Mamdani Names Government Vet Anthony Shorris to Lead EDC

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has named Anthony Shorris, a former first deputy mayor in the Bill de Blasio administration, to lead the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as president and CEO. 

Shorris, who is currently a partner with global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is a government veteran, having served as the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as deputy chancellor of the New York City public school system, in addition to his role with the de Blasio administration.  

“To achieve real economic justice in our city, we need to continue to grow our economy, attract new businesses to the five boroughs and create more job opportunities so New Yorkers can stay New Yorkers. Tony is a proven leader with decades of experience proving that economic development can and must include the working class,” Mamdani said in a Wednesday statement. “Building a fairer, more resilient economy has always been at the heart of his work and I look forward to working closely with him to advance that mission at EDC.”

With Shorris at the helm, the EDC is expected to use city-owned land, financing and investment to build more affordable housing in the city, create more jobs, and support small businesses, according to an announcement.

During his more than 40-year career, Shorris has already lent a hand in building nearly 200,000 affordable housing units in the city and has led roughly 350,000 city employees.

Shorris and the EDC did not immediately respond to Commercial Observer’s requests for comment. 

Shorris’s appointment to the top seat at the EDC comes at the same time Mamdani named Lina Khan as the new board chair of the EDC. Khan will oversee and guide Shorris’s decisions and approve all EDC projects.

Shorris’s hire might also be the mayor’s way of appeasing the city’s business leaders, according to The New York Times — which reports having spoken with several sources close to the hiring conversations. When Mamdani took office, there were concerns he would interfere with the EDC’s efforts to incentivize private capital investment needed to bring more housing to the city and make critical infrastructure improvements. 

When Mamdani, a staunch democratic socialist, took office at the start of this year, he circulated a memo calling for an overhaul of the EDC in an effort to focus on better-quality affordable housing and job creation, according to the Times. 

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.