Want to Be a City Commissioner? It Helps to Be Friendly With the Mayor.
The New York Times
Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed allies who worked on his past campaigns to head New York City agencies, despite them having little relevant experience.
Faced with half a dozen major vacancies during his eighth and final year in office, Mayor Bill de Blasio had what appeared to be a simple choice: promote an experienced hand from within, or persuade an outsider to sign on for what was likely to be a very temporary job.
But in three of those instances, Mr. de Blasio chose a third option: He hired a loyalist.
For parks commissioner, who oversees 14 percent of New York City’s landmass, the mayor last month chose Gabrielle Fialkoff, the finance chairwoman of his 2013 mayoral campaign and a former vice chairwoman of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance the City of New York, a city-run nonprofit. She appears to have spent the bulk of her career helping run a costume jewelry company founded by her parents.
