Mamdani Names Anthony Shorris CEO, Lina Khan Chair Of EDC
More than seven months after taking office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has finally announced the new leader of the city's Economic Development Corp., tapping a city government veteran who most recently worked as a private consultant.
Anthony Shorris, who served as first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio and as a budget official under Ed Koch, was named president and CEO of the NYCEDC. Since leaving city government, he has served as a partner at consulting giant McKinsey & Co.
Mamdani also named Lina Khan, who spearheaded antitrust enforcement for former President Joe Biden, as chair of the NYCEDC. The surprise appointment signals that the agency charged with promoting business growth and working with the real estate community on public-private partnerships will operate differently than it did under previous administrations.
“As City Hall takes on the affordability crisis gripping our city, as we work to reimagine an economic model that gives so much to so few and deny so many others the basics of a dignified life, we believe that economic development and economic justice must go hand in hand,” Mamdani said at a press conference Wednesday.
The EDC is a quasi-governmental nonprofit that directs projects and funding aimed at boosting the city's economy. That includes programs like the $1B LifeSci NYC initiative, kicked off by de Blasio, which was intended to boost life sciences development in the city but has struggled to gain momentum.
The EDC is also tasked with selecting developers to build on city-owned land, a vital piece of Mamdani's goal of developing 200,000 new housing units over the next decade. Just this week, the organization released a request for proposals offering a city-owned lot in Harlem to developers at no cost if they build a 140-unit, mixed-income development.
The delay in appointment came as Mamdani and Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su discussed reorienting the mission of the EDC to focus more on policies that would reduce poverty rather than focus exclusively on adding jobs and investment, the mayor’s office said.
Shorris' appointment was hailed by members of the real estate industry, who commended his experience in the city and expertise in working with the development community. The native New Yorker has also led the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and is vice chair of the Regional Plan Association.
“Tony is a thoughtful, experienced, and effective leader with a deep understanding of New York City's economy and the challenges facing businesses and communities across the five boroughs,” Real Estate Board of New York President James Whelan said in a statement. “At a time when attracting investment and creating jobs is more important than ever, his leadership will be an asset to the city.”
The EDC has been without a permanent leader since former CEO Andrew Kimball stepped down at the end of Mayor Eric Adams' tenure. Kimball was hired this month to direct New York University's real estate activities.
“I’m honored to take on this role at a moment when New York is asking bigger questions about who its economy is for,” Shorris said in a statement. “I look forward to working with businesses, labor and communities to grow an economy that all New Yorkers can share in.”
Khan served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission under Biden and earned a reputation for aggressively taking on big businesses, filing antitrust lawsuits against Amazon and Meta during her tenure.
“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,” she said in a statement.
