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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 004-10
January 5, 2010

MAYOR BLOOMBERG APPOINTS MICHELLE GOLDSTEIN TO LEAD NEW YORK CITY'S WASHINGTON OFFICE

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the appointment of Michelle L. Goldstein as Executive Director of the Office of Federal Affairs - New York City's Washington, DC Office. Goldstein has led New York City's Albany office since 2006, spearheading the City's successful efforts to pass major pieces of state legislation, including bills that reauthorized mayoral control of the public school system, reformed the antiquated Wicks law, cut taxes for many small businesses, and advanced the Administration's ambitious environmental agenda.  Michelle also led the negotiations that resulted in the State take-over of the NYC Off-Track Betting Corporation. Her new appointment will take effect on February 16.

"Michelle has been one of the unsung stars of our Administration," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "Thanks to her leadership and tireless work ethic, we have accomplished an extraordinary amount in Albany: maintaining mayoral control of schools, reducing construction costs for city taxpayers, taking truck traffic off our neighborhood streets, reducing taxes for 17,000 freelancers and small businesses - and the list could go on and on.  At a time when Washington's actions - and inactions - are having increasingly profound effects on our City, I have the utmost confidence in Michelle's ability to work with our Congressional delegation, and all members of Congress and the Obama Administration, to deliver for New Yorkers."

"I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past several years, and I am eager to build on the successes of the Washington office as we face continued challenges presented by national legislative and funding issues," said Executive Director Goldstein. "This is a critical time for New York City on a number of fronts, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with Mayor Bloomberg, his Administration and the myriad stakeholders in Washington to help make New York City even greater."

 "Michelle has been an invaluable member of our team, and is poised to excel in this new appointment," said Deputy Mayor for Government Relations Kevin Sheekey. "Her successes in Albany have touched the lives of every New Yorker, and I couldn't be more confident about how she will help us carry out the Mayor's ambitious agenda in the third term from Washington."

The Office of Federal Affairs, established by Mayor John Lindsay, is charged with ensuring New Yorkers get their fair share of federal dollars and that policies made on Capitol Hill and in the White House address the needs of the nation's largest city. Goldstein will play a central role in the work to shape the national policies Mayor Bloomberg has targeted as priorities, including the campaign against illegal guns, the support of long-term infrastructure investments, and the new efforts to promote sensible immigration reform, which Mayor Bloomberg announced last week in his Inaugural Address.

Goldstein has served in the Bloomberg Administration as Director of State Legislative Affairs since July 2006.  Under her leadership, the City achieved a series of major legislative victories, including the re-authorization of mayoral control of schools, an infrastructure agreement to allow a key component of the City's landmark Solid Waste Management Plan to move forward, tax abatements for green roofs and solar panels, and a new law giving social workers the information and tools they need to prevent child abuse.

In 2008, Goldstein led the City's negotiations that resulted in the State take-over of the NYC Off-Track Betting Corporation, ending the longstanding, fiscally-flawed arrangement between the City and OTB. In 2009, she helped make the case in Albany for reauthorization of mayoral control of schools. The bill that was signed into law preserves a system of clear accountability for New York City schools that has produced clear and dramatic results for students.

Goldstein has also advised the Mayor on State budget issues and has worked aggressively to ensure that the City is treated fairly by Albany, including negotiating a restoration of the City's revenue sharing and settlement of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit.  In addition, she helped secure passage of various mandate relief items that the City had been working on for years, including significant reform of the Wicks Law, which requires multiple contracts on single projects and dates back to 1961.

Goldstein successfully negotiated various tax policy changes, including the transformation of the Industrial and Commercial Incentive Program from an inefficient drain on the City's budget to a program that creates significant new economic activity at the lowest possible cost.  She also oversaw passage of a bill that modernizes New York City's tax laws and includes the reduction or elimination of the Unincorporated Business Tax and a phase-in of the "single-sales factor" which will encourage businesses to locate in New York City.

Before joining the Bloomberg Administration, Goldstein served as Director of Government Affairs for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Prior to that, she held a variety of government relations positions within City government: Director of Local Government Relations for the Department of Education, Director of the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy Director of the Office of State Legislative Affairs.

Executive Director Goldstein holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Administration from the Baruch College School of Public Affairs. Born and raised in New York City, Goldstein graduated from Susan Wagner High School in Staten Island and currently lives in Manhattan.

 







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Stu Loeser   (212) 788-2958




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