Mayor Eric Adams. (Image Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office.)
On December 12, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the individuals who have been appointed to review the New York City Charter. The team, referred to as the Charter Revision Commission (CRC), will review the entire New York City charter to ensure New York City’s municipal government addresses the needs of New Yorkers. The team will determine how the charter may be used to promote fair housing across the five boroughs. The formation of this team follows the passage of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal which aims to create 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure, housing, and other needs.
The members of the Charter Revision Commission are the following: Richard R. Buery, Jr., Sharon Greenberger, Leila Bozorg, Grace C. Bonilla, Shams DaBaron, Anita Laremont, Dr. Lisette Nieves, Julie Samuels, Diane Savino, Carl Weisbrod, Valerie White, Kathryn Wylde, and Alec Schierenbeck.
Richard R. Buery, Jr., has been appointed to be the chair of the Charter Revision Commission. He is currently the CEO of Robin Hood, an anti-poverty organization. He has years of experience improving access to education through serving as New York City Deputy Mayor for strategic policy initiatives, leading initiatives (such as Pre-K for All), and founding organizations to support education, including founding Groundwork and co-founding iMentor. Buery previously served as president and CEO of the Children’s Aid Society, one of New York’s oldest and largest child welfare agencies, and he founded the Children’s Aid College Prep Charter School.
Sharon Greenberger, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New York, will serve as Vice Chair of the Charter Revision Commission. Under her leadership, the YMCA expanded teen programs, addressed water safety concerns, and addressed other community needs. She has previously served as chief operating officer of the New York City Public Schools and the president of the New York City School Construction Authority.
Leila Bozorg, New York City Executive Director of Housing, has been appointed as secretary of the Chair of the Charter Revision Commission. She has experience in affordable housing and land use, where she previously served on the City Planning Commission, and as a deputy commissioner for neighborhood strategies at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Grace Bonilla is the current President and CEO of United Way of New York City (UWNYC). She previously served as the first executive director of the Task force on Racial Equity and Inclusion, administrator of the New York City Human Resources Administration, president of the CEO of the Committee for Hispanic Children & Families, Inc, and senior vice president for Latin America at Covenant House International (CHI).
Shams DaBaron is an advocate for New Yorkers facing home insecurity. As a child, he faced homelessness after being discharged from the foster care system at age 12. collaboration with impacted individuals, elected officials, faith leaders, and other stakeholders to champion policies and services to assist vulnerable New Yorkers.
Anita Laremont has experience in land use and real estate through her experience as a partner at the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, her previous role as chair of the New York City Planning Commission, and her time as director, executive director, and general counsel of the New York City Department of City Planning. She also previously served as general counsel of the Empire State Development Corporation.
Dr. Lisette Nieves is the president of the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY) and a distinguished clinical professor at New York University. She also served as a start-up staff member for AmeriCorps under the Clinton administration.
Julie Samuels is the president and CEO of Tech:NYC. She is also a venture partner at Hangar. She previously served as executive director at Engine, senior staff attorney at Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and chair of the Mark Cuban Eliminate Stupid Patents. She serves on the Boards of Engine, NY Forever, Chamber of Progress, 5Boro, and the Internet Education Foundation, and other advisory boards.
Diane Savino currently serves as senior advisor at City Hall. She is the former state senator of New York’s 23rd State Senate District. She has experience with laws protecting working-class New Yorkers through her prior roles, including as executive director of the 2024 Charter Revision Commission, and former vice president of the Social Service Employees Union Local 371.
Carl Weisbrod is a senior advisor at HR&A Advisors. He has experience in guiding public agencies and leading public initiatives focused on revitalizing and developing New York City neighborhoods. Some of his previous roles include founding president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, founding president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, chair of the New York City Planning Commission, director of the New York City Department of City Planning, trustee at both the Ford Foundation and the Urban Land Institute, as well as a former board member of the New York state Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Valerie White serves as senior executive director of LISC NY, where she leads the expansion strategy to promote LISC NY’s statewide efforts to create an economic and community development ecosystem that addresses deeply rooted systemic inequities. White has more than 30 years of experience across private, public, and non-profit sectors. She has gained experience from the following roles: executive vice president at the New York state Empire State Development, executive director of the New York state Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development, vice president at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, managing director at Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings for over 17 years.
Kathryn Wylde is president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization whose members are global business leaders and the city’s major employers.
Alec Schierenbeck is the Proposed Executive Director for the team. He currently serves as general counsel to First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. And previously served as general counsel and senior advisor for planning to the deputy mayor for housing, economic development, & workforce.
This is the second Charter Revision Commission appointed by Mayor Adams. The first was in May 2024. After 12 hearings attended by over 750 New Yorkers virtually and in-person across all five boroughs; testimony from more than 240 public members (including experts, elected officials, government groups, and academics), and 2,300 written comments, the Charter Revision Commission approved five ballot proposals that were placed on the ballot for the November 2024 general election. Four proposals overwhelmingly approved by New York City voters focused on: clean streets, public safety, fiscal responsibility, and capital planning.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Our administration’s housing goal is clear: deliver as much affordable housing to working-class New Yorkers and their families as we make our city more affordable — and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal, including a careful examination of the city’s charter, to create and preserve affordable housing in our city. Even after the success of our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal that will help us create 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing, we know there is still more that we can and must do to tackle the cost of living in our city. Housing proposals and land use measures, and the negotiations that come with them, are complex and critical to ensuring our city remains affordable, which is why we’ve assembled this esteemed group of housing and affordability experts to explore how reforms of our city’s charter can tackle the crisis we are facing. New Yorkers need housing, and we will do everything in our power to continue to deliver it to them.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)