Mayor Zohran Mamdani today announced three new appointments to lead critical agencies and offices across city government. Mayor Mamdani appointed Lisa Gelobter as New York City’s Chief Technology Officer and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation; Nisha Agarwal as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities; and Lisa Scott-McKenzie as Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging.
About Lisa Gelobter
A recognized leader in social impact and digital equity, Lisa Gelobter will serve as New York City’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI).
Commissioner Gelobter brings decades of experience at the intersection of technology, public service, and social impact. Most recently, Commissioner Gelobter founded tEQuitable, which helps organizations identify and address systemic workplace culture issues and uses technology to make workplaces more equitable.
Commissioner Gelobter served in the Obama Administration as Chief Digital Service Officer at the U.S. Department of Education, where she focused on improving access to government services and boosting outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Commissioner Gelobter also worked as Interim Chief Digital Officer at BET Networks, dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community.
She has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 100 Women Building America’s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses and named to Fast Company’s list of Most Creative People.
Commissioner Gelobter is one of the first 40 Black women to have raised more than $1 million in venture capital funding and helped pioneer several foundational Internet technologies, including Shockwave, Hulu, and the ascent of online video.
As CTO and head of OTI, Commissioner Gelobter will oversee the city’s technology infrastructure, cyber security efforts, and data management initiatives. She will focus on using technology to expand access to vital city services and advancing digital equity across New York City.
“I’m deeply honored to be appointed by Mayor Mamdani at a moment when technology is reshaping nearly every aspect of civic life. Technology impacts how people experience government every day — from accessing services to trusting that systems work fairly and responsibly. As CTO and Commissioner, my focus will be on using technology in service of the public good: improving delivery, strengthening accountability, and ensuring innovation reflects the needs of all New Yorkers,” said CTO and OTI Commissioner Gelobter. “I’m excited to work alongside the extraordinary team at OTI, our partners, and communities across the City to deliver technology that truly works for everyone.”
“Lisa Gelobter’s decades-long career as a computer scientist, innovator, and entrepreneur has been defined by her commitment to leveraging technology for the public good,” said Mayor Mamdani. “I am honored that she will bring that same vision and leadership to City Hall as our next Chief Technology Officer.”
“New York City needs leaders who are smart, creative, and deeply committed to advancing the public good. Lisa Gelobter is all three. No matter where she works, Lisa brings a relentless belief in the ability of technology to uplift and empower people — to create a country where every person can access and afford an education, to create a tech industry where every person can deepen their skills and find a job, to create programs where every person can participate and get ahead. I am excited to see her bring that belief to the Mamdani Administration,” said State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. “Working in the trenches with Lisa at the U.S. Department of Education when I was U.S. Secretary of Education for President Obama, I saw first-hand Lisa’s intelligence and work ethic, her compassion and kindness, her commitment and drive. Congratulations to Mayor Mamdani on an excellent appointment and congratulations to Lisa on this extraordinary opportunity.”
“Lisa Gelobter is the real deal. I’ve seen firsthand how she cancels bad contracts without hesitation, builds teams that deliver, and always puts the needs of everyday people first,” said Erie Meyer, former CTO, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “She listened to overwhelmed students who were getting ripped off by for-profit schools and published the truth in open data. Lisa is fearless when it comes to making sure government serves the people it’s supposed to serve and that taxpayer dollars deliver real value. That’s exactly the kind of CTO you want leading technology in the middle of an affordability crisis. Bad actors should be on notice — Lisa will make sure city tech works for New Yorkers, not just well-connected companies.”
“Lisa is absolutely the right person at the right moment to be leading technology efforts in the Mamdani Administration. We have backed her as an entrepreneur for nearly a decade and seen her in action advising startups how to work with the public sector. Her unwavering commitment is to closing gaps of access, opportunity and outcomes for low-income communities and communities of color,” said Mitch and Freada Kapor, Founding Partners, Kapor Capital. “Lisa is dedicated to using tech to create more inclusive and fair workplaces, and to make services more accessible, more respectful and more cost-effective. Our experience tells us that Lisa will make a transformative difference for her fellow New Yorkers.”
“Lisa Gelobter has always been a catalyst for change. She brings the rare combination of deep technical and digital service design experience, and a lifelong commitment to equity that New York City needs in its next Chief Technology Officer,” said Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director, BetaNYC. “From helping shape the early internet and streaming media to improving federal digital services in the U.S. Department of Education, she has consistently demonstrated how technology can deliver real results for the public. We are excited about the opportunity to work with a CTO who understands that modern, accessible, and trustworthy digital infrastructure is essential to a city that works for all New Yorkers.”
“New Yorkers excited about Mayor Mamdani’s vision should be thrilled with his choice for OTI Commissioner and CTO,” said Jennifer Pahlka, author, Recoding America, and founder, Recoding America Fund. “Lisa is a wise and seasoned tech leader who has proven she understands more than technology.
She knows how to make government work for people.”
About Nisha Agarwal
An accomplished public interest attorney as well as public servant, Nisha Agarwal will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD).
Working across the public, advocacy, and legal sectors, Commissioner Agarwal has dedicated her career to empowering vulnerable New Yorkers. Commissioner Agarwal previously served as the Executive Director for Policy and Communications at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Mental Hygiene. She also served as Deputy Executive Director for Impact and a Senior Advisor at International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), a global legal aid and advocacy organization. Under the de Blasio administration, Commissioner Agarwal led the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs — building landmark initiatives like IDNYC, the city’s municipal identification card, and Cities for Action, a national advocacy coalition of local elected officials. Commissioner Agarwal also served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives, where she worked to boost civic engagement among New Yorkers and build DemocracyNYC’s efforts on immigration, people with disabilities, and justice involved communities. Before entering city government, Commissioner Agarwal led the Health Justice Program at the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, served as Deputy Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Popular Democracy, and worked as Executive Director of the Immigrant Justice Corps.
As head of MOPD, Commissioner Agarwal will work across city government and with the disability community to make sure that every New Yorker can access the city’s spaces, services, and resources.
“I am honored to be the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. All of the priorities that Mayor Mamdani supports are critical for people with disabilities: affordable housing and food, access to health and mental health, free transportation, education equity, and employment opportunities,” said MOPD Commissioner Agarwal. “I will work with and on behalf of disabled New Yorkers to tackle these issues and ensure that people with disabilities are at the forefront for creating this city more livable for all.”
“It’s not enough for New York City to be affordable for everyone — it must be accessible to everyone, too. With decades of experience in public service, Commissioner Agarwal will help our administration deliver on that mission and build a city where every New Yorker can succeed,” Mayor Mamdani said. “From housing to health care to education, Commissioner Agarwal will work across government to break down barriers and ensure that our administration delivers for New Yorkers with disabilities.”
“New York’s most vulnerable populations rely on steady leadership in government to make our city more accessible, livable, and affordable,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “I am so proud to welcome these outstanding public servants — each of whom brings a wealth of experience in their respective fields — to the administration. Every voice should be heard and valued, and I look forward to working alongside the incoming commissioners to ensure New York is a city where everyone can live to their full potential.”
“New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) applauds Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of Nisha Agarwal as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities,” said Ruth Lowenkron, Director, NYLPI’s Disability Justice Program. “NYLPI has worked with Ms. Agarwal extensively over the years, including in her role as executive director for policy and communications at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and as executive director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, where she started up a disability justice program. Her lived experience as a person with disabilities, as well as her advocacy on behalf of the disability community, make her an excellent candidate for the job, and we look forward to working with her.”
“Nisha Agarwal will be a tremendous partner and advocate for disabled New Yorkers as Mayor Mamdani’s Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities,” said Joe Rappaport, Executive Director, Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled. “We congratulate her. As in her past work with us, we know she will listen to New Yorkers with disabilities, fight for us and work inside and outside the administration to advance equal access and equity for our community.”
“Nisha Agarwal is a dedicated public servant and we are thrilled to see her serve as the next commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities,” said Roderick Jones, President, Goddard Riverside. “At Goddard, we help thousands of community members get the supports needed to live with dignity and respect. But we cannot do this without partners who understand diverse communities, the barriers they face, and how to ensure they have what they need to thrive. As a lawyer with both nonprofit and government leadership experience, Nisha has the combination of knowledge, creativity, and heart needed in City Hall to ensure New Yorkers with disabilities have equitable access to services and opportunities. We will be excited to work with her towards a more accessible New York City for all.”
About Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie
A longtime city employee and community leader, Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging (NYC Aging).
Dr. Scott-McKenzie has served the North Brooklyn community for nearly four decades, most recently as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at New York City Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. In that role, she shepherded multi-million-dollar construction projects and helped lead key divisions across the hospital, including Facilities Management, Engineering, Central Sterile, Environmental Services, Emergency Management, Biomedical Engineering, Patient Relations, Social Work Services, Hospital Police, Environment of Care, Support Services, Ancillary Services, Public Affairs, Community Affairs and Patient Experience Divisions. For her work leading H+H Woodhull, Dr. Scott-McKenzie was voted one of the Top 50 COOs in the world and received a 2024 OnCon Icon Award. Dr. Scott-McKenzie is also a Certified Emergency Manager, serving as Incident Commander for events ranging from the Y2K Conversion to the Northeastern Blackout in 2003 to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. She began her career in 1986 as a Stenographic Secretarial Associate in Radiology at NYC H+H.
As the head of NYC Aging, Commissioner Dr. Scott-McKenzie will help make sure that older adults can access the housing, health care, and city services they need to age in New York City.
“It is my distinct honor to have been selected by Mayor Mamdani to serve New York City seniors and older adults and be a strong advocate for affordable housing, enhanced safety, food and economic stability as well as to take measures to ease the effects of loneliness,” said NYC Aging Commissioner Dr. Scott-McKenzie. “Our seniors have earned the right to age gracefully with dignity and respect in the city that we love. I will work tirelessly to make this a reality.”
“We want to make sure the seniors who shaped our city can stay in it — with an affordable place to live, accessible parks to enjoy and reliable access to the benefits they’ve earned. NYC Aging is central to that mission, and I can’t think of a better person to lead it than Dr. Scott-McKenzie,” Mayor Mamdani said. “From helping oversee our public hospital system to coordinating emergency responses during major crises, Dr. Scott-McKenzie has dedicated her career to protecting, uplifting and empowering New Yorkers. She has fought relentlessly to make government work for the people who need it most, and I’m excited to bring her leadership and experience to NYC Aging.”
“With so many older adults who are food insecure, in need of affordable healthcare, and suffering loneliness in New York City, I am super excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie as the new Commissioner for the Department for the Aging,” said New York City Councilmember Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee. “I have known Dr. Scott-McKenzie for almost two decades and worked alongside her at H+H/Woodhull where I witnessed firsthand how she treated those most vulnerable among us. She is smart, warm and kind. I know our city’s older adults (of which I am one) will be in good hands under her leadership.”
“I congratulate the Mamdani Administration on the appointment of Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie as Commissioner for the Aging. As a former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and DFTA Commissioner, I believe that Dr. Scott-McKenzie’s experience in the healthcare field, her compassion and her management skills will enable her to make a real difference in the lives of the aging population of New York City,” said former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli. “Her commitment to addressing critical issues being faced by so many seniors, such as increasing poverty and isolation, unstable housing and food insecurity, make her appointment an important statement by the administration. I am sure that the seniors, the provider community and the advocates in the field will be well served by this appointment.”
“We at LiveOn NY congratulate Dr. Lisa Scott-McKenzie on her appointment as NYC Aging Commissioner and we are excited to begin this new chapter of aging in New York City,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director, LiveOn NY. “As our city ages we must ensure that we are doing everything we can to make sure we have the housing and services we need to remain vital members of our communities. We are looking forward to working with Dr. Scott-McKenzie to make New York a better place to age.”
Mayor Mamdani announced the appointments at the SAGE Center Brooklyn at Stonewall House, which provides LGBTQ+ seniors with a welcoming space to access culturally competent services, community spaces, and digital resources.
Sources: NYC.gov , Midtown Tribune News