Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani tapped several government veterans for key roles in his administration Monday, including Dr. Mitch Katz, who will remain CEO of New York City’s public hospital system.
Katz was first picked as the Health + Hospitals system’s top executive in 2017 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams then retained Katz for the post upon his inauguration in 2022.
In a press release Monday morning, Mamdani said he’s also retaining Katz, citing his work on a number of issues, including spearheading H + H’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Katz led the financial turnaround of NYC H+H, expanded access to more New Yorkers, and steered the nation’s largest municipal health system through COVID-19,” Mamdani said.
In addition, Mamdani said he’s retaining Dr. Jason Graham as the city’s medical examiner, Michael Garner as City Hall’s chief business diversity officer and Mir Bashar as the chief administrative officer in the mayor’s office.
Graham is another longtime government hand who first started serving as the city’s medical examiner on an acting basis in 2013. Bashar has been in City Hall posts since the de Blasio administration, too.
Garner, by contrast, first entered municipal government service under Adams, who appointed him as City Hall’s chief business diversity officer in 2023. Garner is seen as close to Adams, having worked with him on diversity efforts since the outgoing mayor’s days in the NYPD.
“These reappointments reflect my commitment to steady, experienced leadership that delivers real results for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said of his latest appointments.
Mamdani, who’s being sworn in as the city’s next mayor Thursday, had yet to make a number of other top appointments as of late Monday, including announcing a pick for schools chancellor.
