Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Melanie Hartzog as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Jacques Jiha as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. Hartzog previously served as Budget Director and Jiha served as the Commissioner for the New York City Department of Finance. As Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Hartzog will guide the City’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the City’s social services continue to support every New Yorker, especially those experiencing homelessness. As Budget Director, Jiha will help lead New York City out of the fiscal crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic by making fiscally responsible decisions that will strengthen and protect the City’s finances for generations to come.
“I am pleased to appoint two of our City’s most hard-working and passionate public servants to take on even bigger roles as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Melanie and Jacques have the experience and vision necessary to support New Yorkers during this crisis and guide our City through financial hardship. Thanks to them, New Yorkers can expect an even brighter future.”
“From fighting to improve the lives of low-income children to balancing the city’s budgets while funding Universal Pre-K, I have spent my entire career uplifting our city’s most vulnerable,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. “The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of public health in our city’s recovery, including a robust social services sector. I thank Mayor de Blasio for the opportunity to continue to serve on behalf of 8.6 million New Yorkers.”
“Our city is facing an enormous fiscal challenge in light of the public health crisis. As we recover, I am committed to making fiscally responsible decisions to keep New York City a vibrant place to live and work. Serving as Commissioner of the Department of Finance has been the honor of a lifetime, and I thank Mayor de Blasio for entrusting me to continue to serve New Yorkers as Budget Director,” said Budget Director Jacques Jiha.
Melanie Hartzog previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, where she oversaw the largest municipal budget in the United States, responsible for funding all city programs and services for New Yorkers. She holds a Master of Science degree from the New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy and Bachelor of Arts from Eckerd College. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.
In 2014, Mayor de Blasio appointed Jacques Jiha as the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Finance, the agency responsible for collecting over $40 billion in revenue that make all city services possible. As Commissioner, Dr. Jiha modernized the Department by integrating new technology and data analytics to increase efficiency and make better decisions. Under his leadership, the Department also created new options focusing on customer experience, including a full-service call-center, online property tax system, parking ticket mobile app and the offices of the Taxpayer Advocate and Parking Summons Advocate.
Born in Haiti, Dr. Jiha immigrated to New York City in 1979 and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University. He also holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the New School for Social Research. He lives in Queens with his wife and daughters.
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