Anthony Shorris to Lead NYCEDC in Major Economic Policy Shift
Mayor Zohran Mamdani pairs a veteran government manager with former FTC Chair Lina Khan to reshape development around jobs, housing and affordability.
The Anthony Shorris appointment places one of New York City’s most experienced government managers in charge of an agency with broad influence over housing, jobs, infrastructure and publicly owned property. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that Shorris will serve as president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, commonly known as NYCEDC.
The administration also named former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan as chair of NYCEDC’s board of directors. Together, the appointments suggest that Mamdani wants to combine Shorris’ decades of operational experience with Khan’s aggressive approach to competition, consumer protection and corporate accountability.
The leadership change comes as New York City faces a difficult question: Can it continue attracting investment and creating jobs while becoming more affordable for working families?
Who Is Anthony Shorris?
Shorris has worked across city government, transportation, education, health care and the nonprofit sector during a career spanning more than four decades.
He previously served as first deputy mayor under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. In that position, he acted as chief operating officer for a municipal government with about 350,000 workers, a roughly $100 billion annual budget and more than three dozen agencies.
His earlier government positions included:
- New York City finance commissioner
- Deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Deputy chancellor of the city’s public school system
- Executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Senior leadership positions at NYU Langone Health and Healthfirst
Shorris also helped design Mayor Edward Koch’s Ten-Year Housing Plan. According to the mayor’s office, the initiative dedicated more than $4 billion in city capital to constructing or rehabilitating nearly 200,000 affordable homes in neighborhoods damaged by abandonment, arson and disinvestment.
Before accepting the NYCEDC position, Shorris was a partner in McKinsey & Company’s New York office. He has also taught graduate students at Princeton University and served as vice chair of the Regional Plan Association.
What Does NYCEDC Do?
NYCEDC is a nonprofit organization that serves as New York City’s primary economic development agency. It manages public assets, supports business programs, oversees infrastructure projects and uses financing tools to encourage investment and job creation.
The agency’s decisions can shape entire neighborhoods. Its responsibilities include working with:
- City-owned property and development sites
- Affordable and mixed-income housing projects
- Industrial and manufacturing businesses
- Waterfronts, ports, ferries and public markets
- Life sciences, technology and emerging industries
- Small businesses and workforce programs
NYCEDC’s fiscal year 2025 investment report covered 443 projects receiving loans, grants, tax benefits or energy assistance. It also documented 29 sales and 99 leases involving city-owned land.
That broad authority makes the Anthony Shorris appointment more than a routine personnel decision. The agency can influence where public money is invested, which companies receive assistance and what benefits communities receive in return.
Mamdani Emphasizes Economic Justice
Mamdani said the city must continue to grow its economy while ensuring that working people benefit from that growth.
“To achieve real economic justice in our city, we need to continue to grow our economy, attract new businesses to the five boroughs and create more job opportunities so New Yorkers can stay New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
The administration said NYCEDC will use city-owned land, financing and investment to:
- Build affordable housing
- Create well-paying jobs
- Support small businesses
- Deliver public resources in all five boroughs
- Strengthen the city’s long-term economic resilience
Shorris said the city is asking larger questions about whom its economy serves.
“I look forward to working with businesses, labor and communities to grow an economy that all New Yorkers can share in,” he said.
The statement is important because NYCEDC must work with groups that do not always agree. Developers may seek faster approvals and fewer restrictions. Labor organizations want strong wages and workplace protections. Neighborhood groups often demand affordable housing, local hiring and greater control over major projects.
Shorris will be responsible for navigating those competing interests.
Lina Khan Adds a Strong Regulatory Voice
The administration’s selection of Lina Khan as board chair adds another dimension to the leadership team.
Khan served as FTC chair from June 2021 through January 2025. During that period, she became known for challenging monopolistic practices, examining corporate consolidation and pursuing stronger protections for consumers and small businesses. She is now an associate professor at Columbia Law School and directs its Center for Law and the Economy.
“EDC has a vital role to play in ensuring that New York’s economy is growing in ways that make our city more affordable, efficient and resilient,” Khan said.
Her appointment could lead to closer scrutiny of city subsidies, contracts and development agreements. It may also increase attention to whether public investments create lasting benefits for workers and neighborhood businesses.
The combination is unusual but deliberate. Shorris brings experience managing large institutions. Khan brings a record of questioning concentrated corporate power.
Business Leaders See Experience — and Uncertainty
The Anthony Shorris appointment received praise from labor, construction, business and government leaders.
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine called Shorris an effective and knowledgeable public servant who could provide a “steady and effective hand” as the city works to remain competitive and spread economic benefits throughout the boroughs.
The New York Building Congress also welcomed the selection, pointing to Shorris’ background in infrastructure, government and large public institutions. The Real Estate Board of New York said his experience could help the city attract investment and create jobs.
However, some business leaders may approach Khan’s appointment more cautiously. Her record at the FTC made her popular with consumer advocates and critics of corporate concentration, but it also generated opposition from executives who argued that her policies created uncertainty for businesses. The Wall Street Journal reported that reactions within the city’s business community were mixed, with support for Shorris’ management experience but questions about how Khan will influence development policy.
Those concerns deserve consideration. New York must compete with other cities for employers, investment and major projects. Regulations that are unclear or unusually burdensome could discourage some companies from expanding.
At the same time, growth alone does not guarantee affordability. New office towers, luxury apartments and corporate subsidies may raise economic activity without improving life for residents who struggle with rent, child care and basic expenses.
The real test will be whether the new leaders can establish clear rules, move projects forward and require measurable public benefits.
Accountability Will Be a Central Challenge
NYCEDC and affiliated development programs have faced past criticism over transparency, incentives and whether publicly supported projects create enough quality jobs.
A March 2026 report from the New York City comptroller’s office recommended clearer project benchmarks, improved transparency and greater attention to job quality rather than simply counting the number of jobs associated with a development deal.
That concern gives the Anthony Shorris appointment added significance. Shorris and Khan will be expected to show not only that projects are being announced, but that they are producing results residents can see.
Useful public measures could include:
- The number of permanent jobs created
- Wages and benefits attached to those jobs
- Affordable homes produced or preserved
- Contracts awarded to small and minority-owned businesses
- Public money spent per job created
- Compliance with local hiring and labor commitments
- Community facilities and infrastructure completed on time
Publishing those results in a clear and accessible format would allow residents to judge whether economic development agreements are meeting their promises.
Other Development Leaders Reappointed
The Mamdani administration also announced that Clare Newman will remain president and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island.
Lindsay Greene was reappointed as president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. The administration said both organizations will remain important to its plans for public space, climate innovation, manufacturing, workforce development and inclusive economic growth.
Keeping Newman and Greene provides continuity while Shorris and Khan begin reshaping NYCEDC.
What Happens Next?
The leadership team must now turn broad goals into specific policies.
Several questions will determine whether the new approach succeeds:
Will city subsidies come with stronger requirements?
The administration may seek firmer commitments involving wages, local hiring, affordable housing and community investment.
Can projects move forward without unnecessary delays?
Shorris’ management experience could reassure businesses and developers concerned about slow approvals or uncertain requirements.
Will economic growth reach every borough?
Mamdani has promised development that benefits working people, not only major corporations and wealthy neighborhoods.
How much influence will Khan have?
Although the NYCEDC president manages daily operations, the board approves major decisions. Khan’s leadership could affect how the agency evaluates competition, corporate conduct and public value.
A High-Stakes Partnership
The Anthony Shorris appointment gives NYCEDC a leader who understands how New York City government works from the inside. Lina Khan’s selection gives the board a chair known for questioning whether economic systems treat workers, consumers and small businesses fairly.
That partnership could help Mamdani balance investment with accountability. It could also create tension if businesses believe the administration is placing too many conditions on growth.
New Yorkers should judge the team by measurable outcomes rather than slogans. The city needs housing people can afford, jobs that pay enough to support a family, healthy small businesses and public projects completed responsibly.
The administration has chosen its economic leadership. The next step is showing that development can create opportunity without leaving working New Yorkers behind.
Call to action: Residents, workers and business owners should follow upcoming NYCEDC board meetings and project announcements, ask how public resources are being used and demand clear evidence that publicly supported development benefits the communities it is meant to serve.
