Kay Leaves City Hall Post

NEW YORK CITY-The Bloomberg Administration is losing one of its top policymakers as Jeffrey Kay, who was one of the primary authors of the PLaNYC 2030 initiative, is leaving city government next month to join Queens-based developer Muss Development LLC as its COO and senior vice president of public affairs.

Kay’s departure as director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Muss Development, which is based in Forest Hills. “I’ve often said, [Kay] is one of the unsung heroes of our administration,” Mayor Bloomberg says. “For so many of our key programs, if you look behind the scenes, you will often find that [Kay]was a major force in making those initiatives a reality. New Yorkers have a city government that simply runs better, in no small part due to the programs and initiatives [Kay] has developed and led.”

Muss Development officials say that as COO, Kay will spearhead and coordinate efforts for both ongoing operations and new development opportunities. Kay, who serves on the board of directors of the MTA, will also be responsible for government and community relations for Muss Development and succeeds James Whelan, who recently joined the Real Estate Board of New York to take on a similar role there.

“Muss Development is extremely fortunate to have someone with the ‘can do’ attitude and experience that Jeff possesses,” states Joshua Muss, principal of Muss Development. “His background in government operations and natural ability to communicate with the public will be a tremendous asset in the future growth of our firm.”

Kay in a prepared statement related that after serving in city government for 14 years where he began as an intern with the Office of Management and Budget, he sought a different challenge. “The position with Muss Development is a perfect fit for me. It is a firm that holds the wishes of the community in high regard in everything they do—and I am excited to begin this next chapter in my career,” he says.

He served as director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations for the past four years and led a host of initiatives including the 311 Call Center. Kay joined the mayor on Monday at a press conference for the ceremonial 100-millionth call to the center since its inception in March 2003. In addition to being one of the chief architects of the mayor’s PLaNYC 2030 environmental plan, he also helped strategize its roll-out in 2007 that featured a congestion pricing plan, an effort to put more hybrid taxis on the road and the launch of the first municipal Brownfield program in the nation.