Announcements

Mayor-Elect Dorcey Applyrs Announces Transition Team and Launch of ‘Activate Albany’

Largest-Ever Civic Engagement Initiative Will Inform a Community-Driven Policy Agenda, With an Action Plan Released on the Mayor’s 100th Day in Office

Albany, NY, (November 5, 2025) — Fresh off a historic electoral victory, Albany Mayor-elect Dorcey Applyrs hit the ground running today with the launch of her transition effort, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the city’s story — one defined by equity, opportunity, and accountability to its residents.

“This transition is about more than changing administrations — it’s about transforming how government serves its residents and putting the people at the center of progress,” said Mayor-elect Applyrs. “With the leadership of our committee chairs and members and the passion of our residents, we will build a stronger, fairer Albany together. We are opening the doors of government wider than ever before to ensure every voice from every neighborhood helps shape the city’s future.”

Mayor-elect Applyrs’ transition will be anchored by two core committees — Talent and Activate Albany — each reflecting her commitment to building a government that works for everyone. The transition website is live and can be found here.

The Talent Committee is tasked with attracting dedicated public servants into the Applyrs Administration and ensuring that the best and brightest individuals are placed in critical roles within the Mayor’s Office and across city government. This is an important step toward transforming City Hall into an effective, inclusive, and transparent force that delivers safe, healthy, and affordable neighborhoods, drives economic growth, and improves quality of life for all. 

Individuals interested in submitting their resume for consideration by the Talent Committee can do so here. 

The Activate Albany Committee will drive one of the most ambitious civic engagement efforts in the city’s history. Designed to reimagine who is invited into the conversations about setting local government priorities, Activate Albany will ask residents to play a direct role in shaping the policy agenda of the Applyrs Administration. This process will inform an Action Plan outlining the administration’s first-term priorities to be released on Mayor Applyrs’ 100th day in office in April 2026.

Through this transition process, Mayor-elect Applyrs and her team are setting the stage for an inclusive, forward-looking administration committed to empowering residents, expanding opportunity, and strengthening trust in local government.

Talent Committee Members:

  • Anne Saile, Albany Resident, Healthcare and Government Executive Recognized for Organizational Turnarounds

  • Lynn Ortale, Ph.D., President, Maria College

  • Michael J. Castellana, Chief Executive Officer, Broadview Federal Credit Union  

  • Nathaalie Carey, Chief Human Resources Officer, Prologis

Activate Albany Committee Chairs:

  • Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany, State University of New York

  • Daquetta P. Jones-Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Inc.

  • Manik Elahi, President, Albany County Young Democrats

  • Anders M. Tomson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Chemung Canal Trust Company

  • J. David Brown, President & Chief Executive Officer, Capital District YMCA

  • Dr. Janine M. Jurkowski - Albany High School Parent and Professor & Chair, Health Policy, Management, & Behavior, University at Albany, State University of New York  

  • Dan D. Irizarry, Writer, Community Activist, and Founder, Capital District Latino Advocacy Through Inter-Neighborhood Outreach Services

For media inquiries, please contact Liz Benjamin at Liz@Marathonstrategies.com or 518-424-0356.