Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Council of Urban Professionals' 9th Annual Leadership Gala

April 7, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you [inaudible]. Thank you for all you do for CUP [inaudible] to support this extraordinary organization. Let’s thank [inaudible].

[Applause]

[Inaudible] the impact it has on this city. I have a very personal reason – that CUP has now become the go-to place for new members of our administration. We have – we’re very proud of that fact.

[Applause]

We have over a dozen members of our administration who are CUP members or were CUP fellows.

[Applause]

[Inaudible] senior members of our administration who are fellows, Jerika Richardson [inaudible].

[Applause]

[Inaudible] fellows in our administration [inaudible].

[Laughter]

What’s happening is that CUP is helping to create a whole new generation of leaders – leaders in public service, leaders in the private sector who will help to transform this city. It is time for a much deeper transformation, and that only happens with passionate leaders. It only happens with people who actually understand how to make change, and CUP has been that breeding ground, that energizing force, engaging so many people, and propelling them forward, and bringing that network of support that makes it possible for people to go farther. 

I have to tell you, there’s tremendous appreciation for this organization in my administration. One of the people who really believes [inaudible] is also the person who I turn to, to be guided on the [inaudible] of the law. She also happens to be in charge of all of our MWBE efforts – my Counsel, Maya Wiley, who’s here tonight. Thank you, Maya, for all you do. 

[Applause]

And I think Assemblyman Michael Blake is here, who’s doing extraordinary work in Albany –

[Applause]

– Also a member of our MWBE taskforce. Thank you, Michael. I just want to acknowledge and thank Brennon Marcano, Executive Director of CUP. All the CUP [inaudible] directors, all the members. Everyone who helps to make CUP great – a special commendation to your wonderful honorees this evening.

Look, what you’re doing is what this City needs. We need to accelerate the process of change. We need to accelerate the development of leaders who will make this a more just and inclusive society. And we know, again that has to happen in the public sector. We understand we have a long way to go with the private sector as well. We have to hold up our own examples on both sides [inaudible] and challenge each other to go farther.

Now, I want to offer you some quick points from my administration. When I came in, I said we needed an administration that looked like New York City. I believe that fundamentally, that, that is part of what a representative democracy should achieve – a government that looks like and represents the people it serves from every corner of this city. I also was given extra energy and extra focus in that endeavor by the First Lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, reminding me every day that we would damn well have a representative administration. 

[Applause]

So, I can tell you where we stand at this moment – nearly half of the senior leaders in the agencies of this City government are people of color.

[Applause]

And for those of you interested in seeing the majority represented – 57 percent of the senior leadership positions in our administration are held by women.

[Applause]

And it’s unmistakable, if we want to change things, that representation is a pathway to change because I don’t think I have to, in any way, sugarcoat it for anyone in this room – if you actually want to create that continuous pipeline of new talent, if you want to reach the best and the brightest coming up in every community, the people doing the hiring have to look like every community. And it’s as simple as that.

[Applause]

Now, let’s be clear that government doesn’t have the particularly sterling history when it comes to representation, and when it comes to reaching MWBE firms. We have not gotten far enough. We have to go a lot farther. We have to do it quicker. But I’m proud to say, in our first two years, we have awarded contracts – over 22,000 contracts worth $1.6 billion to MWBEs.

[Applause]

And that is the most the City of New York has ever awarded in such a time.

[Applause]

Our goal over the next ten years is $16 billion in contracts to MWBEs.

[Applause]

And we need your help [inaudible]. I’ll be very quick – I have to say this. We need your help because in Albany there is a chance to make a change that would allow us to go much, much farther. We need to get the same tools and abilities the State of New York has for the City of New York. Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte has a powerful piece of legislation that will allow us to supercharge our MWBE efforts. We need your help to get that passed in the next months in Albany, so we can go much farther.

And I have to tell you, even with the tools we have, we have certified over 4,000 MWBEs – and that is the most also in the history of New York City.

Now, I want to finish with this – the way we make change, the way we make change is by holding the bar high and making it very personal and very vivid. So, I have literally called in the heads of all my major agencies, and I have held them personally accountable for change – change in hiring, change in contracting. That is part of the pathway to actually making a difference. And it has to come from the top. It has to be a priority. It has to be vivid.

I will now say, since I’ve done that towards all our city agencies, I’m now going to say something to our friends in the private sector who are here tonight. And I particularly want to talk to the bankers this evening. Bankers, lenders – lend me your ears.

[Laughter]

I have to ask you to help move this city forward. I have to ask you to go the extra mile. Dig deeper and find a way to get more resources in the hands of MWBEs so they can employ the people of this city. We need that.

[Applause]

I came here to fight the income inequality – and nothing fights income inequality better and faster than upholding the companies in this city that will hire every kind of New Yorker, and help them get ahead.

So, we need that lending to happen, and we need it now.

Everyone, I want to thank you for all you do with CUP. I want to thank you for supporting each other. I want to thank you for developing leadership. I want to thank you for uplifting the next generation. This is how we change this city for the better.

Thank you and God bless you all.