Mayor Eric Adams on Monday appointed Fabien Levy to serve as Deputy Mayor for Communications, saying he would aid the administration in broadcasting their message to the public in New York City.
“There is no one I trust more to amplify and get our message out there than Fabien Levy. A spokesman and champion for working people, Fabien is a passionate communicator,” the mayor said.
Adams lamented that his administration’s message has been confused and disparate while dealing with compounding crises — like the influx of migrants, the recovery from COVID-19, and the looming potential federal takeover of Rikers Island.
Appointing Levy, Adams’ former press secretary, as Deputy Mayor for Communications will allow all the city’s agencies to get on the same page, and push a singular message in response to the events unfolding in the five boroughs, Adams said.
“What we discovered after the first year, was the disjointedness of the message coming from the large number of agencies. There was no real clear, concise message,” Hizzoner said at a press conference on Monday morning. “We realized that we needed a deputy mayor to hold this position to communicate and bring the entire family under one umbrella.”
Levy called the appointment “the greatest honor” of his life, and promised to help aid the work of broadcasting City Hall’s message to the general public.
“Whether we’re talking about finding jobs for new Yorkers, giving asylum seekers a place to rest their heads at night, or making our city safer, it’s all rooted in repairing the world — and I’m excited to do even more as Deputy Mayor for Communications where we deliver a vision to New Yorkers on behalf of the entire city,” Levy said. “This role will help break down the silos between our city agencies and City Hall, and help provide New Yorkers with a better line of sight into how their city government, and its hundreds of thousands of employees, work as one, for them.”
A native New Yorker, Levy has served as press secretary at City Hall for the past 19 months, and prior to that, in various communications departments on political campaigns and within elected offices.
Just prior to joining Adams’ administration, Levy served as press secretary and senior advisor to state Attorney General Letitia James.
“Fabien Levy is an exceptional public servant who brings passion and integrity to every public office he works in,” said James. “Our city is in good hands with Deputy Mayor Levy carrying out Mayor Adams’ vision every day, and I congratulate him on this exciting and well-deserved appointment.”
