Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the appointment of Francis S. Barry as Director of Public Affairs.  Barry will work closely with City Hall press, policy, and legislative staff to develop and advance the Mayor's third term agenda.  He will continue to oversee the Mayor's speechwriting and correspondence units, as well as the development of op-eds and other written communications, while also serving as an advisor to the Mayor on government reform and various other policy matters.  The Mayor also announced the appointment of Amanda Konstam as Deputy Director of Public Affairs.

"As we undertake the work of this new term, I've asked Frank to assume a new role that will allow us to fully capitalize on his communications skills, his extensive knowledge of city government, and his creative and common sense approach to public policy," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "In climbing the ranks here at City Hall over the past eight years, Frank has the earned the respect of our entire team with the quality of his work.  Now, we will count on him even more to help us keep pushing the pace of progress in our City.  We're also excited to welcome Amanda Konstam back to City Hall, and we look forward to putting her talents to work in new ways."

"The Mayor has made it clear that he intends his third term to be the most ambitious of all, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help make it a reality," said Barry.  "Over the past eight years, I've served the Administration in a variety of roles - legislative aide, researcher, writer, policy analyst, communications advisor - and in this new role I will draw on all of those experiences to help the Mayor continue making New York City synonymous with innovative, pragmatic, and progressive public policies."

Barry most recently served as a Senior Policy and Communications Advisor to the Mayor.  He has had numerous roles since joining the Administration in 2002: City Legislative Aide; Research Director for the 2003 Charter Revision Commission; Assistant to Communications Director William T. Cunningham; Speechwriter; Senior Policy Advisor to the 2004-2005 Charter Revision Commission; Director of Speechwriting; and Chief Speechwriter on the Mayor's 2005 and 2009 re-election campaigns.  During his tenure he has helped spearhead a number of reform initiatives, including revisions to the City's campaign finance and lobbying laws.  As Director of Public Affairs, Barry will report to Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs and Communications Howard Wolfson.  A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with degrees in Government and Economics, Barry also holds a Masters degree from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.  In 2009, he published a book on political reform in New York.

Konstam most recently served as the Public Affairs Officer and Debate Program Coordinator for New York City's Campaign Finance Board, where she organized eleven debates for the City's mandatory debate program.  Previously she worked on Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign for president, doing both research and outreach, and prior to that she served as a communications consultant with a private firm.  She holds a Masters Degree from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service as well as a B.A. from Columbia College in Art History.