Another Hunter College alum is joining the top ranks of the New York City government.
On February 24, Mayor Zohran Mamdani named Sideya Sherman MS ’03, who has a degree in urban affairs, as the director of the Department of City Planning and as chair of the City Planning Commission.
Sherman is a graduate of what is now called the Graduate Program in Urban Policy and Leadership, which provides a steady supply of officials to the city and state governments.
“Whether you aspire to be a state Assembly member, a community development professional, or perhaps the next mayor of New York, Hunter’s Urban Policy and Leadership program is training students to shape the future!” Program Director Jill Simone Gross said. “You can find our graduates working in the Mayor’s Office, at the City Council, and in departments dealing with youth and community development, economic development, small-business services, parks and recreation, health and human services, housing, transportation, education, the environment, and human rights. We are proud of Sideya Sherman and congratulate her on her appointment!”
The program has led the state in finding innovative solutions to the lack of affordable housing. In 2024, students modeled a proposal for a “Social Housing Development Authority” that became a bill in the Legislature.
“Sideya Sherman understands that urban planning is about whether working people can afford to stay in the neighborhoods they call home,” Mamdani said in a statement, as reported in The City. “I’m confident she will lead with a clear commitment to affordability, fair housing, and a city that works for everyday New Yorkers — not just the wealthy and well-connected.”
Sherman told The City: “As I step into this role, I see it as an opportunity to really continue systems-level work, to also really champion and help advance the mayor’s focus on affordability and making sure that New York remains a city that’s diverse and that people can stay in and live in and thrive in.”
Sherman is only the latest graduate of Hunter’s Urban Policy and Leadership Program to join the administration. Ahmed Tigani HC ’07, MUP ’13, was named as the commissioner of the Department of Buildings last month.
Sherman has held several city government positions. During the Adams administration, Sherman served as the city’s chief equity officer and as commissioner of the Office of Equity & Racial Justice. She also has worked for the New York City Housing Authority and the Municipal Arts Society.
