Mayor Adams Appoints Jessica Tisch as Commissioner of Department of Sanitation

April 18, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointment of Jessica Tisch as commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). Tisch brings over a decade of experience transforming government agencies to work more efficiently and effectively for New Yorkers. As deputy commissioner of Information Technology at the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Tisch led the department into the 21st century — modernizing systems to strengthen public safety and improve communications. Most recently, Tisch served as commissioner for the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), where she launched the modernization of the city’s information technology infrastructure and managed critical COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. As DSNY commissioner, Tisch will manage the city’s waste collection, recycling, and disposal, as well as cleaning and snow removal for approximately 6,500 miles of city streets.

“Jessica’s knowledge, experience, and unwavering commitment to New York City cannot be overstated,” said Mayor Adams. “Put plainly, Jessica is a ‘Get Stuff Done’ leader, who has delivered continuous results on behalf of all New Yorkers throughout her career. From revolutionizing policing technology in the NYPD, to overseeing critical pandemic programs to support New Yorkers in need, Jessica’s work has touched millions. All New Yorkers deserve clean, safe, and welcoming streets, and I know Jessica will bring the same energy and deliver results leading the sanitation department as we continue building a just and prosperous recovery for all. I also want to thank Commissioner Grayson for his decades of service — all New Yorkers owe him a debt of gratitude for his unwavering leadership throughout the pandemic.”

“Jessica Tisch brings years of experience navigating city government, and I look forward to working with her as commissioner for the Department of Sanitation,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “As the leader for the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, she delivered results, and I know she will work hard to keep our streets clean, make waste collection greener, and keep our roads clear when the winter returns.”

“Clean, safe neighborhoods will power New York City’s recovery, and innovations in composting, recycling, and collection will secure our future,” said DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “The Department of Sanitation is essential to building the comeback New Yorkers deserve, and I thank Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Joshi for entrusting me to helm New York’s Strongest. I’m honored to help the mayor realize his vision for a safer and more welcoming city.”

“Jessica Tisch will do a great job as the city’s next commissioner of sanitation,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “She has the managerial and governmental experience, the energy, and that New York can-do attitude that will keep DSNY humming. I wish her all the best.”

“New York City deserves public servants like Jessica Tisch, who work hard, solve problems creatively, and take public service seriously,” said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “For nearly 15 years, from her time in my administration up through today, Jessie has devoted her life to strengthening New York City and improving the lives of its people. She is a fantastic choice to lead DSNY and will throw herself into the mission of keeping our communities clean, fighting climate change, and bringing innovations and new ideas to this important agency. Delivering essential services is government’s number one job and I know Jessie is more than up to the task.”

“Sanitation is fundamental to a livable city and Jessica Tisch knows how to deliver timely and effective services,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Her tenure at DoITT demonstrates that she is the kind of problem solver our city needs — from her work to create a text-to-911 system to installing broadband in family shelters. I applaud the appointment of Jessica Tisch to lead the Sanitation Department.”

“Our borough knows firsthand the importance of the Department of Sanitation in our communities and the need for clean streets and neighborhoods,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “While working alongside Jessica Tisch during my time as chair of Public Safety, she oversaw the rollout of body cameras, the 911 call system, and other important new technologies that have helped to make us a safer city. I believe she has the commitment, dedication, diligence, and tenacity to lead the Department of Sanitation and enact incredible change for our borough and city.”

“I worked closely with Jess in her role leading DoITT during the COVID-19 crisis, when the agency was key to the delivery of myriad vital services, including vaccination and testing,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I have come to know her as a talented, innovative, decisive public sector manager — qualities that I have no doubt will make her an excellent DSNY commissioner. I am excited to continue working with her in her new role.”

“Congratulations to Jessica Tisch on her appointment as New York City Department of Sanitation commissioner —  one of the most important civil service roles in our city,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Queens looks forward to working with her to keep our streets clean and clear all year long, no matter what the weather throws our way. Queens is also deeply grateful to one of our own, outgoing Sanitation Commissioner Ed Grayson, for his tireless service and dedication to our city over the past two turbulent years. We wish him nothing but the best in his next endeavor.”

“I congratulate Jessica Tisch on her appointment to commissioner of the Department of Sanitation,” said New York City Councilmember Robert Holden. “As former chair of the Council Committee on Technology, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Commissioner Tisch while she led the charge on many advancements as commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. She is a competent leader who works well with the council, and Mayor Adams made a great choice to tap her to lead New York’s Strongest.”

“We wish Commissioner Grayson nothing but the best and are grateful for his years of service to the city,” said Harry Nespoli, president, Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association – Local 831. “I look forward to working together with Commissioner Tisch to support our members who keep the city moving every day and to build a cleaner, safer New York City for all.”

“Jessica Tisch ‘Gets Stuff Done,’” said former NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton. “She has the quality of leadership, the creativity to imagine how to do things that have never been done before, and the management ability to make those things happen. At NYPD, Jessie led change that most in the industry thought would never be possible, and she did it at the largest police department in the country.”

“Clean streets are a prerequisite for safe streets,” said New York State Senator Brady Hoylman. “Pedestrians and cyclists will no longer avoid debris as they move around our city. Ridding our avenues of harmful materials will also improve air quality and extend the life of our paved roads that knit New York City together. I applaud Mayor Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Tisch for prioritizing keeping our streets vibrant, safe, and clean.”

“I welcome Jessica Tisch to the Department of Sanitation,” said Kathryn Garcia, operations director, New York State; and former commissioner, DSNY. “Through her work at the NYPD, DoITT, and during the pandemic, she has fearlessly tackled complex problems and delivered for New Yorkers. I know she will bring her creativity to the challenges of climate change and keeping New York safe and clean. I also want to applaud outgoing Commissioner Grayson for his 20 years of service to New Yorkers and dedication to the agency.” 

“We welcome Jessica Tisch as the 45th commissioner of the Department of Sanitation,” said Eric A. Goldstein, New York City environment director, Natural Resources Defense Council. “We know of her passion and commitment to public service and her love of New York City.  And we look forward to collaborating with her, the department’s dedicated sanitation workers, and the Adams administration to advance critical initiatives, including commercial waste zone implementation, citywide curbside composting collection, and other Zero Waste programs.”

“Jessica Tisch has the management skills and indomitable spirit required to lead the fight for the cleaner and more environmentally responsible city that New Yorkers are clamoring for,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “She is a terrific pick for this job.”

“The New York League of Conservation Voters thanks Commissioner Grayson for his 23 years of public service and congratulates Jessica Tisch as the new DSNY Commissioner,” said Julie Tighe, president, New York League of Conservation Voters. “As a leader who delivered results for city residents during the pandemic by working at the forefront of IT infrastructure to manage response efforts, Commissioner Tisch will be a forward-looking leader as the city confronts major challenges from the waste crisis. There is much work to do to achieve the goal of zero waste, and we look forward to working with Tisch and the city to take a proactive approach to improving recycling, implementing composting, and putting in place initiatives like this much-needed containerized collection pilot."

About Jessica Tisch

Jessica Tisch was appointed DoITT commissioner and citywide chief information officer in December 2019. As commissioner, she ran the largest municipal IT organization in the country, with a wide portfolio, ranging from public safety to human services to economic development, as well as New York City 311.

Tisch served as a core member of the team that managed the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response — building and managing critical programs that tangibly served New Yorkers, including the city’s vaccination system. The results included:

• Over 4 million vaccination appointments scheduled through the Vax4NYC platform,
• 50 million calls processed through the 311 Call Center,
• 2 million cases and contacts processed through the contact tracing system,
• 2 million downloads of the NYC Covid Safe app,
• Half a million New York City public school students doing schoolwork remotely during the darkest days of the pandemic on city-issued iPads,
• 300 million meals delivered to food insecure New Yorkers through the GetFood program,
• 600,000 $100 incentives claimed by New Yorkers through the vaccine incentive portal, and
• Tens of thousands of marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies performed online.

Tisch also kickstarted the buildout of 5G across the city, more than quadrupled DoITT’s spending with minority and women owned businesses, put in place 10 new commercial and residential broadband franchise agreements, rolled out text-to-911, began a wholesale modernization effort of the city’s IT infrastructure, and led the rollout of Wi-Fi in all homeless shelters that serve families with children.

Prior to joining DoITT, Tisch served as deputy commissioner of information technology at the NYPD, where she spearheaded efforts to use technology to transform the NYPD's fundamental business processes, including how officers are dispatched and respond to 911 calls, take crime reports, investigate, and search for wanted or missing persons.

She managed the development and implementation of the flagship Domain Awareness System, which is at the heart of the NYPD's crime fighting and counterterrorism operations. Under her leadership, every officer was equipped with a smartphone, giving them access to real-time information in the field, as well as improving their accessibility to the public.

Tisch also managed the implementation of the NYPD's body-worn camera program and drove additional efforts to improve transparency and public access, including creating online platforms to deliver timely crime and traffic statistics and implementing secure systems to allow people to access vehicle accident reports, pistol permits, and Crime Stoppers information.

Tisch began her public service career in 2008, when she joined the NYPD. She is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School, and is a lifelong New Yorker.