Brooklyn Boro

Mayor Adams names Sheena Wright as first deputy mayor, Camille Joseph Varlack as chief of staff

December 6, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday that current Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright will be elevated to the position of first deputy mayor, and that Senior Advisor to the Mayor Camille Joseph Varlack will serve as chief of staff starting in January. Wright and Varlack will assume their roles following the planned departures of First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo and Chief of Staff Frank Carone.

“Lorraine Grillo and Frank Carone have been tremendous assets to me, to our colleagues at City Hall, and to all New Yorkers, and we are all incredibly grateful for their service,” said Mayor Adams. “They’re leaving big shoes to fill, and I’m confident that Sheena Wright and Camille Joseph Varlack have what it takes to serve the city that we all love as first deputy mayor and chief of staff. I trust them, I am confident in their skills and commitment, and I look forward to shaping New York City’s future and ‘Getting Stuff Done’ with them at my side.”

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve New Yorkers as first deputy mayor and leading our dedicated team into 2023,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “I’m grateful to Mayor Adams for his trust, to First Deputy Mayor Grillo for the incredible work she’s done during our first year, and to the remarkable team of women leaders in this administration for breaking glass ceilings on a daily basis. I know how to bring business, nonprofits, and government together to ‘Get Stuff Done,’ and that’s exactly what I’ll do as First Deputy Mayor.”

“I’m incredibly humbled to have the opportunity to serve as chief of staff, and I’m excited to continue to work with this incredible team that Mayor Adams has assembled,” said Special Advisor to the Mayor Camille Joseph Varlack. “My mother — a nurse from Trinidad and Tobago who immigrated to the U.S. — taught me from a young age that order, structure, and discipline were nonnegotiable, and that’s the mentality I bring with me wherever I go. New York City is at the heart of the American Dream, and we’ll work tirelessly to make sure our city continues to be a place where people like my mother can work hard and achieve their dreams.”

“First deputy mayor is a one-of-a-kind opportunity, a role that requires government expertise, relentless grit, and a vision for a better city, and Sheena Wright wields all those qualities and more,” said First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo. “I’m confident that as chief of staff, Camille will deliver her decades of operational excellence and peerless management to City Hall. As we celebrate another historic barrier broken, I wish both Sheena and Camille the best in their new positions. Our city is in steady hands as Mayor Adams writes the next chapter of this administration.”

“It’s been an honor keeping the trains running for this administration, and I can’t think of a better person to help us keep on track as we continue to ‘Get Stuff Done’ than Camille,” said Chief of Staff Frank Carone. “I’ve worked closely with Deputy Mayor Wright going to back to the transition last year, and I know she has the vision and execution to thrive as first deputy mayor. We’ve done great work over our first year, and I’m positive that we’re leaving the team in great hands to continue delivering results for New Yorkers.”

Camille Joseph Varlack at the press release. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

“Mayor Adams is clear that he intends to maximize this moment in history to improve our city in ways big and small, and this requires a team of public servants who are as fully dedicated to this mission as he is,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Sheena and Camille have accepted this solemn contract with New Yorkers, and I have no doubt they will use their immense talents to deliver on improving the lives of New Yorkers. I have enjoyed calling them ‘teammates’ and I am even prouder to call them ‘first deputy mayor’ and ‘chief of staff.’”

“I am enormously thrilled to work with incoming First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and incoming Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack in their new roles as we continue to ‘Get Stuff Done’ under Mayor Adams’ leadership,” said Deputy Mayor for Workforce and Economic Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I have seen both of these powerful leaders in action and can confidently say that the City of New York is in great hands as we continue our ambitious agenda of growing our economy and serving our citizens.”

“Today is a good day for New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Two dedicated public servants have stepped up to say yes to helping New York through this next critical phase. Sheena Wright is a visionary leader who, as first deputy mayor, will bring years of nonprofit leadership experience, a strong equity lens, and an optimistic can-do outlook to achieving big goals. Camille Joseph Varlack is a talented administrator who will bring state government, private sector, operations, and risk management experience to her role as chief of staff. Every New Yorker should be proud of these historic appointments. I am excited to serve alongside both Sheena and Camille to continue executing Mayor Adams’ vision for a better New York City.”

Sheena Wright and Eric Adams at the press release. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

“New York City is extremely fortunate to count these two powerhouses among its leadership,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “Sheena is a force for change and an exceptional public servant who will no doubt continue to be an asset to this administration as first deputy mayor, and we are honored to have Camille bring her immense vision, expertise, and drive to our team. I look forward to working alongside them to deliver results to New Yorkers.”

“I extend my congratulations,” said Chief Advisor to the Mayor Ingrid Lewis-Martin. “While I will miss my longtime friend Frank Carone and new sister Lorraine Grillo, it’s a new day in City Hall, and I look forward to working in partnership to advance Mayor Adams’ agenda for the people of New York.”

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