In 2021, New York City will experience a significant change in its representative government — with a new Mayor and over 35 new Council Members. Following the June primaries, the Council is now poised to be majority women for the first time in the city’s history AND have the diversity more representative of the city as a whole.

This exciting transition creates a unique opportunity for the development of new leadership and new models of governance.

To support the incoming slate of members, Local Progress has launched the NYC Progressive Leadership Lab — a professional development program designed to provide newly elected officials in NYC with the training and skills necessary to govern effectively and truly represent the values of their communities.

The skills needed to win an election are not the same skills needed to govern effectively. And once elected, there are very few resources to support these elected officials once they begin to govern.

The NYC Progressive Leadership Lab exists to ensure that local elected officials have the resources, assets, tools, and skills that are needed to become powerful and effective leaders.

Over the course of six months — from August 2021 to February 2022 — participants will receive access to robust technical expertise in training and curriculum development, a network of values-aligned city and state elected officials who serve as trainers and mentors, and access to staff with a deep knowledge of the needs of state and local elected officials.

The 2021 cohort includes:

  • Erik Bottcher
  • Julie Menin
  • Shaun Abreu
  • Kristin Richardson Jordan
  • Carmen De La Rosa
  • Eric Dinowitz
  • Kevin Riley
  • Marjorie Velazquez
  • Pierina Sanchez
  • Oswald Feliz
  • Althea Stevens
  • Amanda Farias
  • Sandra Ung
  • Tiffany Caban
  • Shekar Krishnan
  • Julie Won
  • Nantasha Williams
  • Lynn Schulman
  • Selvena Brooks-Powers
  • Felicia Singh
  • Lincoln Restler
  • Jennifer Gutierrez
  • Crystal Hudson
  • Chi Osse
  • Sandy Nurse
  • Alexa Aviles
  • Shahana Hanif
  • Rita Joseph
  • Mercedes Narcisse

The NYC Progressive Leadership Lab is hosted in partnership with the Progressive Governance Academy (a project with State Innovation Exchange and re:power), Working Families Organization, and Advocacy Institute. Other partners include: Make the Road NY, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH).