Patricia Harris
| Patricia Harris | |
|---|---|
Patricia Harris in 2007
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| First Deputy Mayor of New York City | |
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In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1, 1956 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Franklin & Marshall College |
| Occupation | Chief Executive Officer, Bloomberg Philanthropies |
Patricia Harris (born September 1, 1956) held the position of first deputy mayor for the City of New York from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2013. She advised the Mayor of New York City, then Michael Bloomberg, on administrative, operational, and policy matters. Harris currently serves as the chief executive officer of Bloomberg’s philanthropic foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies. In this role, Harris oversees Bloomberg’s charitable giving, which he valued as a key component of his legacy. Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire, has pledged to give away all of his wealth. As of 2016, she is listed as the 87th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
Born in 1956 and raised in New York City, Harris became interested in public service in high school, when she volunteered in then Congressman Ed Koch’s office.
In 1977, Harris graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government. Franklin and Marshall’s Harris Center for Business, Government, and Public Policy was donated in her name in 2009, and she has served on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2006.
In 1977, Harris began her public service career as an assistant to Congressman Koch. Upon Koch’s election as Mayor, she became an Assistant to the deputy mayor in 1979, and subsequently was appointed Assistant to the mayor for Federal Affairs. From 1983 to 1990, she served as executive director of the City’s Art Commission.
Following her work with the Koch Administration, Harris served as vice president for Public Relations at Serino Coyne Advertising before joining Bloomberg LP in 1994, where she managed Bloomberg LP’s Philanthropy, Public Relations, and Governmental Affairs divisions. Harris is generally credited with introducing founder Michael Bloomberg to the worlds of art and philanthropy.
Harris joined Michael Bloomberg’s administration when he was elected mayor in 2001, serving first as deputy mayor for Administration until 2005, when she was appointed first deputy mayor. Harris was the first woman in New York City’s history to serve in this role. Harris is known as a key trusted adviser to Bloomberg, and she weighs in on every major policy or personnel decision.
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