Mark Levine

Since assuming office on January 1, 2022, Borough President Levine has been working to create a more equitable, more resilient, and healthier city by striving to ensure the policies, solutions, and work of the Manhattan Borough President’s office benefit everyday people, especially historically disenfranchised communities.

While in office, Borough President Levine has successfully launched initiatives to strengthen equity and resilience throughout the borough, including:

The Million More Trees plan, which will expand the urban canopy, especially in chronically underplanted neighborhoods.

The Manhattan Small Business Booster Loans program, which has provided $2 million in interest-free loans to local entrepreneurs suffering from the pandemic.

Steering the effort to establish an NYC Waterfront Protection Agency that would lead the design, construction, management, and governance of coastal resiliency projects, currently overseen by 11 different city agencies.

The Campaign to Curb Congestion, which advocates for the implementation of two-way, variable congestion pricing, reforming e-commerce and deliveries, and expanding cycling infrastructure, especially through a dedicated bike lane on the West Side Highway.

The Borough President also strives to create a civic and political life in Manhattan that is more accessible and transparent so that all people have equal representation and a place to voice their concerns and values.

Borough President Levine leans heavily on his past experiences as a public school teacher, community organizer, and two-term member of the New York City Council.

Combined, these experiences have allowed him to encounter New Yorkers of all walks of life and instilled in him a set of values that prioritize compassion, cultural understanding, and curiosity – all of which motivate his work as Manhattan Borough President.

At the start of his career, Mark taught bilingual math and science at Junior High School 149 in District 7 in the South Bronx. During his visits with students in their homes and around the community, Mark saw first-hand the struggles of many of the families and became determined to make a lasting change.

After noticing that many of these families were being held back by the lack of financial services in the neighborhood, Mark found the Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, a community development financial institution, which has made $25 million (and counting) in small loans to low-income families and small businesses in Northern Manhattan.

Mark was twice elected to represent the 7th City Council District – one of the most diverse in New York City – covering West Harlem/Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, and parts of the Upper West Side and Washington Heights.

In his eight years in the City Council, Mark was a leading voice in New York City for tenants rights, public health, and equity in our schools, transit, parks, and housing.

In a historic first for the nation, Mark passed legislation guaranteeing a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in New York City’s housing courts. The data is now irrefutable – the Right to Counsel law is a core reason why New Yorkers facing eviction are staying in their homes, off the streets, and out of the shelter system.

As chair of the City Council Health Committee, Mark rose to national prominence as a leader in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He has fought for health policy based on science and has consistently taken on the racial inequity of both the pandemic and healthcare more broadly.

While chairing the Council’s Parks Committee in his first term, Mark championed greater investment in our city’s green spaces – securing tens of millions of dollars in funding for neglected parks in low-income neighborhoods.

He has been a champion for improved bus service, more accessible subway stations, and streets that are safer for all, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

Mark earned a B.A. in physics from Haverford College and a master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Mark lives with his family in Washington Heights. He and his wife, Ivelisse, are proud parents of their sons, Alejandro and Daniel. Mark speaks Spanish, Hebrew, and a smattering of other languages.