Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday tapped a brand new head of the company that oversees town’s actual property portfolio.
Mamdani named Yume Kitasei as the brand new commissioner of town’s Division of Citywide Administrative Companies, or DCAS.
Kitasei beforehand served as deputy chief of workers to First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright throughout the Adams administration and as chief of workers to Deputy Mayor of Operations Laura Anglin underneath Mayor Invoice de Blasio. Earlier than that, she held varied different metropolis jobs and labored as chief of workers and director of finances and laws for Council member Margaret Chin.
She additionally brings expertise that doesn’t usually seem on a résumé in any other case dominated by public service: Kitasei is an creator of speculative fiction. Her forthcoming novel, “Envoy,” is described as a sci-fi thriller thriller about 5 astronauts who turn into the goal of an unknown killer.
DCAS, amongst different duties, manages town’s roughly 400 leases at personal properties, spanning 22 million sq. toes, alongside town’s personal 15 million sq. toes. The little-known company was not too long ago dragged into the limelight after investigators seized the telephones of Adams’ administration officers as they have been getting back from trip collectively in late 2024.
These officers included Jesse Hamilton, then the deputy commissioner of actual property on the DCAS. The incident heightened scrutiny round among the offers Hamilton labored on or promoted, together with a warehouse within the Bronx town finally determined in opposition to shopping for. Hamilton was indicted in August on a conspiracy cost associated to allegedly working with Ingrid Lewis-Martin, a former prime aide to the mayor, to hurry up sure builders’ tasks and steer metropolis contracts to most popular gamers. He resigned in August.
Kitasei is entering into the function after J. Carolina Chavez, who has served as performing commissioner since Commissioner Louis Molina resigned final month.
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