Former Wall Street executive, NYC nonprofit official named Jersey City deputy mayors

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
July 16, 2013 at 1:32 PM

A former Wall Street executive and a top official at one of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's signature education efforts are Jersey City?s two new deputy mayors.

John Thieroff, 47, formerly a senior vice president at GE Capital and the mastermind behind Fulop?s decisive win in May?s mayoral contest, will handle financial issues, while Vivian Brady-Phillips, executive vice president at NYC Leadership Academy, will concentrate on social services, according to Mayor Steve Fulop.

Each will earn a $110,000 salary. They replace Kabili Tayari, who returned to his previous post at the city Department of Public Works after Fulop became mayor, and Raj Mukherji, a lobbyist who is now running for a seat in the state Assembly.

Tayari made a similar salary to Thieroff and Brady-Phillips, while Mukherji worked for $1 plus benefits. Fulop has said he wants the deputy mayor position to be an integral part of his administration, and not a "political badge."

?I think that the team there is going to be something terrific,? Fulop said yesterday in a meeting with editors of The Jersey Journal.

Fulop said he had planned to release information about the new deputy mayors next week. After pressing by The Jersey Journal, which noted that if taxpayers are paying their salaries the information should be public now, Fulop revealed their names.

The city said the extra deputy mayor salary will balance out thanks to the recent resignation of Carl Cazplicki, the former heard of the city Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce. Czaplicki made a $121,638 salary and he will not be replaced, the city said today.

Thieroff has more than 20 years working in the banking and financial industries for Standard & Poor?s, GE Capital and Chemical Bank. His professional background is focused on corporate credit and debt capital markets.

Brady-Phillips, meanwhile, oversaw NYC Leadership Academy?s community and foundation relations, communications and legal affairs. Previously she served as the nonprofit?s chief of staff.

Both live in Jersey City. Brady-Phillips took a ?massive pay cut? to work for the city, according to Fulop.

Thieroff was seen as a likely pick for deputy mayor or chief of staff after Fulop won the May 14 mayoral race. Brady-Phillips was selected after she and more than 400 others sent their resumes to the city seeking employment, Fulop said.

?I think that, because of the resume process, we?re picking up a lot of people with really great skills at a discount,? the mayor said.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _mayors.html#incart_river

Fulop's also appointed some new department heads:

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... s-recreation-departments/

Fulop Appoints New Directors for Public Works, Recreation Departments
By Summer Dawn Hortillosa ? Jul 1st, 2013

Mayor Steven Fulop has appointed a retired Jersey City firefighter and a local business leader as the directors of the Public Works and Recreation departments, respectively, city officials.

Michael Razzoli, a retired JC firefighter who has been a fire sub-code official for the past eight years for the city, has been named the Director of the Department of Public Works, officials say.

He also has served as the Homeland Security Director for the Hudson County Sheriff?s Office and as a Deputy Director of the city?s Office of Emergency Management.

?Mike brings to this position an extensive knowledge of the City, its infrastructure and operations, and the challenges we face in improving services and reducing costs,? said Fulop in a statement. ?He also has a superior work ethic that I have witnessed first hand and am confident in his ability to lead and improve the Department of Public Works.?

Razzoli would replace current director Rodney Hadley who served under the administration of outgoing Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

Fulop also named local business leader and youth mentor Ryan Strother as the Director of the Department of Recreation, officials say.

Strother has served as Property Manager of Urban Rising, which manages the HUB on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for the past six years. He has also previously partnered with numerous local entities to provide both mentoring and coaching services for Jersey City youth.

?Over the years, Ryan has dedicated his time to mentoring and coaching Jersey City youth both on and off the court,? said Fulop in a statement. ?He is recognized in the community for his dedication to young people, and he and I share similar views on how we can restructure the Department of Recreation to offer additional programs to engage more of our youth.?
Stroher would replace current director Joseph Macchi.

The appointments of Razzoli, Strother, and Jeremy Farrell, whom Fulop chose to be the new Corporation Counsel, to their respective cabinet positions will be presented to the new City Council for consideration and confirmation at the council?s reorganization meeting today, July 1, at 2 pm.

The new City Council consists of seven Fulop-backed candidates and two independents who did not run on either Fulop or Healy?s slates.

Jersey City to have two paid deputy mayors under Mayor Fulop

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
June 28, 2013 at 4:43 PM

Jersey City Mayor-elect Steve Fulop offered another preview of his upcoming administration this week, saying he intends to hire two deputy mayors who will have ?competitive? salaries and ?defined responsibilities.?

Fulop declined to name the two folks he intends to hire, though City Hall sources say one is likely to be John Thieroff, who managed Fulop?s mayoral campaign. The mayor-elect said the two incoming deputy mayors are ?phenomenal.?

Prior mayors have used the two deputy mayor positions as ?a political badge,? Fulop said, adding, ?And I?m not going to say Jerry Healy has or hasn?t,? referring to outgoing Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

The city currently has two deputy mayors: Kabili Tayari, who makes about $110,000 in that role, and Raj Mukherji, who is running for a state Assembly seat in November and is expected to win. Mukherji, a lobbyist, takes a $1 annual salary plus benefits.

Fulop said one of his deputy mayors will be focused on economic development and the city budget, while the other will work on ?internal community relations and social services.? Reminded that the city already has departments focused on those issues, departments whose directors make six-figure salaries, Fulop said his administration plans to operate differently than past administrations.

Now, he said, developers seeking to do business in Jersey City may have to call a host of different departments, while under his administration, they will only have to call one of the deputy mayors.

?All initiatives will come out of the mayor?s office,? he said today.

Fulop declined to say what the deputy mayors will be paid, other than saying their salaries will be ?competitive.?

?It?s going to be a like a real job,? he said. ?We?re going to be looking to hire real people with real credentials in their respective fields.?

Fulop takes office on Monday.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... r_fulop.html#incart_river