November 14, 2025

Inaugural cohort features leaders from 19 city entities

THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201

NEW YORK – New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis Molina today celebrated the graduation of 26 city employees from the first-ever New York City Information Technology (IT) Management Academy – a three-month program designed to advance the development of top talent playing integral roles within our city’s digital infrastructure. Graduates hailing from 19 diverse city entities successfully completed a tailored curriculum centered on strengthening management skills, promoting strategic thinking, and bolstering knowledge of citywide technology operations. Through this program, graduates not only received the tools to further their individual career journeys but also utilize their newfound knowledge and experiences to better lead their teams and agencies to tackle IT-related challenges.

“Technology is at the heart of this administration’s legacy of building a safer, more affordable city for New Yorkers,” said CTO Fraser. “During the past four years, we’ve achieved notable successes bridging the digital divide, improving city services, upgrading IT systems, and protecting residents from physical and digital threats. All of this technological advancement is thanks to the thousands of dedicated professionals in our city tech workforce. Today’s IT Management Academy graduation demonstrates our lasting commitment to supporting the growth of our tech leaders who will play a vital role in their agencies and city government for years to come. I congratulate each of the 26 graduates in this first cohort on their tremendous achievement and credit them for the work they do on behalf of New York City.”

“The IT Management Academy reflects our city’s commitment to investing in people who keep the City of New York running,” said DCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “By equipping our IT leaders with the skills and strategic insight to navigate an evolving digital landscape, we’re ensuring that city government remains innovative, resilient, and responsive to the needs of New Yorkers.”

DCAS’ Management Academy has served as the city’s premier professional development program for managers for more than two decades. The IT Management Academy marked the first time such a program exclusively supported the long-term growth of our city’s top tech talent. The NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) and DCAS selected participants from more than 100 nominations, based on their leadership potential and impact to their current role, commitment to public service, and communication and collaboration skills, among other criteria. OTI covered the full program cost for the initial cohort to eliminate financial barriers to participation and emphasize the critical role IT plays in advancing the city’s digital future.

Beginning in August, academy participants – all full-time city employees at a director or above level – met once per week in-person at DCAS offices for a series of workshops led by expert consultants, senior managers, and IT executives from across various city agencies. The sessions combined formal classroom learning, group discussions, cases studies, moderated panels, and leadership engagement. The curriculum’s three core focus areas included: developing and utilizing human resources, understanding the operational aspects of city systems and processes, and learning best practices from IT executives. For instance, one class featured a panel of agency Chief Information Officers (CIOs) sharing insights about their daily experiences and strategies for success. In addition to mandatory attendance, participants presented a capstone project to complete the class.

The inaugural IT Management Academy graduates are (in alphabetical order):

• Martinez Allonce, Bronx District Attorney’s Office
• Paolo Balboa, OTI
• Artis Clemons, NYC Public Schools
• Richard Cumberbatch, OTI
• Anthony Dixon, NYC Public Schools
• Livia Felix, Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations
• Shanna Ford, NYC Department of Transportation
• Clara Gomez, DCAS
• Matthew Gonzalez, Business Integrity Commission
• David Kim, Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office
• Bikramjeet Kohli, NYC Department of Social Services
• Michele Marshall, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
• Lovedeep Mehta, NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
• Alex Menkin, NYC Office of Collective Bargaining
• Jomy Molakan, OTI
• Bibek Pandeya, NYC Public Schools
• Ishvinder Pannu, Financial Information Services Agency
• Anita Pirangute, NYC Administration for Children’s Services
• Victoria Pisarevskiy, NYC Department of Finance
• Shabbir Ahmed Shaik, NYC Department of Small Business Services
• Daniel Shinn-Krantz, DCAS
• Abraham Tam, NYC Aging
• Oliver Andrew Tam, NYC Comptroller’s Office
• Sudh Vijendrachar, NYC Department of Social Services
• Lisa Woods, OTI
• Gary Zhou, NYC Department of Records and Information Services

Contact: communications@oti.nyc.gov