Leadership

Afua Atta-Mensah, NYC Chief Equity Officer & Commissioner

Afua Atta-Mensah is NYC Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice. A nationally recognized strategist, organizer, and lawyer, she brings more than two decades of experience advancing racial justice and reshaping the systems that determine who is seen, heard, and served in public life.

Under the Mamdani administration, Atta-Mensah leads New York City’s efforts to advance racial equity across municipal agencies and to create and publish the NYC Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan within the administration’s first 100 days. Her work is grounded in the belief that equity requires both structural reform and sustained partnership with communities most impacted by inequality, and that progress demands not only vision, but measurable action.

Throughout her career, Atta-Mensah has applied a contemporary lens to issues of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and economic justice. Before joining the Mamdani administration, she served as Chief of Programs at Community Change and Community Change Action, Executive Director of Community Voices Heard, and Director of Litigation and Policy at the Urban Justice Center, where she helped expand civic power, defend fair and equitable housing and strengthen movements for social and economic justice.

A Fulbright Scholar, Atta-Mensah holds a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law and a BA in sociology and Africana studies from Trinity College.

Dabash Negash, Deputy Commissioner [She/Her/Hers]

Dabash Negash is the Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), where she is committed to advancing racial equity and promoting social justice across the city. With fifteen years of experience in government and politics, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for creating equitable policies that uplift marginalized communities. 

In her previous role as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning, Operations, and Sustainability to former NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray, Negash played a pivotal role in developing the strategy and implementation plan for the Taskforce on Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) in May 2020, a critical initiative launched during the pandemic to address systemic inequities. She also oversaw the operations and transition for Cities Thrive, a national coalition of over 220 cities and counties dedicated to improving behavioral health services and fostering inclusive support systems for all residents. 

Throughout her career in the New York City Mayor's Office, Negash has held several key positions, including Chief of Staff and Interim Chief Service Officer at NYC Service, where she advanced initiatives to enhance volunteerism and civic engagement, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Prior to her work in the Mayor's Office, she served as Deputy Director of the Fund for Public Advocacy, supported numerous political campaigns, and contributed to the Obama White House, furthering her commitment to equity and justice. 

Negash’s leadership reflects a steadfast dedication to dismantling systemic barriers and promoting racial equity, ensuring that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to thrive. 

Delilah Tyson, Chief Administrative Officer [She/Her/Hers]

Delilah Tyson serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for the NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ). With over 20 years of dedicated experience, she has honed her expertise in human resources, finance, IT oversight, and the administration of commercial, low-income, and special needs housing projects. Deeply knowledgeable about social service programs, Tyson is adept in the funding, contracting, and experienced in the NYC Human Resources Administration’s program requirements.

Prior to joining MOERJ, Tyson served as the South Bronx representative on the NYC Supportive Housing Network, where she stayed informed about social services and programs for individuals and families in need. A senior operations and administrative officer, she was a key member of the leadership team at the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, known locally as SoBro. Initially joining the organization in 2002 as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the President/CEO, Tyson rose through the ranks to Director of Operations and later the Chief Administrative Officer.

A careered executive, Tyson also previously served as the Director of Operations at Clinton Housing Development Company, where she managed daily organizational operations with an annual operating budget of $15 million. There, she supervised the management and maintenance of over 450 units of affordable, market-rate, and special needs housing and was responsible for cultivating partnerships with city agencies and community residents. Additionally, Tyson was the Senior Administrative Manager for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, where she ensured that the community received a fair share of business opportunities, neighborhood events, and beautification efforts.

Born and raised in Harlem, Tyson continues to dedicate her time to local community-based organizations, assisting them in various capacities.

Peggy Chan, Chief of Staff [She/Her/Hers]

Peggy Chan is the Chief of Staff at the NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice. She has over 15 years of progressive experience in government administration, developing laws, policies, and services for children and families from under-resourced communities in New York City. She began her career as a litigator in the child welfare area, served as a legislative counsel at the New York City Council, and oversaw policy and program development in the juvenile justice division at the New York City Administration for Children's Services. Peggy last served as an impartial hearing officer in special education law, adjudicating cases involving children with disabilities.

Peggy is passionate about understanding human conditions and finding ways to build a more compassionate, inclusive, and interconnected world. She is trained as a life coach, meditation teacher, sound healer, and energy healer. Peggy loves to learn and share tools with friends and colleagues to help them find a balance in today's ever-changing world. She received her bachelor's and law degrees from New York University.

Di’Indra Forgenie-Dhanantwari, General Counsel [She/Her/Hers]

Di’Indra Forgenie-Dhanantwari serves as the General Counsel for the NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), where she provides strategic legal guidance to advance policies that promote fairness, inclusion, and systemic change. A dedicated public servant with a distinguished career in city government, Forgenie-Dhanantwari has spent over a decade leveraging the law to protect and empower New Yorkers, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

Forgenie-Dhanantwari began her legal career as a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, advocating for justice on behalf of the people of Brooklyn. Prior to her role at MOERJ, she served as a Supervising Impartial Hearing Officer at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), where she adjudicated complex special education due process hearings under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Born and raised in Corona, Queens, Forgenie-Dhanantwari's firsthand experiences with systemic inequities shaped her passion for the law as a tool for justice and reform. She graduated magna cum laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and earned her Juris Doctor from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. Today, she continues to champion policies that safeguard civil rights and strengthen legal protections for all New Yorkers, advancing the city’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Nicole Joseph, Program Manager [She/Her/Hers]

Nicole Joseph, program manager for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), has over 10 years of experience across community-based organizations and government institutions. From ideation to implementation, she works closely with executive leadership to drive initiatives that increase racial equity and partners across critical City agencies to develop integral programs for diverse communities.  

Joseph previously worked at the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit (PEU) as research & policy analyst where she provided strategic planning, conducted health and immigration policy reviews, and established City agency partnerships for the GetCoveredNYC health insurance referral outreach program.  

In the spring of 2020, Joseph became a member of the NYC Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE). There she served on the COVID-Related Health Care Access Subcommittee, and later the TRIE Vaccine Equity Subcommittee, to collaborate with City agency leaders of color in addressing access to COVID-19 resources and information. In 2019, Joseph served as lead manager for the Mayor's Executive Order 40 initiative. She established partnerships with 30+ City agencies that provided health insurance enrollment information, referrals, and vital services to New Yorkers in need. Joseph also partnered with the NYC Health+Hospitals System to expand the reach of their affordable public healthcare initiative, the NYC Care program. Joseph is a proud native New Yorker of Caribbean descent, and alumna of Spelman College and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.