Former First Deputy Mayor and NYC Budget Director Dean Fuleihan Joins ISLG as Senior Fellow

By Carla Sinclair, Communications Associate

The veteran New York City & State government official joins ISLG to strengthen the fiscal capacity of state and local jurisdictions during the COVID-19 recovery period and beyond.

Bringing decades of New York government experience—most recently as Budget Director, then First Deputy Mayor for former Mayor Bill de Blasio—Dean Fuleihan has joined the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG) as a Senior Fellow to help build the fiscal, operational, and policy capacities of governments in New York City and beyond.

A longtime budget expert for both the City and State, Fuleihan comes to ISLG as municipalities and public institutions face critical questions about creating responsible budgets that meet the needs of residents and provide strategic policy decisions to help communities recover and rebound from COVID-19, as well as plan for the end of federal stimulus funds. His work at ISLG will focus on preparing these municipalities and institutions to identify and sustain budgetary priorities to ensure all New Yorkers can access opportunity after pandemic-related challenges.

“Throughout my career, I have been very fortunate to work for the residents of New York City and New York State. I am pleased to be able to continue that work with the exceptionally talented staff at ISLG. ISLG has a proven track record of expertise working with state and local governments, and I know that we, at this pivotal moment in history, can continue the work of serving the residents of the city, state, and beyond,” said Fuleihan.

“ISLG has a proven track record of expertise working with state and local governments, and I know that we, at this pivotal moment in history, can continue the work of serving the residents of the city, state, and beyond,”

Over a 40-year career, Fuleihan has held roles in both the New York State and City governments developing policy and budgets, serving as the State Assembly’s chief fiscal and policy advisor for over 10 years. As the City’s Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget under Mayor de Blasio, he managed the City budget and grew the financial reserves of the City to what was then their highest levels while facilitating major reforms to education, housing accessibility, and heath care.

During his time as First Deputy Mayor, Fuleihan was a principal advisor to the Mayor with direct responsibility for education, criminal justice, labor, budget, climate, and sustainability initiatives.

“Dean knows the ins and outs of government. In his decades of experience, he has been a key player in making New York City and State a leader in pushing the edges of policy and innovating new ways to make municipal governments work best for the people they serve. We are excited for him to add his unique insight to ISLG’s work optimizing public institutions to equitably and effectively serve all communities,” said Michael P. Jacobson, Executive Director of CUNY ISLG.

ABOUT THE CUNY INSTITUTE FOR STATE & LOCAL GOVERNANCE

ISLG is a good governance think-and-do tank 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. ISLG provides the knowledge and action needed to fuel those approaches. With the necessary research, policies, partnerships, and infrastructures, ISLG helps government and public institutions work more effectively, efficiently, and in the interest of all communities.

Photo provided by Dean Fuleihan.