Bill Chong, Commissioner, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development

Prior to being appointed DYCD Commissioner by Mayor Bill de Blasio in January 2014, Bill Chong served as Deputy Commissioner for Program Operations at the Department for the Aging, where he oversaw a portfolio of nearly $200 million in services and fostered a more streamlined and inclusive process for service providers, simplifying their relationship with the City and helping better match services with community needs. He also worked to bring more stakeholders into disaster preparedness plans and involve neighborhood groups on the frontlines in protecting seniors during emergencies.

In eight years at DYCD during a previous tenure, Chong was a leader in implementing the Out-of-School-Time Initiative — an after-school program serving more than 630,000 youth.  As Deputy Commissioner for Youth Services and Assistant Commissioner for Capacity Building, he partnered with NYCHA, the Parks Department and the Department of Education to fund over 500 programs across the city, helping reach disadvantaged youth.

Prior to his service at DYCD, Chong was Vice President for Programs at the Citizens Committee for New York City, administering grants to local volunteer groups to address neighborhood concerns ranging from alleviating poverty to street beautification. He has held positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development