Inaugural Class of Legislative Chiefs of Staff Selected for the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders
The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) announced today the inaugural class of the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders. Named for Jay L. Kriegel, long-time chief of staff to New York City Mayor John Lindsay, 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 government and management experts, and grow confidently into the next generation of elected officials and public service leaders.
The Fellowship is housed at 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 new Kriegel Fellowship program are made possible by support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
“Chiefs of staff of city and state legislators have unique and critical roles in managing the offices of elected officials across the city, engaging with constituents, and advancing policy. They are the public service leaders of tomorrow, as many will go on to become elected officials and serve in leadership roles across government, nonprofits, and other sectors. The Kriegel Fellowship is our opportunity to provide a rich professional development experience to these future leaders—so that they build upon their great potential, grow, and flourish in their current roles and as public servants throughout their careers,” said Michael P. Jacobson, executive director of the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance.
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 at the beginning of Summer 2020 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 inaugural 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.
The inaugural class of Kriegel Fellows
The 2020 class of Kriegel Fellows includes:
Thomas Blancero, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Michael J. Cusick, Staten Island
Derrick Davis, Chief of Staff to State Senator Leroy Comrie, Queens
Helen Hines, Chief of Staff to Council District 12, Bronx
Naomi Hopkins, Dep. Chief of Staff to Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel, Brooklyn
Tayler Jackson, Dep. Chief of Staff to State Senator Leroy Comrie, Queens
Tracy Jackson, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, Manhattan
Edline Jacquet, Chief of Staff to State Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie, Brooklyn
Jordine Jones, Chief of Staff to State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Bronx/Westchester
Meagan Molina, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Nily Rozic, Queens
Sarissa Phillips-Singletary, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Brooklyn
Steven Raga, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Brian Barnwell, Queens
Ali Rasoulinejad, Chief of Staff to Councilmember I. Daneek Miller, Queens
Sumeet Sharma, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember David Weprin, Queens
Amanda Wallwin, Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Dan Quart, Manhattan
Jamal Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Adrienne Adams, Queens
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 Kriegel Fellows will meet virtually from late September to December 2020 for a series of interactive sessions with CUNY ISLG and experts in leadership, management, strategic communications, negotiation, community engagement, and key policy issues facing New York, including the current budget crisis, changing demographics and development of neighborhoods, and public safety and criminal justice reform. Sessions will be hosted and facilitated by CUNY ISLG, including its co-founders Michael Jacobson and Marc Shaw, and experts will be 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 CUNY ISLG’s experience running the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice for city and state legislators.
Read more about the fellowship in our case study.