In a press conference last Tuesday (October 8), Mayor Adams announced that former First Deputy Mayor Wright had resigned, and she would be succeeded by the Filipino-American Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer.
Mayor Adams, while introducing the new appointee, also expressed gratitude to Wright. He described Wright as a “steadfast supporter” and wished her the best in her future endeavors.
“What’s remarkable is that all my deputy mayors were unequivocal in their assertion that Torres-Springer is the right choice for the position of First Deputy Mayor,” Adams said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge, government experience, the ability to remain calm in turbulent times, and the capacity to propose real solutions.”
Torres-Springer previously served as Deputy Mayor overseeing housing, economic development, and employment in the Mayor’s Office. Her accomplishments include spearheading New York City’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and making significant progress in addressing the housing and affordability crisis. A highlight of her work was the early restoration of nearly a million lost jobs in New York City during the pandemic, creating a blueprint for accessible career pathways and a more inclusive economy. She also reduced Black and Latino unemployment rates by almost 30%, accelerated housing construction initiatives, set records for constructing and connecting new affordable housing for New Yorkers for consecutive years, allocated billions of dollars through the Public Housing Preservation Trust Fund for comprehensive renovations of thousands of residents in buildings managed by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and advanced three historic “Promise City” initiatives to modernize zoning regulations to promote sustainability, support small businesses, and build more housing.
Adams stated that the first task assigned to Torres-Springer would be to immediately review personnel plans and policies.
Following the announcement of this significant personnel change, Adams emphasized that the departure of four high-ranking officials from the New York City government within a day was “normal.”
“You know, people leave government all the time in a normal way; or when they don’t feel the respect that people deserve, they leave government too,” he remarked.
At the same time, Adams revealed that he had a pleasant conversation with the governor over the weekend, during which the governor offered him some advice that he had decided to implement.