Mayor Adams Adds to City Hall Communications Team

March 20, 2025

Kate Smart to Re-Join Administration as Communications Director 

Liz Garcia Promoted to First Deputy Press Secretary 

Additional Appointments and Promotions Made to Communications, Press, 
Creative Communications, Speechwriting, and Research Teams 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced new appointments within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Communications, elevating current members of the City Hall team as well as bringing in new talent to further strengthen the administration’s communications work. In the Communications Office, Kate Smart will return to City Hall as communications director, Dèja Stewart will join City Hall as a communications advisor, and Amaris Cockfield and Colby Rogers are transitioning to new roles on the team, as a deputy communications director and a communications advisor, respectively. In the Press Office, Liz Garcia has been promoted to first deputy press secretary and Zachary Nosanchuk has joined the Adams administration as a deputy press secretary. In the Office of Creative Communications, Avery Kim has been promoted to senior digital communications manager. In the Speechwriting Office, Nathan Swidler has joined as a speechwriter, while in the Office of Research and Media Analysis, Margaret Turner has been promoted to senior deputy director and Hanna Too joins the administration as a research and media analyst. 

“Our administration continues to bring in the best and brightest talent, while elevating those on our deep bench who are ready to rise to the moment. Our communications team is no exception,” said Mayor Adams. “Across every part of our communications team, we are welcoming and elevating exciting voices who embrace new, innovative ways to tell New Yorkers about the issues that matter the most. In particular, I am thrilled to have Kate Smart, who was here on day one of our administration, return to help lead the team as communications director. Kate is a seasoned communications professional who has only sharpened her skills while working on high-stakes races across the country and, now, is ready to return home to City Hall. Together, this team of storytellers is prepared to tell the story of our administration and the bright future that lies ahead for New York City.” 

“New York is a 24/7 city, and helping run it is a 24/7 job. Our communications team meet that challenge every day, keeping New Yorkers informed during crises, advancing historic initiatives to create a better city for families, uplifting the work of their fellow public servants, and so much more. These are tremendously hard and tiring jobs and I thank every member of the team for putting in the time and giving all they can to serve the greatest city in the world and its 8.5 million residents,” said Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy. “It has been the privilege of my professional life to work alongside such dedicated people and watch them grow, especially Kate Smart. Kate was with us at the very start of the Adams administration and helped steer our city through critical moments with intelligence, creativity, and dedication. Seeing her, and so many other members of the team, grow in their careers has been an incredible thing to witness. We are thrilled to welcome Kate back home and announce these additional appointments and promotions as well. I am looking forward to continuing our good work as we communicate everything Mayor Adams and our administration is doing to create a safer, more affordable city every day.” 

“Since day one, the Adams administration has worked tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers to build a safer, cleaner, and more affordable city. I’m grateful to Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Levy for their trust, and for the opportunity to tell the story of the dedicated public servants who keep New York City moving,” said incoming Communications Director Kate Smart. “As the mayor says, this work is all about the team. Whether on the frontlines of a crisis, or delivering a safer city, I believe that city government is what impacts lives. I’m excited to return to City Hall to continue finding new ways to reach New Yorkers, connect them to their government, and spotlight the ways — every day — city government is delivering for them.” 

New appointments and promotions in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Communications include:    

Communications Office  

About Kate Smart 
Kate Smart has returned to City Hall after serving as deputy communications director on U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s re-election campaign in Pennsylvania, where she oversaw day-to-day operations of the communications team, rapid response, and national and in-state surrogate coordination. Prior to that, she led health, human services, public safety, and emergency-related communications at the Mayor’s Office, serving as deputy press secretary and then as deputy communications director. Smart previously worked on a number of electoral campaigns across the country, including the 2021 U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign in Michigan, and Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign in Iowa. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in economics and international relations from Tufts University. 

Smart will report to Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy. 

About Amaris Cockfield 
Amaris Cockfield has moved from the Press Office to the Communications Office as deputy communications director. Previously, Cockfield served as deputy press secretary and communications advisor. Before joining the Adams administration, Cockfield worked at Mercury Public Affairs, where she focused on public affairs campaign management, coalition building, third-party engagement, and strategic media relations for a broad range of clients. Before that, Cockfield was director of communications in the New York State Assembly and handled all press inquiries for the chair of the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators — the non-profit arm of the New York State Black and Asian Caucus — between 2018 and 2019. Cockfield also managed and directed incoming and outgoing communications for the election of New York City Council District 45 in 2019. Finally, Cockfield was lead media coordinator for historic global social justice and civil rights cases, including the George Floyd case where she managed media coverage for his funeral and the National Action Network’s March on Washington. Cockfield earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University at Albany – State University of New York.  

Cockfield will report to Communications Director Kate Smart. 

About Colby Rogers 
Colby Rogers has been promoted to communications advisor. Rogers joined City Hall in May 2023 as a press assistant and was previously promoted to special assistant to the deputy mayor for communications, leading strategic initiatives such as the 2024 and 2025 State of the City. Previously, he worked as deputy political director for U.S. Representative Mike Levin’s 2022 re-election campaign. Rogers earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy and history from the University of Chicago. 

Rogers will report to Communications Director Kate Smart. 

About Déja Stewart 
Déja Stewart will join City Hall as a communications advisor. Stewart currently serves as a communications specialist at the New York City Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit, where she led communications initiatives that amplified city resources and community programs. Previously, she served as communications coordinator for the Vera Institute of Justice, where she focused on media relations for their Ending Girls Incarceration Initiative, managed press outreach, and executed communications strategies across the organization. Stewart also worked for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation and NYC Service within the mayor’s office, where she spearheaded campaigns and community initiatives that drove engagement and expanded organizational impact. Stewart earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communications from North Carolina A&T State University and has a Master of Public Administration from the City University of New York Baruch College.  

Stewart will report to Communications Director Kate Smart. 

Press Office  

About Liz Garcia 
Liz Garcia has been promoted to first deputy press secretary after serving as a deputy press secretary since the fall of 2023. Prior to joining the New York City Mayor's Office, Garcia was a deputy press secretary in New York Governor Kathy Hochul's Office. She began her career by interning for the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Communications and then the Gavin Newsom for Governor campaign in 2018, and later worked at the Los Angeles City Council, where she assisted constituents with city issues and developed community outreach strategies. Garcia earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles where she was involved in student government, hosted a radio show, and wrote for the school’s Latino/a newsmagazine. 

Garcia reports to Press Secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus. 

About Zachary Nosanchuk 
Zachary Nosanchuk joins City Hall as a deputy press secretary. Most recently, Nosanchuk served as deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Biden-Harris administration. In that role, he was a spokesperson for the agency’s more than 8,000 federal workers, organized nearly 30 trips with two cabinet secretaries across the nation, and crafted the administration’s messaging on efforts to boost affordable housing for underserved communities. Before serving as deputy press secretary, he was HUD’s assistant press secretary. Previously, Nosanchuk served on the communications team at Precision Strategies, providing strategic communications support to clients in health care, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and political campaigns. He also interned at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, End Citizens United, and on Capitol Hill. Nosanchuk earned a Bachelor of Arts in political communication from The George Washington University. 

Nosanchuk reports to Press Secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus. 

Office of Creative Communications 

About Avery Kim 
Avery Kim has been promoted to senior digital communications manager. Kim joined City Hall in April 2023 with a unique portfolio focused on reaching New Yorkers in new ways online, including launching and developing the “Hear From Eric” citywide mayoral newsletter. She was instrumental in leading a strategic reimaging of the city’s Instagram presence, responsible for numerous top-performing posts of all-time across accounts, and has nearly doubled @nycgov’s following. Prior to her work in city government, Kim staffed over a dozen political campaigns, consulted for the U.S. Department of State, and conducted research assessing election integrity threats on social media platforms. Kim earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia College of Columbia University and a Master of International Affairs in international security policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. 

Kim reports to Associate Director of Creative Communications Caroline Rubinstein-Willis. 

Speechwriting Office  

About Nathan Swidler 
Nathan Swidler joins City Hall as a speechwriter after working on the Kamala Harris presidential campaign in Wisconsin as a field organizer. Swidler earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Brown University.  

Swidler will report to Chief Speechwriter Marjorie Sweeney.  

Office of Research and Media Analysis

About Margaret Turner 
Margaret Turner has been promoted to senior deputy director. Turner joined the Adams administration in October 2022 as a research analyst in the Office of Research and Media Analysis. In January 2024, she was promoted to deputy director and now heads the team. Before joining the administration, Turner worked as a communications associate and assistant to the CEO at Haddad Media in Washington, D.C. Turner earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science and international relations from Tulane University. 

Turner reports to Press Secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus. 

About Hanna Too 
Hanna Too has returned to the Adams administration as a research and media analyst. Too initially joined the administration in June 2023 in the Office of Ethnic and Community Media, where she was a summer intern. A native New Yorker, Too earned a Bachelor of Arts in media studies and sociology from the City University of New York Queens College. 

Too will report to Senior Deputy Director of Research and Media Analysis Margaret Turner. 

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