Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Ex-NYC Social Services boss joins Mayor Adams’ former chief-of-staff’s lobbying firm
By
David Brand
Published Mar 28, 2023
Modified Mar 28, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
ev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
By
David Brand
Published Mar 28, 2023
Modified Mar 28, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York City’s former social services chief is landing a new job at a lobbying firm founded by Mayor Eric Adams’ former chief of staff, Frank Carone, a month after quitting his post.
Former Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins will join Carone’s lobbying firm, Oaktree Solutions, as managing director of social services starting Monday, Jenkins confirmed to Gothamist.
“What attracted me to Oaktree was it’s not just local,” he said. “This gives me the opportunity to help people across the country.”
Under city rules, Jenkins is banned from lobbying his old agency for two years. He said he does not intend to register as a lobbyist in the near future and his new role includes finding business in the social services sector and consulting potential clients nationwide.
"Gary is an extraordinary public servant who did great things for the City of New York," said Carone. "We're thrilled to have him on our team for the next chapter of his career empowering organizations across the globe with knowledge to do their best work."
So far, however, Carone’s client roster reads as a who’s who of high-powered companies looking to gain favor with City Hall — including the real estate firms Durst Organization and SL Green, which is trying to build a casino in Times Square, the New York Times reported.
Jenkins said he will focus on advising social service agencies and did not rule out working with the state while he is barred from communicating with his former city agency, where his wife still works.
“I’ll start exploring who needs my assistance,” he said.
He declined to share his new salary.
Jenkins enters the private sector after serving as head of DSS from January 2022 through the beginning of this month, the culmination of a three-decade tenure in city government. He was previously the head of the Human Resources Administration under Mayor Bill de Blasio and DSS boss Steve Banks after climbing the agency's ranks.
His tenure at the helm was marked by a record-high rise in the city’s homeless shelter population, driven in large part by a number of newly arrived asylum-seekers seeking temporary accommodations. More than 70,000 people now stay in DSS shelters each night.
A serious staffing shortage at the sprawling agency also complicated day-to-day functions crucial to the most vulnerable New Yorkers. With 1 in 5 positions vacant at the end of last year, HRA struggled to process food stamp and cash assistance applications in a timely manner — delaying aid to the city’s poorest families.
Jenkins also faced scandal after dismissing his spokesperson, who accused him of covering up a breach of city law when families spent the night at a Bronx intake office. The claims led to a Department of Investigations probe, though Jenkins has denied any wrongdoing.
Adams praised his former agency head in a statement after Jenkins announced his resignation last month.
“Under his leadership, the Department of Social Services invested a historic amount to support unsheltered New Yorkers — bringing and keeping more than 1,100 people living on our subways into shelter as part of our Subway Safety Plan and inviting those with lived experiences to the table to help craft our housing and homelessness plans," Adams said.
But the quick shift to lobbying, a routine transition for many city officials, has irked reformers and good government groups.
Councilmember Lincoln Restler is sponsoring legislation to prohibit city workers from lobbying any part of city government — not just their old agencies — for two years
“As somebody who’s worked in the mayor’s office and has seen the kind of insidious influence that lobbyists and former senior officials can have in the administrations where they worked, we have to close these loopholes today,” Restler told Gothamist last month.
Conflict of Interests Board Executive Director Carolyn Miller said former municipal workers are not required to notify the ethics office about their new employment, even if it means lobbying city agencies.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of years Jenkins is banned from lobbying the Department of Social Services. He's prohibited from lobbying the agency for two years.
Tagged
new york city
housing
Politics
eric adams
David Brand
David is a reporter covering housing for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 908-310-3960.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY unemployment recipients brace for delays during system upgrade
The shutdown is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Monday and last for nine to 12 days.
By
Jon Campbell
and
Carol Chen
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 12:59 p.m. ET
Influential Brooklyn developer illegally raised rents despite tax break, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit targets the leasing practices of the company Two Trees, which recently received a special carveout in the New York state budget.
By
David Brand
News
Influential Brooklyn developer illegally raised rents despite tax break, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit targets the leasing practices of the company Two Trees, which recently received a special carveout in the New York state budget.
By
David Brand
Democrats' early voting lead in NJ keeps growing ahead of Election Day
By
Mike Hayes
Early Addition: Is Harry running?
By
James Ramsay
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .