Kriegel Fellowship aims to support and empower legislative chiefs of staff and other staffers to excel in their current positions, network with their colleagues from other offices, and grow confidently into the next generation of elected officials and public service leaders. From October 2022 to February 2023, the Fellows will meet for a series of hybrid interactive sessions with CUNY ISLG and experts in leadership, management, strategic communications, negotiation, and community engagement.
These sessions will dive deep on key policy issues facing New York, including city and state budgeting, affordable housing, criminal justice and bail reform, healthcare equity and access, and economic policy and reform. Sessions will be hosted and facilitated by CUNY ISLG staff, including its co-founders Michael P. Jacobson and Marc Shaw, and experts will be drawn from government agencies, CUNY and other universities, and leading for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
“In recovering from the pandemic, New York government officials face unique challenges and potential opportunities in building back a city that is responsive to and effective for its constituents. Chiefs of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, and other staff leaders within city and state legislative offices are crucial in developing the policies that address these challenges and foster these opportunities. The Kriegel Fellowship brings these key staffers together to tap into our network of policy experts, learn from each other, and develop their skills as public servants,” said Michael P. Jacobson, executive director of CUNY ISLG.
“The Kriegel Fellowship brings these key staffers together to tap into our network of policy experts, learn from each other, and develop their skills as public servants,”
- Michael P. Jacobson, executive director of CUNY ISLG.
The Kriegel Fellows were chosen through an open application process that sought to identify promising public service leaders in local and state legislative offices who would benefit from and contribute to this unique professional development opportunity. Legislative staffers were invited in Summer 2022 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 third cohort reflects a talented and inspiring group of leaders with a wide variety of professional experiences, years in the chief of staff role, and geographic representation of New York City.
The 2022 class of Kriegel Fellows includes:
Casie Addison, Chief of Staff to Council Member Crystal Hudson, Brooklyn
Elle Bisgaard-Church, Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Zohran MamdaniQueens
Nora Brickner, Chief of Staff to Council Member Shahana Hanif, Brooklyn
Angela Callisaya, Executive Director to Assembly Member Brian Barnwell, Queens
Samantha Cardenas, Chief of Staff to Council Member Pierina Sanchez, Bronx
Edward Cerna, Chief of Staff to Council Member Alexa Avilés, Brooklyn
Kate Connolly, Chief of Staff and Budget Director to Council Member Althea Stevens, Bronx
Sean Coughlin, Chief of Staff to Council Member Erik Bottcher, Manhattan
Johanna Garcia, Chief of Staff to Senator Robert Jackson, Manhattan
Vjola Isufaj, Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Jennifer Rajkumar, Queens
Saye Joseph, Chief of Staff to Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Brooklyn
Mohammad Khan, Chief of Staff to Council Member Sandra Nurse, Brooklyn
Charmaine Mangaroo, Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus, Brooklyn
Joanna Mendez, Chief of Staff to Senator Luis Sepúlveda, Bronx
Emmitt Mendoza-Gaspar, Deputy Chief of Staff and Organizing Director to Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, Brooklyn
Ashley Meza, Chief of Staff to Council Member Nantasha Williams, Queens
Yodalis Morán, Deputy Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Robert Jackson, Manhattan
Karen Narefsky, Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Phara Souffrant-Forrest, Brooklyn
Hennessy Reyes, Deputy Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Luis Sepúlveda, Bronx
Renee Taylor, Deputy Chief of Staff to Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, Queens
Sam Weinberger, Chief of Staff to Council Member Rita Joseph, Brooklyn
Jahmal Yapp, Deputy Chief of Staff to City Council Member Kevin C. Riley, Bronx
“The Kriegel Fellowship was a unique experience as a Chief of Staff to learn new skills. For example, during one class, we learned about multi-party negotiations, which ended up being a tool I needed the very next day to conduct a land use negotiation. The fellowship was also a tremendous opportunity to meet and learn from colleagues who I otherwise would not have met. The network that I’ve built through the fellowship is continuing to help me and my work as I progress in my career. Thank you, CUNY ISLG, for the opportunity!” said Elaine Cheung, Chief of Operations, Manhattan Borough President and a 2021 Kriegel alumni.
The Kriegel Fellowship seeks to recognize Jay 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.
"Throughout our father’s long and multi-faceted career, he often said the greatest impact he had on New York City was his support and mentorship of future generations of public servants and government leaders. Nothing would have given Dad more pleasure and satisfaction than seeing his legacy carried on through this inaugural group of Kriegel Fellows. We are honored that this smart, diverse, hard working group of men and women will have the opportunity to connect with each other and CUNY ISLG’s team to further hone their skills and add tools to better serve their constituents and their City,” said Isabel Kriegel Hardy and Connor Kriegel, Jay Kriegel’s daughter and son.
The Fellowship is housed in ISLG and 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.
About the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders
The Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders is a leadership and professional development program, designed for chiefs of staff of city and state legislators serving the New York City area. Since the Fellowship launched in 2022, its membership has expanded to include legislative staffers with role-adjacent positions to chiefs of staff, such as deputy chiefs of staff, district directors, and budget directors. Now, the Fellowship aims to support these leaders 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 CUNY ISLG's experience running the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice for city and state legislators.
About the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance
The Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) is a good governance think-and-do tank. We are driven by the idea that data-informed approaches can measurably improve the way government and public institutions operate, equitably serve all constituents, and ultimately solve social policy problems. We also provide the knowledge and action needed to fuel those approaches. With the necessary research, policies, partnerships, and infrastructures, we help government and public institutions work more effectively, efficiently, and in the interest of all communities. For more information, please visit https://islg.cuny.edu/.
CONTACT: Mia Greco, Policy Analyst (Mia.Greco@islg.cuny.edu)