2017-2018 Selection Committee

Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner, Mayor's Office for International Affairs

Penny leads the Mayor's Office for International Affairs in promoting the City’s goals for a more just and accessible society, showcasing the diversity of New Yorkers, and sharing policies and best practice with the world. Since her appointment, the office has launched a series of initiatives focused on connecting New Yorkers and City agencies to the diplomatic community, and more effectively serving NYC's diplomatic corps, the world’s largest. Prior to joining Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, Penny was the Director of Girls and Women Integration at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) where she integrated the gender lens throughout the organization's various platforms. Before joining CGI, Penny worked for Human Rights Watch, the Funding Exchange and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

In 2016, the World Economic Forum named Penny a Young Global Leader. She is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the Hillary for America Policy Working Group on Global Women's Issues, the Innovation Advisory Committee for 92Y and the Founding Member Committee of Lincoln Center’s Global Exchange. She previously served on the World Bank's Advisory Council on Gender and Development, and on the boards of Sakhi for South Asian Women and Resource Generation. In 2012, she was recognized by the United Nations’ Decide Now Act Summit as one of 101 Global Innovators for her work to put women's rights on the global political agenda.