Mamdani names Scott-McKenzie, Agarwal, Gelobter to key posts
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced three significant leadership appointments on February 10, introducing commissioners who will shape city policy in aging services, disability access, and technological innovation. The appointments reflect Mamdani’s commitment to bringing public sector experience, personal understanding of service delivery challenges, and modern technology expertise into municipal government. On a visit to the Sage Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, which serves LGBTQ seniors, Mamdani introduced Lisa Scott-McKenzie as the new commissioner of the Department for the Aging. Scott-McKenzie previously served as chief operating officer at Woodhull Hospital in Bed-Stuy, where she managed complex healthcare operations serving diverse communities.
Leadership for Aging New Yorkers
Scott-McKenzie brings decades of experience in public service to a department responsible for ensuring older New Yorkers can age in place with dignity and affordability. New York City faces growing demand for aging services as its senior population expands. The Department for the Aging administers hundreds of senior centers, manages home care programs, and coordinates services for vulnerable elderly residents. Speaking at the announcement, Mamdani emphasized his vision: “In her leadership, we will see an easier city for older New Yorkers to keep living in, and a city where they can even afford to dream of staying in for the rest of their lives.” This statement signals administration priorities around aging in place and affordability crises affecting older adults on fixed incomes.
Woodhull Hospital Experience
Scott-McKenzie’s tenure at Woodhull Hospital positioned her to understand municipal healthcare delivery in underserved communities. Woodhull serves Brooklyn neighborhoods with significant poverty rates and limited healthcare access. Her operational background suggests she will focus on efficient, effective service delivery despite tight budgets. The hospital experience indicates familiarity with managing staff, programs, and community partnerships – critical skills for running a sprawling aging services network.
Disability Services and Personal Experience
Nisha Agarwal, named commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, previously led the Office of Immigrant Affairs under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Agarwal rolled out the IDNYC municipal ID program in 2015, a signature accomplishment providing identity documents to undocumented immigrants and others lacking conventional ID. Her subsequent personal medical challenges – suffering a stroke and being diagnosed with brain cancer – gave her intimate understanding of disability barriers. “You learn a lot about things that have not worked,” Agarwal told reporters. “And now I’m excited to work with the administration to make it more accessible to everyone.” This personal experience combined with proven government service suggests Agarwal will advocate fiercely for accessibility improvements across city services.
IDNYC Legacy
The IDNYC program demonstrated Agarwal’s capacity to launch complex initiatives serving vulnerable populations. Creating a municipal ID system required navigating legal questions, building community trust, establishing operational procedures, and managing constituent expectations. These skills directly transfer to disability services, where she must ensure the city’s various programs and services remain accessible to people with diverse disabilities. Her appointment signals that lived experience with barriers will inform policy decisions.
Technology Innovation and Public Sector Excellence
Lisa Gelobter, appointed city chief technology officer and commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation, brings a unique combination of public and private sector experience. She served in the Obama administration where she launched technology initiatives at the Department of Education, helping modernize how schools use technology. Her career spans technology leadership in both nonprofit and corporate settings. At the announcement, Gelobter said: “We’re going to have to look at technology across the board – I think internal, I think external.” This suggests plans to modernize how city government operates internally while improving how New Yorkers interact with city services online and through digital channels.
Obama Administration Background
Gelobter’s White House experience indicates familiarity with federal-municipal coordination, policy implementation at scale, and technology governance. Her education technology work means understanding how institutions can deploy digital tools effectively. She brings awareness of both ambitious public sector innovation and realistic assessment of implementation challenges. Mamdani emphasized that combination: “What she brings with her is both an awareness of what the public sector can look like at the highest levels of service, speaking about from the Obama White House, and then also what it can look like in the private sector, to deliver that for New Yorkers so that for working-class New Yorkers, it’s easier than ever to engage with their city government.”
Implications for City Governance
These three appointments suggest the Mamdani administration will prioritize experienced public servants who understand municipal government constraints while pushing for innovation. All three commissioners combine proven track records with personal commitment to underserved populations. Scott-McKenzie understands healthcare systems serving disadvantaged communities. Agarwal knows disability access barriers firsthand. Gelobter bridges public sector mission with technological capability. Together they represent a leadership style emphasizing practical experience over ideology alone. For more information on NYC government appointments and structure, see NYC Official Website. Learn about municipal aging policy at Administration for Community Living. Understand disability access requirements at ADA.gov. Review city technology initiatives at NYC Department of Information Technology.
