New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer will be elevated to the position of first deputy mayor.
Torres-Springer will assume oversight of the first deputy mayor portfolio and provide strategic direction and operational and budgetary oversight for the City of New York. She will continue to manage her housing and economic development portfolio given its significance to the administration’s agenda.
Torres-Springer will assume the role, effective today, following the planned departure of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who played a critical role in launching and co-chairing the Adams administration’s successful Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, helping to stabilize the city’s budget, and reimagining the city’s early childhood education system.
Through the first half of the administration’s first term, Torres-Springer led ambitious and record-breaking efforts to accelerate the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and make strides against the housing and affordability crisis. Highlights of this work include regaining the nearly 1 million jobs the city lost during the course of the pandemic more than a year ahead of schedule; launching a blueprint to create accessible career pathways and a more inclusive economy; driving down Black and Latino unemployment by nearly 30 percent; developing the “Get Stuff Built” plan to accelerate the pace of housing production; driving back-to-back record-breaking years for producing and connecting New Yorkers to new, affordable homes; advancing the Public Housing Preservation Trust to unlock billions of dollars for comprehensive renovations for thousands of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents; and advancing the administration’s historic three “City of Yes” initiatives to modernize the city’s zoning code to promote sustainability, support small businesses, and build more housing.
“The first deputy mayor serves a critical role in our administration, providing the connective tissue across city government to advance priorities and ensure we are working together to deliver for New Yorkers. We are thrilled to elevate Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, whose more than two decades of experience leading multiple city agencies and executing on one of the most successful housing and economic development agendas in the city’s history will serve as a solid foundation for our administration and best position us for the future. Maria has delivered for our city over and over again, and I know she will continue to do so in this new role,” said Mayor Adams. “First Deputy Mayor Wright has served New Yorkers well over the course of our administration in helping to expand access to child care, deliver free internet access to public housing residents, and battle the scourge of gun violence in our city. We wish her well in all her future endeavors and know she will continue to do great things.”
“Throughout three mayoral administrations and leading three city agencies, my focus has been to provide steady, effective leadership while delivering tangible results for every New Yorker in every neighborhood,” said incoming First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Serving this city has been my life’s work. I am deeply grateful to Mayor Eric Adams for entrusting me with this role, and I am humbled to continue working shoulder-to-shoulder with the 300,000 public servants who work tirelessly to move our great city forward.”
About Maria Torres-Springer
Maria Torres-Springer is currently the deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce, charged with spearheading the administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify its economy, advancing Mayor Adams’ moonshot goal of creating 500,000 new homes for New Yorkers by 2032, preserving and improving NYCHA, bolstering small business, connecting New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs, and expanding access to arts and culture. As deputy mayor, she has overseen “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery,” the city’s strong jobs recovery, efforts to support small businesses with the “Small Business Forward” executive order and the “New” New York panel’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan, and moved transformational projects forward in Willets Point and on Governors Island.
Torres-Springer previously was vice president of U.S. Programs at the Ford Foundation, where she oversaw the foundation’s domestic grant making and made historic investments to support racial equity, workers’ rights, voting rights, and arts and culture across the country.
Previously, as commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Torres-Springer focused on the production of housing for the city’s most vulnerable communities, while also launching several new programs to protect tenants’ rights. She led the implementation of Housing New York, a five-borough, 12-year plan to create or preserve 300,000 affordable homes; and she steered the financing of approximately 60,000 affordable homes.
Earlier in her career, as president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Torres-Springer led the implementation of the new citywide ferry service and made major investments in key sectors of the city’s economy. She also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization plans. Prior to that, as commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, Torres-Springer prioritized efforts to raise wages and support women- and immigrant-owned businesses and worked to prepare New Yorkers for 21st-century jobs.
Torres-Springer earned her bachelor’s degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Torres-Springer will report directly to Mayor Adams.
“Sheena Wright has helped steer New York City through one of its most challenging times in more than a generation,” said Reverend Al Sharpton. “Whether it was in her preliminary role overseeing strategic initiatives or as first deputy mayor over the last two years, Sheena is someone who regularly engaged the Black and Brown communities that now make up a majority of New York’s population, listened to us, and sought to respond to our needs in real time. She was part of a contingent that showed the power a Black woman can have when placed in a seat of power, and I wish her well as she embarks on her next chapter.”
“The mayor has made a wise choice in appointing a seasoned professional and skilled manager as first deputy mayor. We have worked closely with Maria during three mayoral administrations and know she has the capabilities and character required to lead during a time of crisis,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “Sheena Wright has drawn on her deep connections to all sectors of our complex city to advance equity and inclusion in city policies and programs. She played a key role in the healing process that allowed the city to emerge stronger from the pandemic and deserves our heartfelt appreciation for her service.”
“I am grateful to Sheena Wright for her leadership and commitment to the city, to our workers, and to all New Yorkers. She’s been an important partner and ally, and I am proud of the work we accomplished together,” said Henry Garrido, executive director, District Council 37. “I am also so happy to congratulate Maria Torres-Springer in her new role as first deputy mayor. She is extremely talented, and her commitment to the city will serve New Yorkers well.”
“I applaud Maria Torres-Springer’s appointment as first deputy mayor. Her extensive experience in government and leadership in addressing the urgent need for additional housing for working New Yorkers and her support for a strong economy with good jobs speaks to her commitment to the success of our great city,” said Manny Pastreich, president, 32BJ SEIU. “New Yorkers deserve this type of leadership to manage the city’s critical operations at this moment.”
“There is no one more qualified to be first deputy mayor than Maria Torres-Springer,” said Dan Doctoroff, former New York City deputy mayor for economic development; and co-chair, ‘New’ New York panel. “She has a wealth of experience, creativity, and the ability to manage large groups of city employees. She is decisive and communicates clearly, and I am thrilled she is stepping into this critical role.”
“Maria Torres-Springer has consistently demonstrated her ability to work in strong partnership across sectors, from government to community organizations, and particularly with the business community, always with a focus on delivering results for New Yorkers,” said Rob Speyer, co-chair, Partnership for New York City; chair, New York City Workforce Development Council. “I have every confidence in her ability to help lead this great city as first deputy mayor. Her leadership and vision, especially in fostering collaboration with businesses, are exactly what we need at this critical time.”
“Through her two decades of service, Maria Torres-Springer has always demonstrated exceptional management acumen and a bold vision for a more just and equitable future,” said Ford Foundation President Darren Walker. “With her relentless pursuit of justice, she is not just shaping the present but forging a future path where equity is the standard, not the exception. I congratulate her on this new role at a critical time for our city and look forward to seeing her continue to challenge systemic barriers and create lasting change for all New Yorkers while always operating with the utmost integrity.”
“Maria Torres-Springer has demonstrated her skill, integrity, and efficacy across three mayoral administrations, and is an excellent choice by Mayor Adams to serve as first deputy mayor. She has depth and experience in both government and the not-for-profit sector, and we know she will serve New Yorkers well,” said Steven Rubenstein, chairman, the Association for a Better New York. “At the same time, we are grateful to Sheena Wright for her leadership, and especially her dedication to uplifting so many of New York’s most vulnerable in her time at City Hall.”
“Congratulations to Maria Torres-Springer on her appointment as first deputy mayor. Maria’s steady leadership in government across multiple agencies in multiple administrations — combined with her bold vision for housing, economic development, and increased access to jobs across all five boroughs — will help build a more inclusive and equitable economy for New York City. I have known and worked closely with Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer over several years, and am deeply impressed by her skills, experience, values, and commitment to public service. I look forward to seeing her impact in this expanded role on reducing poverty and ensuring opportunity for all,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., CEO, Robin Hood. “I am also grateful to Sheena for her incredible dedication to New Yorkers and to the city we all love. I particularly acknowledge her support and partnership in the last several years on key initiatives, especially with her efforts to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency of child care for families across the city. I appreciate her personal and professional commitments to all New Yorkers.”
“No one knows the inner workings of New York City government better than Maria Torres-Springer,” said Sharon Greenberger, president and chief executive officer, YMCA of Greater New York. “Her expertise spans three mayoral administrations and includes an extraordinary record of action, leadership, and judgment.”
“The reason that everyone from Mike Bloomberg to Bill de Blasio and now Eric Adams have all relied on Maria Torres-Springer is because she uniquely understands what New York can and must be and how to get us there,” said Julie Samuels, president and CEO, Tech:NYC. “I’ve worked with the deputy mayor across administrations supporting the growth of the city’s tech sector, and I can say first-hand that she will be a formidable force for all of New York.”
Photo credit: Wiki.
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