Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler will leave City government at the end of April for a position in the private sector. Skyler has been a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Administration since its inception in 2002, and previously served as the Press Secretary, Communications Director and Deputy Mayor for Administration.

“Ed Skyler was at my side during my first parade as a candidate in 2001 and hasn’t left since,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “He has served me and the City extraordinarily well for more than eight years. As my Press Secretary for the first term, he worked tirelessly to promote and defend the City’s agenda.  He made sure we kept people informed during emergencies, including the citywide blackout of 2003, and brought our communications operation into the digital age.  As a Deputy Mayor, he emerged as a creative problem-solver and seasoned negotiator. Never afraid of telling me what he thinks, he has served with integrity and thoughtfulness, showing great judgment in every job I have given him. We will miss him and wish him the best of luck as he begins a new opportunity.”

“It has been a great honor and privilege to work for Michael Bloomberg for nearly 10 years,” said Skyler. “He has always shown confidence in me and allowed me to take on new challenges. Aside from being a great Mayor, he has been the best boss one could ever hope for.  I have devoted a lot of time and energy to making New York City work better throughout my career in government. Although I am ready for my next step, this experience is irreplaceable.”

As a Deputy Mayor, Skyler has overseen strong performance by the City’s main operational agencies and directed the response to numerous emergencies, such as the 2007 steam pipe explosion in midtown Manhattan. Skyler has served as a top budget, legislative and labor negotiator for the Mayor. He oversaw four consecutive balanced and on-time City budgets; negotiated legislation to reform lobbying and “pay-to-play;” reached agreements with municipal labor unions to reduce pension and health costs; and struck the first negotiated contract with the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association since 1994.

Skyler has overseen a wide variety of critical initiatives and navigated the City through complex problems. In 2006, he negotiated the passage of the City’s landmark Solid Waste Management Plan and has since brought the plan through a variety of city, state and federal approvals.  He co-chaired the Mayor’s panel on the health effects of 9/11 which, in 2007, mapped out a strategy for helping those who were sickened by the attacks.  In 2008, he launched a successful construction safety reform effort and, in the aftermath of the tragic fire at the Deutsche Bank building, he developed a package of comprehensive reforms to improve the City’s oversight of construction, demolition and decontamination operations.  He led the effort to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from City operations by 30 percent by 2017, and has played a key role in carrying out PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s groundbreaking blueprint for a sustainable New York City.  Skyler has also led crucial public safety projects such as the Mayor’s campaign against illegal guns, the modernization of the 911 system and the City’s ability to communicate with the public in emergencies. 

As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Skyler has assisted the Mayor in managing the Police Department, Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Management and Budget, and Office of Labor Relations. In addition, Skyler has directly overseen the Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Buildings, the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the Mayor's Office of Operations/Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the Mayor's Office of Contract Services, the Criminal Justice Coordinator, and the Office of Special Enforcement.

Skyler started his career in city government in 1995 working on the staff of a Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Parks & Recreation. He was named Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commissioner Henry J. Stern in 1996 and became the agency’s Director of Public Information the following year.  In 1999, he was appointed a Deputy Press Secretary to Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.  In 2000, Skyler joined in the Corporate Communications group of Bloomberg L.P before joining Mr. Bloomberg’s successful 2001 campaign for Mayor as its Press Secretary.  A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he earned a law degree from the Fordham University School of Law, which he attended at night, and is a member of the New York State Bar.