The New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has been making significant changes to the city's 9/11 Relief Fund since taking office in April. The fund, established in 1995, has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to support family members of rescue workers killed or injured in the 2001 terror attacks.
One notable example of the fund's generosity is the $107 million raised to support these families, as well as the $54.5 million collected during the COVID-19 pandemic to fund emergency relief efforts, including meals and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Following his appointment to office, Mamdani began to overhaul the fund's Board of Directors, shifting its focus away from corporate and business leadership and towards working New Yorkers and progressive advocates.
He appointed a former dockworker, a high school teacher, and his own chief of staff, Elle Bisgaard-Church, as chair. The new board members also include a Bronx public school teacher and a former longshoreman/UAW organizer.
However, this change in leadership has not been without controversy. Several prominent business leaders, including Alex Katz, Richard Born, Jeffrey Gural, James Whelan, and Edward Skyler, were removed from the board. Mamdani has a history of clashing with business leaders since taking office.
His recent tax day message, which singled out Ken Griffin, Founder and CEO of Citadel, as an example of what New Yorkers can expect from his administration, has sparked a strong reaction from the business community. In response, Citadel threatened to scrap its $6 billion investment in the city.
