NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, March 22, 2014, 10:37 PM
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has kept on much of his former staff as he transitions into new business ventures.
He left the mayoralty behind, but he took City Hall with him.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has hired at least 44 City Hall staffers and administration officials to work for him in his new role as a globetrotting businessman, philanthropist and advocate, according to a Daily News analysis.
That’s in addition to the dozen or so members of his old city security detail whom he moved from the Police Department’s payroll to his own.
The billionaire former mayor, who has an estimated net worth of $ 33 billion, culled the ranks of government — from top to bottom. So along with persuading at least six former deputy mayors and eight city commissioners to work for him, Bloomberg even hired the help-desk tech guy who kept his computer humming at City Hall, Kelvin Baez.
Bloomberg’s empire consists of his news and financial data company, Bloomberg L.P.; his charitable foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies; a new consulting firm providing free advice to cities across the globe, Bloomberg Associates, and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the national advocacy group he co-founded with then-Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
“Between his company and foundation, the scope is massive, the work is interesting, and he’s a generous employer,” one former staffer said, explaining the gravitational pull of remaining in Bloomberg’s orbit. “If you work hard, he’ll be incredibly loyal to you. And for Mike, he’s always been about spotting talent and holding on to it, and that’s exactly what he’s done here.”
The hiring spree is partly the product of a glut of jobs that needed to be filled as Bloomberg settled into his new life after 12 years as mayor.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, for example, used to be run out of City Hall. Now, former senior adviser John Feinblatt serves as its full-time chairman and has brought with him two former mayoral staffers.
Then there were the positions created by the expansion of Bloomberg’s philanthropic endeavors. Of the 35 employees at Bloomberg Philanthropies, 15 came from the Bloomberg administration, including former First Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris; senior advisers Shea Fink and Jonathan Werbell, and former Human Resources Administration Commissioner Verna Eggleston.
At Bloomberg Associates, the 15-person staff is headed by the city’s former tourism chief, George Fertitta, and includes 10 former Bloomberg administration officials, including seven former commissioners; former Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs, and Rohit Aggarwala, the architect of Bloomberg’s PlaNYC, the gigantic multiagency effort launched in 2007 to prep the city for changes in the 21st century.
Fifteen former Bloomberg administration officials and aides have moved their desks to Bloomberg L.P.
Former Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff began the exodus in 2008 to serve as the company’s president. In 2010, he was joined by Kevin Sheekey, a longtime Bloomberg adviser who also served as a deputy mayor.
They were joined this year by former Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway, who climbed aboard as deputy chief operating officer.
Also on staff: former Parks Commissioner Veronica White, who serves as chief of staff to Tom Secunda, a company co-founder who oversees Bloomberg’s renowned computer terminal business, which delivers data, news and analysis to financial professionals.
The one-time director of public affairs in the mayor’s office, Frank Barry, now writes editorials for Bloomberg View, which is sort of the virtual Op-Ed page of Bloomberg News.
Perhaps in an effort to keep familiar faces close, Bloomberg now sits next to his former press secretary, Marc La Vorgna, at Bloomberg L.P. La Vorgna serves as global head of communications for the company’s media properties.
Other staffers include former counselor to the mayor Michael Best and former special assistants Nanette Smith and Melissa Garcia.
Former Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway is now part of BLOOMBERG LP.
Former Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson now works directly for Bloomberg as an adviser on politics and communications.
Bloomberg “was quite proud of the team he assembled in City Hall and the administration,” Doctoroff said. “Fortunately between the foundation, associates, the company and other activities, there’s a lot of interesting possibilities that people are very attracted to.”
Even those rare Bloomberg acolytes who leave the fold like to stick together.
Former Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, who made a clean break and works as executive vice president for global public affairs at Citigroup, has hired two former City Hall staffers to work under him.
Bloomberg is a “unique boss and working with him is a unique experience,” said another former staffer. “For some, it’s, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ ”
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson is also among those who are continuing to work with Bloomberg.
Former Bloomberg’s administration staffers who still work for him now that he’s a private citizen:
BLOOMBERG LP:
* Kelvin Baez, help-desk technician in mayor’s office
* Frank Barry, director of public affairs in mayor’s office
* Michael Best, counselor to the mayor
* Lynn Cole, DEP chief of staff
* Dan Doctoroff, deputy mayor
* Evelyn Erskine, press secretary
* Melissa Garcia, special assistant to the mayor
* Cas Holloway, deputy mayor
* Marc LaVorgna, press secretary
* Degan Leopold, project coordinator in mayor’s office
* Kevin Sheekey, deputy mayor
* Nanette Smith, special assistant to the mayor
* Erika Soto, assistant to Patti Harris
* Veronica White, parks commissioner
BLOOMBERG ASSOCIATES:
* Rohit Aggarwala, PlaNYC architect
* Amanda Burden, city planning commissioner
* George Fertitta, tourism chief
* Linda Gibbs, deputy mayor
* Rose Gil Hearn, DOI commissioner
* Kate Levin, cultural affairs commissioner
* Katherine Oliver, film commissioner
* Janette Sadik-Khan, DOT commissioner
* Keith Schwarm, DOI employee
* Seth Solomonow, DOT press secretary
BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES:
* Jim Anderson, staffer in mayor’s office
* Katie Appel, assistant communications director in the mayor’s office
* Naeem Crawford-Muhammed, senior service fellow in mayor’s office
* Nancy Cutler, public information specialist in mayor’s office
* Verna Eggleston, HRA commissioner
* Shea Fink, senior advisor in mayor’s office
* Karen Greene, executive assistant in office of the mayor
* Patti Harris, first deputy mayor
* Allison Jaffin, special assistant to the mayor
* Kelly Larson, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
* Irene Pistorino, executive assistant in office of the mayor
* Jenny Ruvolo, projects coordinator in mayor’s offices
* Malia Simonds, director of external affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs
* Shireen Soheili, project coordinator in office of the mayor
* Jonathan Werbell, senior advisor to deputy of operations
MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS:
* John Feinblatt, senior advisor to the mayor
* Amanda Konstam, press person for deputy mayor
* John McCarthy, press office
OTHER
* Howard Wolfson, deputy mayor
* Kim Molstre, advisor to the mayor
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