Dean Fuleihan Appointed First Deputy Mayor by Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani
On November 10, 2025, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Dean Fuleihan as First Deputy Mayor of New York City. Fuleihan, a seasoned public servant with extensive experience in city and state government, is set to assume the role upon Mamdani’s inauguration in January 2026.
Extensive Experience in Public Service
Dean Fuleihan, born on January 27, 1951, has a distinguished career spanning over four decades. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Alfred University and pursued public finance studies at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
Fuleihan began his public service in 1978 as a policy analyst in the New York State Assembly. Over 30 years, he held key positions, including Secretary to the Speaker for Program and Policy and Secretary to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. In these roles, he was instrumental in negotiating the state’s $130 billion budget.
Leadership in New York City Administration
In 2014, Fuleihan joined Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He managed the city’s $70 billion budget, addressing challenges such as expired labor contracts affecting 300,000 municipal employees. Under his leadership, the city’s budget grew from $72 billion to $85 billion.
In January 2018, Fuleihan was appointed First Deputy Mayor, overseeing major areas including education, criminal justice, sustainability, labor, and the city’s budget. He served in this capacity until December 2021.
Recent Roles and Upcoming Responsibilities
After leaving city government, Fuleihan became a Senior Fellow at the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, focusing on policy issues related to criminal justice, budgets, and inequality. In June 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed him to the New York State Financial Control Board.
As First Deputy Mayor under Zohran Mamdani, Fuleihan is expected to leverage his extensive experience to address the city’s fiscal challenges and implement the new administration’s policy agenda.
