Mayor Adams Announces Creation of Office of Community Hiring, Doug Lipari as Executive Director

July 27, 2023

Office of Community Hiring Will Allow City to Leverage Purchasing Power to Connect Low-Income New Yorkers with Good Jobs and Apprenticeship Opportunities

Historic Legislation Passed in Albany Session with Broad Support from Electeds, Labor, and Workforce Leaders

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the formation of the Office of Community Hiring and the appointment of Doug Lipari as its executive director. The Office of Community Hiring will work with contractors to identify promising talent and provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities for low-income individuals and those residing in economically-disadvantaged communities. Once fully implemented, an estimated 36,000 jobs will be created annually for low-income individuals and impacted communities, allowing city contractors to leverage the full talent of the New York City workforce. With support coming from across labor, from state elected officials, and from local community voices, community hiring was a major victory for the Adams administration in this past year’s legislative session.

“Our city’s economic recovery depends on opening up our workforce to those who have been denied a fair shot for far too long. But the Office of Community Hiring will be on the frontlines of ensuring that low-income individuals and economically disadvantaged communities have access to good-paying opportunities,” said Mayor Adams. “I want to thank our partners in Albany for helping to push this legislation forward as part of my ‘Working People’s Agenda,’ and know that Doug Lipari will do an amazing job in leading this office to build a more inclusive economy.”

“With community hiring, the Adams administration will uplift talent from low-income communities and open doors to new job opportunities,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “This landmark piece of legislation has been years in the making and represents a commitment to right historic wrongs of unequal investment in Black and Brown communities. Thank you to our partners in Albany, labor, and beyond for demonstrating that public dollars can do more than ‘Getting Stuff Done;’ they can provide paths to economic mobility and careers so that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to thrive.”

“A sincere thanks to all of our local and state partners for the countless hours of advocacy dedicated to getting community hiring passed,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “With this bill’s passage, we can now position the city’s economy for maximum gains by providing businesses with increased access to some of the city’s most viable and untapped talent, and ensure all of the city’s top talent, regardless of socioeconomic experience, have access to good local jobs.”

“I am honored to be the inaugural executive director and lead the rollout of the city’s community hiring program,” said Doug Lipari, incoming executive director, Office of Community Hiring. “I am also incredibly grateful to the broad range of supporters who championed this historic legislation. The community hiring legislation allows the city to maximize the impact of its purchasing by connecting the capable, but underutilized, talent with the contractors who provide vital services. Community hiring will be a crucial part of the city’s economic growth and will position New Yorkers with the opportunity to thrive.”

Community hiring allows the city to leverage its purchasing power, set hiring goals across billions of dollars of city procurement contracts, and build on the success of existing project labor agreements and agency-specific hiring programs. The Office of Community Hiring will advance the administration’s vision for an equitable, inclusive economy, and deliver on the promise to prioritize the needs of working people by creating pathways to careers with family-sustaining wages.

“I am thrilled with the appointment of Doug Lipari as the executive director of the Office of Community Hiring to implement the city’s community hiring program,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “The rollout of this program with Doug at the helm empowers New Yorkers from economically disadvantaged communities to use their talents to execute capital improvements citywide and embark on career paths that will together make our city better.”

“Since the start of the Adams administration, we have committed to taking a person-centered approach. The creation of the Office of Community Hiring demonstrates that commitment, as we are working to see that every New Yorker has the opportunity to participate fully in the city’s economy and to ultimately uplift themselves and their families,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “I look forward to working with Doug and his team to support the office’s work and to help New Yorkers connect to jobs, apprenticeships, and thrive in the city we all call home.”

“There is tremendous talent in our city, and everyone deserves a pathway to success that cultivates that talent. I applaud Mayor Adams as he works towards bringing economic opportunities and equity to all New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Education Chancellor David Banks. “It is these initiatives that provide bold futures for the people of our city and raise up the next generation of leaders who are sure to bring lasting change to our country.”

“The Office of Community Hiring is an important next step in Mayor Adams’ commitment to investing in all New Yorkers,” said Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Executive Director Deanna Logan. “Gainful living wage employment is among the necessary building blocks of a safe and fair city. Congratulations to Executive Director Lipari; I’m looking forward to working with him as he successfully executes the responsibilities of his new role.” 

“As the agency that oversees the nation’s largest summer youth employment program and other youth workforce initiatives, DYCD is excited by the creation of the Office of Community Hiring to connect job and career opportunities to the people and neighborhoods that really need them,” said New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard. “Congratulations to Executive Director Doug Lipari on his new role. DYCD looks forward to working with him and the community hiring program to help ensure that all New Yorkers, especially out-of-work and out-of-school young people, have an opportunity to be gainfully employed, support their families, and contribute to the economic well-being of our city.”

“The passage of the community hiring bill is game changing. It will enable the city to leverage its purchasing power to drive economic mobility for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. “Doug Lipari, with his deep expertise, commitment, and experience, will hit the ground running so that jobseekers and contractors benefit from and realize the promise of community hiring.” 

“A firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t only limited to my focus area of city minority and women-owned business enterprises procurement contracting,” said Citywide Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael J. Garner. “It also, and just as importantly, includes the city’s ethnically, racially, and economically diverse labor force. An appreciation of the promising talent and tireless work ethic that can be found in low-income and economically-disadvantaged communities is long overdue. I applaud Mayor Adams’ recent legislative victories in Albany that will further enhance his vision for an equitable, inclusive, and broad-based post-COVID economic recovery as well as his commitment to the newly established office overseeing our city’s community hiring program. I also look forward to my continued work with Executive Director Doug Lipari in his new role, prioritizing the needs of our city’s talented working people through the creation of new career opportunities and family-sustaining wages. This is a true victory for the citizens of the city of New York and the Adams administration.”

“We are thrilled to see the passage of this groundbreaking legislation, which will unlock the city’s tremendous purchasing power to help connect low-income individuals and communities to in-demand careers,” said Mayor’s Office of Equity Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “By prioritizing local hiring, we can ensure our city’s recovery is inclusive, equitable, and taps into the diverse talent across our city.”

“Community hiring increases the number of people who can work on DDC projects and also helps us to be more culturally competent as we work in every neighborhood in the city,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. “We’re very pleased to work with the new executive director of community hiring to share best practices and expand our outreach into the community where we build.”

“At NYC Parks, we put equity and inclusion at the forefront of our hiring practices, and we are excited to see the appointment of Doug Lipari — a former Parkie, amazing partner to NYC Parks, and a tireless advocate for our projects — as the head of this new office,” said New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We strongly support the goals of the community hiring program, and we look forward to working with him and his team to provide more apprenticeship and employment opportunities to New Yorkers while supporting low-income individuals.”

“There is an abundance of talent in every corner of New York City, and it is in the city’s best interest to identify talent in historically underserved areas and connect these individuals to good-paying, quality job opportunities,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “The new Office of Community Hiring will allow the city to use its spending to directly assist marginalized communities. We look forward to supporting these efforts and working with Executive Director Lipari to deliver more jobs to communities with the greatest need.”

“We commend the Adams administration for its advocacy on community hiring legislation and congratulate Doug Lipari on his appointment,” said New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “Community hiring will provide low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents, with expanded access to employment and apprenticeship opportunities. NYCHA looks forward to working with the Office of Community Hiring to ensure that NYCHA residents are able to showcase their skills and talents in emerging employment and training initiatives generated through the city’s purchasing power.”

“DCAS is always willing to support initiatives that provide job opportunities and uplift and empower people from all communities to be successful while building a career,” said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “Making city government work for all New Yorkers means looking at all touchpoints, including procurement, through an equitable lens.”

“The historic creation of the Office of Community Hiring will strengthen the city’s levers to connect New Yorkers to good paying jobs,” said New York City Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “New York City’s greatest asset is our talented, world-class workforce, and SBS is excited to work together with this office to ensure the city’s purchasing power is directed at providing good employment opportunities to New Yorkers from all walks of life.”

About Doug Lipari
Before being appointed executive director of the Office of Community Hiring, Lipari served as the deputy general counsel of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services. Lipari played an instrumental role in negotiating the city’s recent Project Labor agreements, which cover several billion dollars of construction work, and established the city’s ambitious and first-ever community hiring goals for the construction trades. With nearly a decade of city procurement experience, Lipari recognizes the immense power of city contracting to connect local talent with the contractors who do business with the city.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duquesne University and a Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Lipari will report to Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal.

“The newly-unveiled community hiring program and the appointment of Doug Lipari are important steps toward actively connecting New Yorkers who often face employment obstacles and hiring discrimination to job opportunities, especially ones that offer a prevailing wage,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Because of the city’s leadership on this issue, along with the Biden administration’s historic local and targeted hire provisions in the federal infrastructure bill, more New Yorkers will gain access to family sustaining careers in construction and building service work. Our office will partner with Mr. Lipari and the Adams administration to hire workers across New York’s five-boroughs for public works and enforce the prevailing wages they earned.”

“The community hiring program is vitally important tool to address longtime disparities in hiring that have prevented many people from underserved communities from earning the incomes they need to build better lives for themselves and their children,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Initiatives like the community hiring program show our commitment to making sure someone’s ZIP code or socioeconomic status is never a barrier to economic opportunity. Congratulations to Doug Lipari on his appointment to lead this important effort to help close the wealth gap.”

"Community hiring is a game-changing program that brings hope and opportunities to the heart of our communities,” said New York State Assemblymember and Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus Michaelle C. Solages . By prioritizing talent from low-income areas, we unlock the true potential of our city and bridge the wealth gap. I commend Mayor Eric Adams for establishing of the Office of Community Hiring and I am confident that under Doug Lipari's leadership, it will pave the way for an inclusive and prosperous New York City for everyone."

“As the proud sponsor of the Community Hiring Bill, I am thrilled to acknowledge Doug Lipari's recent appointment as the executive director of community hiring. I’m excited to collaborate on this transformative venture, backed by Mayor Adams whose swift actions and substantial resource allocation have set the stage for immediate progress post-ratification,” said New York State Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman. “Mr. Lipari is ideally suited given his impactful tenure within the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services. This legislation is a testament to our partnership with organized labor and our shared commitment to developing comprehensive career pathways and building the necessary training to empower marginalized New Yorkers. As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce, I remain steadfast in opening doors to abundant job opportunities and paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future. As we stand on the cusp of change, we eagerly anticipate Governor Hochul’s signature to sign this bill, which will usher this landmark law into existence.”

“City contracting should not only improve our infrastructure, but also uplift working New Yorkers along the way,” said New York City Council Majority Whip and Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “Community hiring is an issue of basic fairness as it ensures that those who benefit from our city contribute to our community's growth. I celebrate the rollout of the city’s community hiring program and look forward to working with the administration on implementation in Southeast Queens and beyond.”
“There are many talented people, particularly young adults, who live in marginalized communities. If empowered to hone in or add to their skillsets, they would transform our labor force,” said New York City Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez. “The Community Hiring Program is a great example of how government partnerships can stimulate economic growth by amplifying the city’s and state’s workforce while creating pathways to provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities for low-income New Yorkers. Congratulations to Doug Lipari on his appointment to lead this life-changing program. I look forward to working with him throughout his tenure to elevate and inspire our communities.”

“Having a robust workforce is essential for our city to thrive,” said New York City Councilmember Lynn Schulman. “Community hiring will enable individuals in areas of need to have increased access to good jobs and valuable apprenticeships.”

“I am very excited to hear that New York City will now have our very own Office of Community Hiring. This landmark program is exactly the kind of economy stimulating and revenue generating focused initiative that our city needs and that low-income New Yorkers deserve to attain real life-sustaining careers,” said New York City Councilmember Amanda Farías. “Our city’s economy is nothing without New Yorkers who can reinvest back into their local communities. That is why it is critically important we prioritize career pathways that have good wages with upward economic mobility and the ability for workers to build for a future that is inclusive of their communities. Thank you, Mayor Adams and Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, for your continued leadership on our city’s economic development and creating just job opportunities for our working class communities."

“Our government has not done enough to make sure the millions of dollars in city contracts occurring in struggling communities are benefiting those same residents,” said New York City Councilmember Nantasha Williams. “I applaud the community hiring program as a real step forward and look forward to working with Doug Lipari to make sure we really reinvest in the communities we contract in.”

“Uplifting low-income neighborhoods and communities of color by driving economic stimulus and providing opportunities for hard working New Yorkers to pursue the middle class is absolutely crucial to the future of the city, and measures like the community hiring legislation will play an integral role in driving this forward,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “This legislation will create opportunity through all sectors by leveraging the economic power of the city to ensure that New Yorkers from all backgrounds have access to good-paying, family sustaining careers. We look forward to collaborating with the administration to roll out the community hiring program and applaud Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for pushing this important initiative over the finish line.” 

“Creating opportunities for New York City’s low-income communities needs to be a priority for city resources,” said Manny Pastreich, president, 32BJ SEIU. “This legislation accomplishes that by making good jobs created by city contracts — with family-sustaining wages, affordable family health care and other vital benefits — available to low-income New Yorkers and residents of economically disadvantaged communities. New Yorkers from marginalized neighborhoods deserve a fair chance at employment within their own communities.” 

“The city now has a clear pathway to prioritize communities of color and low-income residents as new contracts become available. Community hiring will help ensure New Yorkers who need quality jobs have equitable access to them,” said Henry Garrido, executive director, DC 37 “Thank you to our state lawmakers for formalizing the legislation and to Mayor Adams for funding this new office. We look forward to working with Doug to help guide this program.”

“Economic development has the power to connect New Yorkers to careers in our and other building trades unions, and the passage of the New York City community hiring policy in Albany this legislative session further solidifies that reality,” said David Bolger, business manager, Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York. “Through targeted, community-based hiring, the city can leverage the billions of dollars spent annually on construction and other contracts to ensure local residents secure careers in the communities they call home. Thank you Mayor Adams for your leadership on this issue, and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, Assemblymember Zinerman and State Senator Parker for passing this economic justice policy.” 

“Laborers Local 79 was proud to work with Mayor Adams and bill sponsors Assemblymember Zinerman and State Senator Parker on this vital economic justice policy for New York City,” said Michael Prohaska  business manager, Laborers Local 79. “The targeted, community-based hiring this policy implements will ensure our public taxpayer dollars that support local development now also support good, union jobs for New Yorkers. Thank you, Mayor Adams, Speaker Heastie, and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for your collective work and leadership on this policy.”

“I am grateful to the New York State Legislature for passing community hiring legislation which will be critical to ensuring that companies that build in communities across New York City hire from those communities – especially communities that for too long have not had well-resourced on ramps for local job seekers including access to apprenticeships,” said Gregory J. Morris, CEO, New York City Employment & Training Coalition. “This legislation represents the intersection of workforce development and economic development in a city that must continue to reset itself to 'rev up' our local economic engines and support inclusion in the labor markets that will define our future — construction and technology, health care and manufacturing. At the core of a Working People's Agendais investment in economic stability and mobility, and community hiring is an essential pathway to making both possible for New Yorkers who have — historically and systemically — had the hardest time accessing quality jobs.” 

“A union construction career provides the tools to achieve the American Dream,” said Elizabeth Crowley, president and CEO, Building Trades Employers Association. “Mayor Adams, by prioritizing community hiring, will have a tremendous impact on the lives of countless New Yorkers. The impact is profound, as union construction provides not only the skills, but the pay and benefits workers need to live and raise families in our great city.”

“The passing of the community hiring legislation represents another significant step in our collective efforts to provide more good paying and economically stimulating career opportunities to New Yorkers of all backgrounds, especially those in our underserved communities,” said Nicole Bertrán, executive vice president, Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills. “To truly address some of our most pressing concerns, like housing, we must make it more attainable for hard working New Yorkers to rise up into the middle class through work that is fulfilling, accessible and family-sustaining, and the community hiring program will do just that. We look forward to collaborating with the mayor’s office to roll out this important initiative and applaud Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for their role in bringing it to fruition.” 

“District Council 9 celebrates the implementation of the New York City community hiring program and looks forward to welcoming more jobseekers into our union to pursue stable, family-sustaining careers in the painting and finishing trades,” said Joseph Azzopardi, business manager and secretary treasurer, District Council 9 Union of Painters and Allied Trades. “Thank you to Mayor Adams and congratulations to Doug Lipari on his appointment. We are excited to see how Mr. Lipari will improve employment and apprenticeship opportunities for a diversity of New Yorkers, including those who become our future members.” 

“In order to create pathways out of poverty, we need to create quality jobs for New Yorkers. “This program will create 36,000 jobs annually for low-income workers, a huge step forward in the fight for income equality,” Charlene Obernauer, executive director, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

“We are excited for the appointment of Doug Lipari as the executive director of community hiring to implement the city’s community hiring program,” said Yesenia Mata, executive director, La Colmena. “This program will help identify promising talent and provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities for low-income individuals and those residing in economically disadvantaged communities that are oftentimes overlooked or may not have the resources. As a day laborer center, this goes in line with our mission to empower workers through education, culture and organizing. As La Colmena, we look forward to supporting the new city’s community hiring program.”

“The New York Association for Training and Employment (NYATEP) congratulates new Executive Director Douglas Lipari for the Mayor’s Office of Community Hiring for the Adams administration,” said Melinda Mack, executive director, NYATEP. “NYATEP looks forward to working with the city on our shared goal of ensuring every New Yorker has access to quality jobs, economic mobility, and the opportunity to thrive.”

“The community hiring legislation will create tens of thousands of job opportunities for at-risk young people in New York City and beyond. It is a major injection of hope for families living in poverty,” said J. Phillip Thompson, professor of political science and urban planning and former deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives. “The next task will be ensuring that young people have the supports they need to succeed on the job. Congratulations to Mayor Adams, First Deputy Mayor Wright, State Senator Parker, State Senator Ramos, Assemblymember Zinerman, and the community and labor advocates who made this happen. The community hiring bill is a model for the nation.”  

“On behalf of the board of directors and staff of the Consortium for Worker Education (CWE), we wish to thank Mayor Adams and his administration for appointing Doug Lipari as the executive director of community hiring,” said Joe McDermott, executive director, CWE. “By harnessing billions of dollars of municipally generated economic activity, this office has the potential to bring thousands of New Yorkers into well-paying and benefited employment each year. This forward looking approach will maximize the local economic impact of infrastructure improvements, help close the wealth gap and empower communities that have been previously marginalized. As the workforce development arm of the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO and the convener of a citywide network of community based non-profit trainers, we keenly recognize and applaud the historic implications of this appointment and the adoption of this critical policy.” 

“The construction workforce in New York City is evolving in many positive ways, especially as it actively embraces tradeswomen. Nevertheless, it is crucial we renew our efforts, such as with the community hiring program, to creating economic opportunity for the most vulnerable communities,” said Kathleen Culhane, president, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW). “NEW envisions a future where women are equally provided with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed in construction trades career. We are excited to welcome and congratulate Doug Lipari, we know that the community hiring legislation will create access to opportunity for tradeswomen as well as thousands of New Yorkers.”  

“The New York City labor movement applauds the passage of community hiring legislation, which will provide a path to a more equitable workforce for all New Yorkers by ensuring that local residents, especially those from marginalized neighborhoods, have a fair chance at employment opportunities within their own communities,” said Vincent Alvarez, president, New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. “We look forward to working with newly-appointed executive director of Community Hiring Doug Lipari and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development to implement these new provisions, strengthening local economies by fostering economic activity and growth within the communities where people both live and work.” 

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