Patricia Harris Explained

Patricia Harris
Office:First Deputy Mayor of New York City
1Blankname:Mayor
1Namedata:Michael Bloomberg
Term Start:January 1, 2002
Term End:December 31, 2013
Successor:Anthony Shorris
Birth Date:1 September 1956
Spouse:Mark Lebow
Education:Franklin & Marshall College (BA)

Patricia Harris (born September 1, 1956) is the chief executive officer of Michael Bloomberg's philanthropic foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies. She was first deputy mayor for the City of New York from 2002[1] to December 31, 2013. She advised the Mayor of New York City, then Bloomberg, on administrative, operational, and policy matters.[2] [3] In 2022, she was included on Forbes Magazine's 50 over 50 list and in 2016, she was named one of the magazine's most powerful women in the world.[4] [5] [6]

Early life and education

Born in 1956 and raised in New York City, Harris became interested in public service in high school at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Riverdale, where she volunteered in then Congressman Ed Koch’s office.[7]

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.[8]

Career

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.[2]

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.[2] Harris is generally credited with introducing founder Michael Bloomberg to the worlds of art and philanthropy.[9]

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.[7]

According to Kevin Sheekey, whom Harris hired at Bloomberg LP in 1997 and who served as campaign manager when Bloomberg ran for president in 2020, "...almost anything that Mike has done in the political or philanthropic sector, you can trace its roots back somewhere to a Patti Harris origin."[10]

Harris has been included on Crain's Business New York list of the most powerful women in New York City every year since the list began in 2011[11] [12] [13] and, according to a New York Times profile, she was the most powerful person in the Bloomberg administration.

Harris currently serves as the chief executive officer of Bloomberg Philanthropies, and she is the only person to serve in the role.[14] The organization was set up by Michael Bloomberg who has pledged to give away all his wealth.[15] From her position leading the foundation, Harris oversees Bloomberg's philanthropic giving, which he values as a key component of his legacy. Michael Bloomberg has been identified as one of the top five largest donors in America since 2015 and over the course of his lifetime, as of February 2023, has given away $14.4 billion.[16] [17]

In a 2018 profile, speaking of Harris's role at Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg said "Patti is the foundation."[18] As of 2016, she is listed as the 87th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes and she appeared in the 2019 Politico Playbook Power List[19]

In addition to serving on the board of trustees for her alma mater Franklin and Marshall College, Harris is a trustee of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City and a board member of both the Perelman Performing Arts Center and the Public Art Fund.[20] [21] [22]

Professional recognition and awards

Personal life

Harris is married to attorney Mark Lebow, a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board.[27] [28]

Notes and References

  1. Book: MCNICKLE, CHRIS.. BLOOMBERG : a billionaire's ambition.. 2020. W W NORTON. 978-1-5107-5914-5. 1128104516.
  2. Web site: City of New York Biography: Patricia Harris . February 14, 2012.
  3. Web site: The Giving Pledge - Michael Bloomberg . February 29, 2012.
  4. News: Patricia Harris. Forbes. 2016-11-07.
  5. Web site: 50 Over 50 2022 . 2023-07-07 . Forbes . English.
  6. Web site: Patricia Harris . 2023-07-07 . Forbes . en.
  7. Web site: The quiet power of Patti Harris: Mayor Bloomberg’s confidant ‘can do anything’. . November 16, 2009 . February 20, 2024.
  8. Web site: New Center Named for Patti Harris . April 28, 2009 . April 1, 2014 . dead . https://archive.today/20140407012919/http://magazine.fandm.edu/2009/04/28/new-center-named-for-patti-harris/ . April 7, 2014 .
  9. Web site: Meet the 15 Most Powerful Women in U.S. Philanthropy . . March 5, 2014 . April 6, 2014.
  10. News: Goldenberg . Sally . 2019-12-12 . The hidden hand behind Bloomberg's campaign . en . POLITICO . 2023-07-07.
  11. Web site: 50 Most Powerful Women in New York 2013: No. 4 Patricia Harris . March 19, 2014.
  12. Web site: 2018-07-19 . Most Powerful Women in New York 2011 . 2023-07-07 . Crain's New York Business . en.
  13. Web site: 2021-11-12 . Most Powerful Women 2021 . 2023-07-07 . Crain's New York Business . en.
  14. News: Pogrebin . Robin . Grynbaum . Michael M. . 2013-07-02 . Art Groups Fear Losing a Mayor, and His Money . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-07-07 . 0362-4331.
  15. Web site: Gates . Guilbert . Taylor . Kate . Mayor Bloomberg's Circles of Power . 2023-07-07 . archive.nytimes.com.
  16. Web site: Di Mento . Maria . 2023-02-14 . The Philanthropy 50 . 2023-07-07 . The Chronicle of Philanthropy . en.
  17. Web site: Team . Forbes Wealth . America's Most Generous Givers 2023: The Nation's 25 Top Philanthropists . 2023-07-07 . Forbes . en.
  18. Web site: Nahmias . Laura . 2018-12-10 . Patti Harris - POLITICO Power List . 2023-07-07 . POLITICO.
  19. Web site: Palmer . Anna . Sherman . Jake . Lippman . Daniel . Ross . Garrett . Okun . Eli . 2018-12-10 . POLITICO Playbook Power List: 19 politicians, activists and operatives to watch over the next 12 months. . 2023-07-07 . POLITICO.
  20. Web site: Board of Trustees National September 11 Memorial & Museum . 2023-07-07 . www.911memorial.org.
  21. Web site: Board & Staff . 2023-07-07 . Public Art Fund . en-US.
  22. Web site: Board Perelman Performing Art Center . 2023-07-07 . pacnyc.org . en-US.
  23. Web site: Manhattan Borough 50. State. City &. cityandstateny.com. 2016-11-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20170616125707/http://cityandstateny.com/articles/personality/manhattan-borough-50/#.V_OgN48rLDc. 2017-06-16. dead.
  24. News: Meet the 50 Most Powerful Women in U.S. Philanthropy. Inside Philanthropy. 2016-11-07.
  25. Web site: Crain's New York - Most Powerful Women of 2015. www.crainsnewyork.com. 2016-11-10.
  26. News: The quiet power of Patti Harris: Mayor Bloomberg's confidant 'can do anything'. NY Daily News. 2016-11-10.
  27. Web site: PATRICIA E. HARRIS IS WED TO LAWYER . . January 31, 1988 . April 6, 2014.
  28. Web site: Mark D. Lebow . April 6, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085346/http://web.mta.info/mta/leadership/lebow.htm . April 7, 2014 .

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