Faculty Experts at the Center for New York City Affairs Available for Comment on the 2025 NYC Mayor’s Race
Faculty experts at The New School, a New York City university with academic programs in politics, policy, economics and more, are available for comment on the New York City mayor’s race.
June 4, 2025, New York—Faculty members can speak on a range of issues, including the local jobs market; the gig economy; minimum wage, and wage inequality; inflation; child care policies; stadium development and other economic development strategies; education; migrant students; migrant families in shelters, and how immigration policies impact students.
Lauren Melodia, Director for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Melodia is an economist with research interests in feminist economics and the interaction between macroeconomic and local economic policy. She have over 15 years of experience in policy advocacy and research, organizing, and coalition-building Prior to joining the Center, she worked at the Roosevelt Institute, providing research and data analysis on the Covid-19 economic recovery, inflation, and fiscal and monetary policy at the national level.
Areas of expertise: NYC labor market (jobs), NYC economy, child care policy, inflation, minimum wage and wage inequality.
James Parrott, Senior Advisor and Fellow
Parrott has over 30 years of experience in New York City economic and fiscal issues from positions in City and State government and the private sector. Most recently he was deputy director and chief economist of the Fiscal Policy Institute. He regularly analyzes the city’s economy and job market and has written extensively on topics including income inequality and the City and State budgets and tax policies.
Areas of expertise: NYC labor market, NYC economy, minimum wage and wage inequality, state budget, gig worker pay standards (for-hire drivers and delivery workers), human service workers pay.
Natasha Quiroga, Director of Education Policy and InsideSchools
Quiroga has more than 20 years of experience advocating for children, youth, and families. Prior to joining CNYCA, she was Director of the Parental Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP) and Senior Counsel in the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Areas of expertise: Education, migrant students, migrant families in shelters, and how immigration policies impact students.
George Sweeting, Senior Fellow
Sweeting’s work focuses on New York’s state and local fiscal policy and budgetary conditions. Prior to joining the Center, he worked at the New York City Independent Budget Office, serving as deputy director, managing the agency’s research, analysis, and forecasts for over two decades, and then as IBO acting director for over a year. He is the author of numerous IBO reports on education finance, economic development, and tax policy. Before joining the IBO, Mr. Sweeting worked at the New York City Department of Finance.
Areas of expertise: NYC budget (DOE budget in particular), NYC tax policy property taxes, impact of state and federal policies on the City budget, stadium development and other city economic development strategies.
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CONTACT:
The New School
Merrie Snead
sneadm@newschool.edu