Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin appointed Chris Alexander to serve as Chair and Executive Director of the New York City Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), effective August 1, 2027. The position is jointly appointed by the Mayor and City Council Speaker. Linda Tigani, the current Chair and Executive Director of the Commission, whose three-year term ended on July 31, 2026, will remain in her role until July 31, 2027.
Alexander spent years advocating to end cannabis prohibition, which disproportionately harmed Black and Latino New Yorkers. He then helped carry out that change in state government. As the inaugural Executive Director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, he led implementation of the state's cannabis legalization law and established a regulatory framework rooted in equity and restorative justice.
He began that work at the Drug Policy Alliance, where he was Policy Coordinator and advocated for criminal justice and policing reform. As Associate Counsel in the New York State Senate, he helped draft and negotiate the repeal of Section 50-a, which had kept police disciplinary records from public view, as well as the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act and bail reform. Across his career, he has drafted and advanced legislation to reform policing, reduce the populations of state prisons and local jails, end solitary confinement, enact parole reform and expand access to education in state prisons.
Since 2024, he has been Executive Director of the NAACP New York State Conference, where he oversees statewide operations, advocacy and strategic priorities on civil rights, criminal justice, economic equity, housing and education.
"Our administration and residents across our city owe Linda Tigani thanks for her work to advance racial equity across the five boroughs," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "As Linda's tenure concludes next July, we look forward to welcoming Chris Alexander as CORE's next leader. Chris has spent his career advancing racial equity inside and outside of government, from his leadership at the NAACP New York State Conference to his work on policing reform and drug policy. I am confident he will help us deliver for communities that have been historically underserved, while remaining undeterred in holding us accountable should we fall short."
"Racial equity must be at the forefront of our work in City government, and CORE's guidance is paramount to fulfilling that goal," said Speaker Menin. "My colleagues in the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and I believe today's announcement will allow for a thoughtful and orderly leadership transition, ensuring that Linda Tigani can continue advancing key aspects of CORE's mandates. Beginning August 2027, Christopher Alexander, who brings meaningful experience furthering equity as executive director of the NAACP New York State Conference, will lead CORE. We look forward to working with both Ms. Tigani and Mr. Alexander to maintain continuity in CORE's mission and advance racial equity and justice across the five boroughs."
"I am honored to have been called to serve the City in this role, and I step into it with the deepest commitment to justice and equity," said Chris Alexander, incoming Chair and Executive Director of the New York City Commission on Racial Equity. "CORE exists because New Yorkers organized and demanded that their city government commit itself to being more equitable, and then voted to hold it to that promise. Linda Tigani did the hard work of building this Commission from the ground up, and I am grateful for the foundation she laid. I look forward to working alongside the CORE Commissioners, the Mayor, the Council and communities across the five boroughs to make sure the City's commitments become real changes in people's lives."
"Chris Alexander's wealth of experience and commitment to addressing systemic inequities make him a strong leader for the NYC Commission on Racial Equity (CORE)," said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor's Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah. "Working with Chris will continue to allow us to fulfill the City's racial equity mandates, advance meaningful policy change and ensure that communities across New York City have a meaningful voice in government decision-making."
"Chris is a good man and will thrive in his new leadership role," said Congressman Gregory Meeks. "I have all the confidence that the Mayor and City Council have chosen the right person for the job, and that Chris will be a leading voice in the City's commitment to racial equity with conviction and determination."
"I have known, respected and valued Chris Alexander for many years," said New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. "Chris was instrumental in advancing, preserving and defending the core social and economic equity and restorative justice tenets of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. Mr. Alexander is a man of integrity and stands firmly in his principles to improve the conditions and opportunities for New Yorkers. I applaud Mayor Mamdani and Council Speaker Menin for making the outstanding decision to appoint Chris Alexander as the Chair and Executive Director of the New York City Commission on Racial Equity. He is the perfect fit for this role and will undoubtedly lead CORE to achieve impactful outcomes throughout City government."
"Advancing racial equity requires more than recognizing the disparities that exist across our city. It requires the willingness to confront the policies and practices that perpetuate them, and the accountability to ensure that our efforts produce meaningful change. I thank Linda Tigani for her important leadership and the progress made under her tenure, including the Commission's expanded role in the Council's truth, healing, reconciliation and reparations legislation," said Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams. "Chris Alexander now takes on the responsibility of advancing that work, bringing an important combination of advocacy, policy expertise and government leadership to the role. His experience navigating both sides of that work will be important as the Commission continues to strengthen oversight and hold our institutions accountable to the communities they serve. I congratulate Chris on his appointment and look forward to working with him to advance a more equitable New York City."
"Chris Alexander has committed his life's work to advancing equity in communities across the state, from protecting voting rights and fighting for criminal justice reforms, to strengthening equity in education and expanding economic empowerment," said L. Joy Williams, President of the NAACP NYS Conference. "In appointing him, the Mayor is ensuring that New York City will stay focused on delivering justice and strengthening equity for Black New Yorkers and everyone who calls this city home. In the meantime, the NAACP New York State Conference will remain committed to its work."
"I fully support Mayor Mamdani's decision to appoint Chris Alexander as the next Chair of the NYC Commission on Racial Equity ("CORE"). In 2021, when the Racial Justice Charter Revision Commission proposed CORE as the independent body that would serve as the accountability agency to ensure the people have a say in the advancement of racial equity in all government functions, we envisioned a leader with deep ties in the Black community and proven results on their behalf. Alexander is such a person," said Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO of FPWA and Chair of the NYC Racial Justice Charter Revision Commission. "I pledge my support in helping ensure a successful transition in leadership over the next several months and the sustainability of all the good work that has been done by the outgoing Chair. Thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for your commitment to advancing racial equity and ensuring that it remains a priority in city government."
"Chris Alexander is a great appointment to lead our city's Commission on Racial Equity," said Candis Tall, Executive Vice President and Political Director of 32BJ SEIU, a labor union representing 85,000 property service workers in New York City. "Last year, he stood with 32BJ SEIU to champion the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, our city's historic security officer minimum wage law that will uplift a 90% Black and brown workforce. He has fought alongside labor unions in Albany to bring down the cost of healthcare and has dedicated his life to delivering for communities of color. We applaud Mayor Zohran Mamdani's appointment of Christopher Alexander."
"At a moment when trust in government is so fragile, New York is lucky that Chris Alexander is willing to take this project on," said Patrick Gaspard, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. "He helped write and fight for some of the most consequential racial equity reforms this state has passed, and he knows from the inside how to get things done in government and how to hold it accountable, which is exactly what CORE was created to do. The Mayor and the Speaker have made an excellent choice."
"The people in our communities are not asking government for special treatment. They are asking for fairness, integrity and accountability," said A.R. Bernard, Founder Pastor and CEO, Christian Cultural Center. "They want public officials who mean what they say and do what they promise. From what I've learned, Chris Alexander has built his career on those principles. I expect him to uphold those same standards for everyone entrusted with public office. I am proud to support his appointment."
About Chris Alexander
Alexander is Executive Director of the NAACP New York State Conference. Before that, he was the inaugural Executive Director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, where he led implementation of the state's cannabis legalization law. He previously served as Associate Counsel in the New York State Senate and Policy Coordinator at the Drug Policy Alliance, where he advocated for criminal justice and policing reform and an end to cannabis prohibition, and Legislative Correspondent in the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a Juris Doctor from CUNY School of Law.
About CORE
New York City voters established CORE in 2022 to hold City government accountable for advancing racial equity and give New Yorkers a greater voice in government decision-making.
Established under the New York City Charter Section 3404 , CORE identifies and proposes community equity priorities, reviews and comments on the citywide Racial Equity Plan and publicly tracks agency compliance. The commission also reviews agency complaints involving practices that may exacerbate racial inequities and makes recommendations to address them. CORE works closely with the City Council, responding to requests from the speaker and council committee on racial equity concerns.
About the Citywide Racial Equity Plan
Earlier this year, Mayor Mamdani and the Mayor's Office of Equity and Racial Justice (MOERJ) released New York City's first citywide Racial Equity Plan , a government-wide framework to advance racial equity. The final plan followed a 30-day public comment period after the preliminary plan was released in April, during which MOERJ gathered feedback from New Yorkers across the five boroughs and worked with 45 City agencies to strengthen its goals, strategies and indicators. The plan sets eight citywide goals to reach by 2034, including reducing disparities in housing, education, unemployment, maternal health, transportation access, broadband adoption and reducing the jail population.
