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Mayor de Blasio Announces New Senior Appointments to Help Guide COVID-19 Recovery for Small Businesses

May 11, 2020

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced new senior appointments to expand the City’s efforts to support small businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. Gregg Bishop will become Senior Advisor for Small Business COVID-19 Recovery and Jonnel Doris will now serve as the City’s Commissioner for Small Business Services.

“Small businesses are the core of New York City’s economy” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Gregg and Jonnel will help ensure that we put small businesses at the center of our recovery efforts, because when our small businesses come back stronger, our communities and neighborhoods will come back stronger too.”

“In my 5 years as Commissioner for Small Business Services, we’ve made major accomplishments for our businesses, neighborhoods, and workforce,” said Gregg Bishop, Senior Advisor for Small Business COVID-19 Recovery. “I’m excited to continue this work as Senior Advisor as we make small businesses a priority in our recovery, and find creative ways to engage the private sector in this effort.  We must ensure that our communities and neighborhoods come back stronger, and equitably.”

“I am honored to accept this appointment and thank the Mayor for his support and leadership on the City’s M/WBE Program,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. “I am also very proud of the accomplishments of the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs and the 9,000 NYC M/WBEs themselves. Along with the support of M/WBE advocates we have exceeded all of our major goals ahead of schedule and look forward to the continued success under the leadership of this administration. The challenge of helping the City’s small businesses mitigate the impact of this pandemic will not be simple but one to which I am committed.”

“As SBS commissioner, Gregg has been a tireless advocate on behalf of New York City’s small business community,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Policy Initiatives. “In his new role as senior advisor for small business COVID-19 recovery, we look forward to his continued leadership as he begins the critical work of ensuring that this critically important community receives the relief they need to not just get through this unprecedented time, but come back stronger than ever.”

About Gregg Bishop

Gregg Bishop has been a voice for small business owners as the Commissioner of Small Business Services since 2015. In the role of Senior Advisor for Small Business COVID-19 Recovery, he will work closely with Public-Private Partnership Czar Peter Hatch to find new sources of capital for small businesses. He will also be tasked with deepening the connection between larger businesses and small businesses in order to help small businesses recover.

About Jonnel Doris

As Director of the Office of Minority and Women Owned Enterprises, Jonnel Doris led a massive expansion of MWBE contracting, awarding $14.6 billion in contracts to MWBEs since 2015, which is $1 billion ahead of the City’s goal. As SBS Commissioner, he will ensure the City continues supporting small businesses in every community as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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