Former new York City First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer has been named one of the co-chairs of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team. (Asian Journal file photo)
Filipino-American leader Maria Torres-Springer joins Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s all-women transition team, an experienced lineup of former New York City officials guiding the next administration.
NEW YORK — Filipino-American public servant Maria Torres-Springer, New York City’s former First Deputy Mayor, has been named one of four co-chairs on the all-women transition team of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The group, announced November 5, 2025, brings together veteran administrators from previous city and federal roles to oversee the incoming mayor’s hand-over.
Torres-Springer joins Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission; Grace Bonilla, president and CEO of the United Way of New York City and former Human Resources Administration commissioner; and Melanie Hartzog, former deputy mayor for Health and Human Services and city budget director. Their combined experience spans the Bloomberg, de Blasio, and Adams administrations, reflecting Mamdani’s goal of blending new leadership with institutional experience.
A Filipino-American at the heart of City Hall
Born in Los Angeles to Filipino immigrant parents, Torres-Springer grew up in a working-class family that relied on public housing and food assistance after her mother’s passing. She spent several years in the Philippines before returning to the United States, earning a bachelor’s degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Her personal story of resilience and access to opportunity shaped her career in public service, now spanning more than two decades.
Decades of city leadership
Torres-Springer’s record includes leading three major city agencies: the Department of Small Business Services, the Economic Development Corporation, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
In 2022, she was appointed Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, and in 2024 became First Deputy Mayor—the first Filipina to hold that office in New York City’s history. Her portfolios included affordable housing, small business support, and workforce development programs that advanced inclusive economic growth across the city.
Experienced women steering a new era
Mayor-elect Mamdani, 34, who will become the city’s first Muslim mayor, said his transition team represents “the experience and vision needed to meet this moment for New York.” The four women bring decades of leadership in housing, economic development, community engagement, and budget management.
By drawing leaders from past administrations, the transition team aims to ensure continuity while pursuing progressive goals in housing affordability, economic mobility, and equity—policy areas that align with Torres-Springer’s long-standing expertise.
A voice for Filipino-Americans
With about 240,000 Filipinos living in the New York metropolitan region, according to the Pew Research Center, Torres-Springer’s appointment marks a milestone for representation in local government. Her rise from a Filipino immigrant household to City Hall leadership exemplifies the increasing participation of Filipino-Americans in civic affairs and public administration.
Her story continues a broader trend of Filipinas in public leadership, joining a growing list of women shaping housing, education, and economic policy across the United States.
From policy to practice: defining New York’s next chapter
As Mamdani’s administration prepares to take office in January 2026, Torres-Springer’s role in the transition is expected to focus on economic development, housing policy, and community partnerships.
Her leadership across multiple mayoral administrations gives her a deep understanding of how to move reform from concept to implementation. For Filipino-Americans and women of color nationwide, her example demonstrates how professional expertise and community values can intersect in public service.
