Mamdani administration names tech expert to lead digital transformation
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has confirmed the appointment of Lisa Gelobter as New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation, elevating her to lead the city’s digital transformation agenda. Gelobter brings exceptional credentials from technology leadership roles spanning public and private sectors, positioning her to modernize municipal government operations and resident digital access. Previously, Gelobter served as a technology officer in the Obama administration where she directed education technology initiatives aimed at expanding digital access and capability in schools nationwide. Her work modernizing how institutions deploy technology to serve diverse populations positions her well to tackle New York City’s complex technological challenges.
Digital Infrastructure Modernization
The position tasks Gelobter with overseeing city government’s internal technology systems, citizen-facing digital platforms, cybersecurity infrastructure, and emerging technology adoption. The city’s technology systems handle trillions of transactions annually, from tax processing to licensing to service delivery. Aging infrastructure creates inefficiency, security risks, and poor user experience. Gelobter’s mandate includes modernizing these systems to improve both internal efficiency and resident experience.
Working-Class Digital Access
Mamdani emphasized that Gelobter will focus on making city government “easier than ever to engage with” for working-class New Yorkers. This framing suggests priority on accessibility, user-friendly design, and ensuring that technology improvements benefit lower-income residents rather than just advantages affluent users. Too often, municipal digital investments advantage those with strong internet access, computers, and digital literacy while excluding vulnerable populations. Gelobter’s mandate emphasizes inclusive design.
Public and Private Sector Experience
Gelobter’s career bridges public mission and private sector technology capability. She understands both the imperative to serve public interest and the efficiency innovations emerging from technology sector. This combination positions her to avoid common mistakes: government adopting technology inefficiently, or private firms imposing profit-maximizing logic onto public services. Her mandate is to synthesize the best of both approaches. The appointment represents significant elevation for technology leadership in municipal government. Historically, technology officers have occupied second-tier positions. Gelobter’s elevation to cabinet-level reporting signals that digital transformation constitutes core mayoral priority rather than afterthought. This messaging matters both for internal government morale and external stakeholder expectations. For technology information, see NYC Department IT. Learn about digital government from Digital.gov. Access innovation resources from NIST. Review technology policy at Technology Policy Institute.
