De Blasio names Co-Executive Directors for Mayor's Fund

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday named Daniele Baierlein and JL Paniagua Valle as Co-Executive Directors of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

“I am pleased to appoint two of our City’s most dedicated shining stars to even more challenging roles,” said Mayor de Blasio.

“Daniele and JL have the heart, vision and expertise it takes to build on their achievements at the Mayor’s Fund, and they understand that a fairer and better city means working with our partners in and out of government on lasting change.”

“Over the past year, Daniele and JL worked hand-in-hand at the Mayor’s Fund to raise emergency relief funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Their efforts, together, helped raise funds to support a variety of programs that benefited our healthcare heroes, immigrant communities, and New Yorkers in our hardest-hit communities,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray.

“I can think of no better duo to lead our team into the final year of the administration, and I am thrilled to announce their promotions to the role of Co-Executive Directors.”

The Mayor's Fund is a non-profit organization that partners with over 50 City agencies and 300 institutional funders to advance initiatives to make New York City the fairest big city in America. Since 2014 the Fund has supported signature partnerships like the Center for Youth Employment, Connections to Care, and programs to offer legal services and other protections to New York's immigrant communities.

The Mayor’s Fund raised $77.4 million in FY20, including cash and in-kind donations, which is approximately $48.1 million more than during the previous fiscal year. In July 2020, the Mayor’s Fund announced that it had raised $54.5M in emergency relief funds and in-kind donations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped launch a variety of programs to support New Yorkers.

“I am honored to take on this new role as Co-Executive Director and continue my work with First Lady Chirlane McCray, the Board of Directors, and the Board of Advisors. For over twenty-six years the Mayor’s Fund has partnered with foundations, businesses and philanthropic individuals alongside city agencies and community-based organizations to launch and develop impactful programs to help the most vulnerable New Yorkers. In the face of adversity last year, we were able to respond to the crisis quickly to help those in need,” said Baierlein, Co-Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund.

“I am excited to join my colleague JL to develop public-private partnerships to meet the needs ahead.”

“I look forward to continuing the mission of building public-private partnerships with First Lady Chirlane McCray, the Board of Directors, and the Board of Advisors.

"This past year exemplified the power of partnership to mobilize much-needed resources to vulnerable communities and also the unique ability of the Mayor’s Fund to quickly respond to the needs of New Yorkers, even in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic,” said Valle, Co-Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund.

“I am thrilled to serve alongside Daniele Baierlein as we work with community leaders and our partners in philanthropy and business.”

“Leadership matters. As we move into the next phase of fighting the economic and health fallout of COVID-19, New York City needs public-private partnerships that promote equity and inclusion at all levels,” said Toya Williford, former Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC.

“I’m thrilled to congratulate Daniele and Jorge Luis in their new roles as Co-Executive Directors. I am confident that they will continue to guide the Mayor’s Fund in the right direction to ensure that every New Yorker can thrive.”

"Daniele and JL oversaw critical work at the Mayor's Fund to support COVID relief efforts that provided more than $50 million in PPE and meals for essential workers and emergency financial assistance for New Yorkers in need," said Peter Hatch, the City's COVID-19 Public-Private Partnership Czar.

"I congratulate them on their new leadership roles and look forward to our continued partnership to support the City's pandemic response and recovery."

“Daniele and JL will be a dynamic partnership as we continue the great work of the Mayor’s Fund. They have the foundation and support to shape and carry out our agenda over the next critical year,” said Rob Speyer, Chair, Mayor’s Fund Advisory Board.

"Daniele and JL both have a deep understanding of how to bring together the philanthropic, business and non-profit sectors to partner with government to help address New York City’s most difficult challenges," said Gabrielle Fialkoff, founder of the GKF Group and former Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Strategic Partnerships.

"I've had the opportunity to work closely with Daniele and JL and I am confident that the Mayor's Fund is in good hands with these two leaders spearheading the organization."

"Daniele and JL have been integral parts of the Mayor's Fund team, and many of the administration's most significant public-private successes, over the past several years," said Darren Bloch, CEO & Executive Director of Greenwich House.

"The two are sure to be a high-impact tandem as they work with the Mayor's Fund Board, civic-minded investors, and leaders across city government to continue developing creative approaches to address some of the city's most stubborn challenges. Now more than ever, the commitment to service from talent like JL and Daniele is noteworthy and appreciated."

"Robin Hood congratulates the Mayor’s Fund on its selection of new Co-Executive Directors to continue its important work in these difficult times. We know their leadership will keep ingenuity and partnerships as a centerpiece for problem-solving the challenges facing our city." said Wes Moore CEO of Robin Hood.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor’s Fund launched NYC Healthcare Heroes to provide more than 400,000 packages of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, household cleaning supplies, and personal care products to the staff at hospitals across the five boroughs. These essential deliveries alleviated the burden on workers who often did not have access to supplies or time to shop after working back-to-back shifts caring for COVID-19 patients. The Fund also worked with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Open Society Foundations to create the Immigrant Emergency Relief Program. In partnership with community-based organizations, the program provided direct, one-time emergency relief payments to at least 20,000 immigrant families who have been hardest hit financially by the crisis, yet were excluded from federal relief programs.

The Fund also raised $6.8 million in philanthropic support for SYEP Summer Bridge 2020, a public-private partnership that leveraged an additional $40 million in public dollars to provide constructive engagement and enrichment activities to keep 35,000 young New Yorkers active and productive this summer. Other new programs the Mayor’s Fund supported this year include the Food For Heroes Program, which served more than 170,000 meals to essential workers in New York City; the Restaurant Revitalization Program, which provides up to $30,000 to select restaurants to pay unemployed or under-employed workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis; and the launch of the Small Business Emergency Grant Program to help business that suffered damages during protests in 2020.

Baierlein previously served as Senior Advisor and Director of Development. With 20 years of fundraising, policy, and partnership building experience in New York, Washington, DC and throughout the country, Baierlein has oversight of Development, Programs and Policy at the Mayor’s Fund. She leads the effort to foster public-private partnerships between City agencies, the private sector and the philanthropic community.

Her prior experience includes positions with Madison Square Garden Company, the Podesta Group, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen. She serves on the board of the Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation NY Chapter, which develops a global community of youth volunteers who are dedicated to leadership and service, and is the Leadership Seminar Chair of the New York Metro Chapter.

Baierleain is a member of the Jenkins Hill Society, a women's donor network built to close the donor gap. She has a bachelor's in environmental conservation and political science from the University of New Hampshire. While working full time, Baierlein earned a Juris Doctor at the Catholic University of America School of Law. In 2017 she was named to City and State’s New York City 40 Under 40.

Valle joined the Mayor's Fund in 2017 as Chief of Staff and now serves as co-Executive Director with oversight of Finance and Operations and Communications. Valle has more than ten years of experience working in nonprofit organizations, institutes of higher education, and local government. Before joining the Mayor's Fund, Valle served as the Assistant Director of Talent Development for the NYC Mayor's Office of Appointments, where he helped implement programs in support of career development for public servants. Before that, Valle served as the Programs Director for the Public Interest Law Center at NYU School of Law, where he helped managed the Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship Program and other programming for law students pursuing careers in the public interest. While working at NYU School of Law, he received the Podell Distinguished Administrator Award in recognition of inspirational and innovative service, and outstanding contributions to the Law School community. Valle has also worked as a conflict resolution associate at the Center For Conflict Resolution in Los Angeles, providing bilingual alternative dispute resolution services to low-income individuals largely from Spanish-speaking communities. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, which provides comprehensive family services in New York City. He has a BA from Loyola University Chicago and an MPA from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service.

The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization working with over 50 City agencies and offices, 300 funders, and 100 community-based partners to advance initiatives that improve the lives of New Yorkers from all walks of life and across all five boroughs. The Fund has made strategic investments to promote mental health services for all New Yorkers, increase workforce development opportunities for young New Yorkers, and meet the needs of New York City's diverse immigrant community. In building partnerships, the Mayor's Fund seeks to seed promising, evidence-based models; evaluate the efficacy of new programs and policies; bring innovative solutions to scale; and respond to the emerging needs of the city.