Betsy Gotbaum

Let’s start with the position of Public Advocate of New York City, shall we? In some sense, we know what this person is supposed to do – a Public Advocate advocates for the public (and you’re saying right now, ummm thanks for that!). In other words, the Public Advocate serves the people of New York City by using his or her position to influence and affect city government for the better. So…who is New York City’s Public Advocate? Kudos if you knew already, but for everyone else, her name is Betsy Gotbaum.

So we’ve got a name, but who is Betsy Gotbaum, and what does she do? More importantly, why has MYD chosen to spotlight her? PA Gotbaum is only the third woman elected to a city-wide post in New York City history. She was elected as Public Advocate in 2001, re-elected in 2005, and if anything were to happen to the mayor of New York City, she’d be next in line to lead. She’s sort of like what Vice President Biden is to President Obama, at least in terms of hierarchical structure. PA Gotbaum presides at meetings of the City Council and is a member of all Council committees. She also has the power to introduce legislation. The actual role of her job is to investigate ineffective agencies and programs, to act as a problem-solver by offering solutions that make city government more effective and efficient, and to ensure that government is more accessible to New York City residents.

Under PA Gotbaum’s leadership, New York City has seen municipal reforms in education, school construction, the prevention of crime against women, and the fight against hunger. PA Gotbaum has a wealth of experience in management and collaboration with non-profits, businesses and government agencies, and has been able to leverage this experience by serving the people of New York City in a focused and effective way.

By acting as the voice of the people of New York City and conveying the residents’ messages and concerns to city government, Betsy Gotbaum is a crucial leader in New York City. To learn more about PA Gotbaum, go here.