Mamdani Turns to Familiar Figure to Lead EDC

Zohran Mamdani is filling the seven-month void at one of the city’s most critical business agencies with a political veteran intimately familiar with the workings of New York City government.

Mamdani will name McKinsey & Co. partner Anthony Shorris as the president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Corporation, Crain’s reported. The official announcement could come as soon as Wednesday.

Shorris allied himself with Mamdani in the latter’s run-up to being elected mayor, even making an appearance at his election-night celebration. Shorris was in contention for a post earlier in the administration.

He began working in city government in 1979, a decade before Mamdani was even born. His work spans several sectors through the Koch, Bloomberg and de Blasio administrations, including roles as first deputy mayor, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and deputy chancellor of the public school system.

Comptroller Mark Levine referred to Shorris as a “great choice” ahead of the official announcement.

The EDC was last run on a permanent basis by Andrew Kimball, who headed the agency under Eric Adams from 2022 until January 2026. He was involved in the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal and SPARC Kips Bay, among other projects, and recently took a job to oversee New York University’s global real estate portfolio.

Jeannie Pak, who previously worked in the role of EDC’s chief financial officer, has served as the agency’s interim president and CEO since January. Pak was reportedly in the running to become EDC’s permanent chief.

The nonprofit EDC is one of the city’s most important business-related agencies, particularly for its role in New York real estate. The organization manages more than 60 million square feet and is running more than 100 active projects, accounting for $6 billion in construction investment.

Outside of steering development of city land — the agency’s most visible real estate role — it also issues business incentives and takes on other priorities, which in this administration includes the piloting of city-owned grocery stores.

— Holden Walter-Warner