Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the reappointment of Doug Lipari as Executive Director of the Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent), where he will lead the City's efforts to build an inclusive economy anchored in good jobs for New Yorkers.
NYC Talent will center workers, support high-road employers, strengthen service delivery and expand access to civil service careers through public investment, data-driven strategies and deeper interagency collaboration.
Lipari joined NYC Talent in 2023 to launch Community Hiring, an initiative that uses the City's purchasing power to create pathways to good-paying jobs and union apprenticeships for low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents and working-class communities. Community Hiring requires City contractors to meet workforce goals as part of their contracts.
Lipari also leads the City's negotiations of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which cover several billion dollars in City construction projects. The agreements help control costs, ensure workers receive fair wages and benefits and create pathways to union construction careers.
Lipari brings more than a decade of City government experience in procurement, labor compliance and workforce development. He began his career as a labor analyst at the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks), where he helped ensure City contractors paid workers fair wages. He later served as Deputy General Counsel of the Mayor's Office of Contract Services and as the inaugural Executive Director of the Office of Community Hiring.
"Doug has spent years making sure that when the City spends money, New Yorkers get something back - good jobs, fair wages and real pathways into economic security," said Mayor Mamdani. "He built Community Hiring from the ground up and has helped negotiate Project Labor Agreements that put workers at the center of our investments. I'm proud to have Doug leading NYC Talent as we build an economy where every New Yorker has a fair shot at a good job and a good life."
"Workforce development is about connecting New Yorkers to good jobs," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. "At a time when national economic headwinds are putting pressure on working people, our City's growth will be powered by the incredible talent and determination of New Yorkers across the five boroughs. We have the tools -- Project Labor Agreements, Community Hiring, apprenticeship programs, our educational institutions, and partnerships with employers and with unions -- to make sure every New Yorker has a pathway to economic mobility. Doug understands that strong labor standards and workforce programs must lead not just to a job search, but to an actual good job."
"An affordable New York City starts with making sure New Yorkers can access good jobs, grow in their careers, and afford to thrive in the neighborhoods they call home," said NYC Talent Executive Director Doug Lipari. "I am honored to serve New Yorkers under the leadership of Mayor Mamdani and Deputy Mayor Su. I look forward to ensuring we have a workforce system that delivers for New Yorkers and drives economic mobility across our city."
"Anyone familiar with Doug Lipari's impressive and impactful work over the past three years is not surprised by his reappointment as Executive Director of NYC Talent," said Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. "His integral role in creating family-sustaining union careers has provided thousands of hardworking people the opportunities to live comfortably and pursue the middle class. It is thanks to his collaboration with and support of the NYC Building Trades that key initiatives, like Community Hiring and last year's project labor agreement on $7 billion of City construction projects, were made possible. His dedication to expanding the pipeline of accessible, sustainable, and fair employment opportunities that provide good benefits and fair wages has improved the lives of countless New Yorkers, including our members. We are extremely grateful for our partnership with him and NYC Talent and look forward to continuing to build upon the extremely solid foundation we've already established."
"We're proud to know and work with Doug and congratulate him on his appointment," said Grace C. Bonilla, president & CEO, United Way of New York City. "At a time when our city needs it most, Doug's leadership of the NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development will be instrumental in building the partnerships and pathways necessary for all New Yorkers to secure good jobs and shared prosperity, goals we share at United Way of New York City, as we unite the power of community with citywide possibility."
"We are thrilled to congratulate Doug on his appointment as Executive Director of the Office of Talent and Workforce Development," said Adria Powell, co-chair, New York City Workforce Development Board, and president and CEO, Cooperative Home Care Associates; and Merrill Pond, co-chair, New York City Workforce Development Board, and executive vice president, Partnership for New York City. "Having worked closely with Doug through the NYC Workforce Development Board, we know firsthand his dedication to building effective job pathways for New Yorkers and partnering with employers to build an economy that works for all. The Board looks forward to continuing to partner with the administration and Doug to strengthen the workforce system and make a more affordable and equitable city for New Yorkers."
ABOUT DOUG LIPARI
Doug Lipari has served as Executive Director of NYC Talent since August 2025. He leads negotiations of the City's PLAs, pre-hire collective bargaining agreements between construction unions and the City that establish terms and conditions of employment for construction projects. The City's PLAs cover several billion dollars in capital construction, control costs, ensure union workers receive fair wages and benefits, and create pathways into the unionized construction sector.
Lipari also served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Office of Community Hiring, which he launched within NYC Talent. Community Hiring uses the City's purchasing power to connect vendors with jobseekers by requiring City agencies to include workforce goals in procurement contracts. Vendors must provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities to low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents.
Before that, Lipari served as Deputy General Counsel of the Mayor's Office of Contract Services. He began his career at the Department of Parks and Recreation as a labor analyst, where he worked to ensure contractors paid workers fairly.
Lipari holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duquesne University and a Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
