Preparing Future Leaders: Kriegel/Lindsay Fellows

Challenge:

Public service is associated with unique challenges that require informed decisions for effective leadership. For both promising New York City leaders and public servants’ chiefs of staff, a deeper understanding of the demands, pressures, and responsibilities of their roles can help inform optimal decision-making that makes a more powerful impact on the future of New York City. Programs focused on enabling professional development and networking among new and potential public service leaders are rare, but would empower promising New York City leaders and chiefs of staff to excel in their positions and grow confidently into highly effective elected officials and supportive staff.

Approach:

ISLG created and launched two fellowships in order to cultivate leadership development and information-sharing among promising New York City leaders by harnessing ISLG’s expertise and data-informed governance best practices.

The Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice

Designed for city and state legislative leaders elected in the past four years, this fellowship was named for John Lindsay, who served New York City in both the U.S. House of Representatives and later, as the city’s mayor. The Lindsay Fellowship honors his Congressional leadership on such pivotal issues as civil rights and immigration, as well as his mayoral legacy of recruiting young talent, especially minorities, for whom he sought ways to encourage growth and advance career opportunities. 

Each class of the Lindsay Fellows, selected by an advisory board of experienced government officials, meets 10 times annually to exchange ideas with business, civic, and academic leaders, experts in sectors including media and technology, and former government leaders. The program is designed to broaden the fellows’ understanding of constituencies, pressures, and concerns that impact government deliberations and decision-making, as well as provide opportunities to build relationships with a range of leaders from academic, business, the media, non-governmental organizations, and civic life. 

The Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders

This fellowship is a professional development program designed to support the particular needs, demands, and responsibilities encountered by staff of city and state legislators who represent NYC communities. It honors the legacy of Jay L. Kriegel, who served as chief of staff to New York City’s Mayor John Lindsay and was dedicated throughout his career to supporting new generations of leaders in elected office and public service in New York City. The one-of-a-kind program supports and empowers 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.

Each cohort of 15-20 chiefs of staff serve legislators in the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, and New York State Senate, in offices representing New York City communities. They are selected by an evaluation committee based on their commitment to public service, the program’s ability to address their needs, and a commitment to diversity in both identity and lived experience. The 10-week program leverages the knowledge and experience of experts from ISLG and across leadership and management, policymaking, and civic life. Through skill-based training and networking, participants learn to effectively manage the office of an elected official; meaningfully engage their constituency and develop strategies to meet community needs; and effectively advocate for constituents with enhanced competency in key policy areas.

Progress:

Now in its fourth year, the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice has supported three cohorts of City Council members, State Assemblymembers, and State Senators in cultivating their capacity for current and future leadership. The first class of Kriegel fellows met in the fall of 2020 through interactive sessions focused on three core areas of skill-building: leadership and management, partnerships and community organizing, and key policy and governing areas.

Fellows in each program benefit from targeted support from the CUNY ISLG policy team, which brings decades of experience in government service and policy reform, and from a learning network of peers, supporting one another during the fellowship and beyond.

Contact Siobhán Carney, Policy Director, at siobhan.carney@islg.cuny.edu for more information about the Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice or the Kriegel Fellowship for Public Service Leaders.