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Zach Iscol
Commissioner of
New York City Emergency Management
Assumed office
February 17, 2022
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byChristina Farrell (Acting)
Personal details
Born
New York, U.S.

(1978-08-18) August 18, 1978 (age 45)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Meredith Melling
​
(m. 2016)​
EducationCornell University (BA)
Occupationpolitician, armed forces veteran, civil servant
AwardsBronze Star Medal

Zach Iscol (born August 18, 1978) is an American civil servant, non-profit executive, politician, and armed forces veteran who serves as Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management.[1][2] Iscol is a United States Marine veteran and was a Democratic candidate in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election.[3]

Early life and education

Iscol was born in New York City, New York and grew up in Pound Ridge, New York,[4] in an affluent family.[5] He is Jewish.[6] His father is a cellphone technology entrepreneur, and his mother is an educator.[7][8]

He graduated Phillips Exeter Academy in 1997.[9][10] He graduated Cornell University in 2001 with a major in government and competed in lightweight football.[11][12]

Career

Military service

Iscol served two tours and served in Iraq from 2001 to 2007 as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.[13][14] During his service in Iraq in the Iraq War, he fought on the front lines in the Second Battle of Fallujah, as commander of a combined action platoon composed of 30 U.S. Marines and 250 Iraqi soldiers.[15] He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery in combat in that battle, with Combat-Distinguished V device, and the Combat Action Ribbon.[15] After returning from Iraq, he successfully lobbied to bring his threatened Iraqi translator to the United States.[16]

He returned to Iraq to make a film, The Western Front, which was shown at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, and explored in what ways the US changed its tactics in Iraq over time.[11] Iscol served as screenwriter, cast, director, and producer.[17]

Private sector

Iscol launched the Headstrong Project in 2012. It is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that provides veterans and their families in 25 cities with free mental health care.[14]

Iscol co-founded Task & Purpose in 2014.[18] It is a military-focused digital media company.[19][20] Its parent company is Grid North Group.[18] In 2018 managing editor Adam Weinstein resigned after CEO Iscol requested that he change the title of a ProPublica investigation into undue influence over the Department of Veterans Affairs featured on the site,[21] which Weinstein felt was undue influence on the publication's editorial independence.[22]

In 2014 Iscol also founded and became CEO of Hirepurpose, a hiring platform job website for military veterans and relatives.[23]

Political career; mayoral and comptroller campaigns

Iscol served as a Deputy Director of a temporary field hospital in the Javits Center during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City in the spring of 2020.[14][20]

Main article: 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary

Iscol was one of a number of candidates looking to succeed New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. He launched his campaign in the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary on October 21, 2020, and was initially entered in the June 22, 2021, Democratic primary.[24][25] Iscol's campaign staff included Joe Trippi, a national political strategist.[20] As of mid-January 2021, he had raised more than $746,000 from donors, spent just over $261,000 on his campaign, and had about $485,000 left.[26]

Main article: 2021 New York City Comptroller election

On January 26, 2021, Iscol filed paperwork to drop out of the mayor's race, and run instead in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election.[3][27] As of the end of January, he was the second-biggest fundraiser in the race.[28] Iscol said his goal was to help the city recover economically from the pandemic, focusing on the performance of city agencies.[29] He also said he would require companies that contract with New York City to describe their commitment to the five boroughs and that he would push to reinvest some pension fund monies in local job creation.[30] Candidates who raised at least $125,000 from at least 500 donors qualified for matching city funds from the New York City Campaign Finance Board, on an 8-to-1 match basis.[31] As of February 16, 2021, he was one of three candidates who had qualified for matching funds, along with Brian Benjamin and Brad Lander.[31]

New York City Emergency Management

On February 17, 2022, Iscol was appointed commissioner of New York City Emergency Management by Mayor Eric Adams.[32][33][34]

References

  1. ^ "Zack Iscol, Veteran and Entrepreneur, Joins NYC Mayor's Race," U.S. News & World Report, October 20, 2020.
  2. ^ Jeff Coltin (December 31, 2020). "The major 2021 mayoral contenders". City & State.
  3. ^ a b William Engel (January 28, 2021). "Zach Iscol Changes Lanes from Mayoral Race to Comptroller Race". New York County Politics.
  4. ^ "2019 UWVC Veterans Day Parade – Meet the Grand Marshals". United War Veterans Council.
  5. ^ "Zach Iscol wants to be a cross between Bloomberg and de Blasio". October 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "Zachary Iscol '97. Remarks at the John Phillips Award assembly," October 27, 2017, exeter.edu.
  7. ^ Chizzik, Danielle Stein (May 11, 2016). "Meredith Melling and Zach Iscol Have Made Service a Family Affair; The T&C 50: The couple are working to get top notch mental health care to veterans". Town & Country.
  8. ^ "US Marine vet with ties to Clintons may run for NYC mayor". 1010 WINS. August 1, 2020.
  9. ^ "NCCS Grad, Zach Iscol '94 to Lead NYC Veteran's Day Parade; The marine veteran is the founder of three organizations serving post-9/11 veterans". Patch. November 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Melanie Wilson (October 29, 2017). "Zachary Iscol '97 receives the 2017 John Phillips Award; Combat-decorated former Marine Corps officer was honored for his efforts to help veterans gain access to quality mental health care and employment". Phillips Exeter Academy.
  11. ^ a b Burstein, David D. (January 13, 2011). "Change Generation: Zach Iscol, Writer, Director, and Producer, The Western Front". Fast Company.
  12. ^ Sisk, Richard (December 17, 2020). "From Fallujah to City Hall: A Marine's Uphill Run to Be Mayor of New York". Military.com.
  13. ^ Michael Rock (October 22, 2020). "Iscol Continues Public Service Career with Run for Mayor". New York County Politics.
  14. ^ a b c Shanel Dawson (December 19, 2020). "Meet the Candidate: Former Marine Zach Iscol Talks Police Reform, Mental Health and Pandemic Recovery". NY1.
  15. ^ a b "THE PLIGHT OF IRAQI REFUGEES; HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, UNITED STATES SENATE, ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION". www.govinfo.gov. January 16, 2007.
  16. ^ "Marine Wins Personal Iraq Battle; After aiding the U.S. military, an Iraqi translator seeks refuge in New York". ABC News. November 2, 2007.
  17. ^ "The Western Front | 2010 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca Film.
  18. ^ a b "About Task & Purpose". taskandpurpose.com. April 9, 2019.
  19. ^ Murphy, Jarrett (November 12, 2020). "Meet the Former Marine and the Brooklyn Councilmember Who Are Running for Mayor". City Limits.
  20. ^ a b c Jeff Coltin (October 23, 2020). "Zach Iscol wants to be a cross between Bloomberg and de Blasio". City & State.
  21. ^ Nover, Scott (August 15, 2018). "A Popular Military Website Is Attacked From the Right". www.theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  22. ^ Levine, Jon (August 8, 2018). "Military Veterans' News Site's Top Editor Quits, Says He Faced Pressure to Be 'Less Liberal'". www.thewrap.com. The Wrap. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  23. ^ Beth Saulnier (April 2014). "Soldier's Heart". Cornell Alumni Magazine.
  24. ^ Max, Ben (November 12, 2020). "Max & Murphy Podcast: Zach Iscol is Running for Mayor". Gotham Gazette.
  25. ^ "Zach Iscol, Veteran And Entrepreneur, Joins Crowded NYC Mayoral Race; Iscol, the former Marine who spent time in Iraq and later founded a mental health program for veterans, becomes the latest to enter the mayor race". NBC News. October 20, 2020.
  26. ^ Samar Khurshid (January 18, 2021). "Major Financial Disparities in City's Large Mayoral Field". City Limits.
  27. ^ "Iscol to drop out of mayors race; jump into ring for comptroller". Politico. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  28. ^ David Cruz and Jake Dobkin (January 29, 2021). "Crunching The Numbers: Who's Making Bank In The Comptroller's Race?". Gothamist.
  29. ^ Mays, Jeffery C. (January 27, 2021). "One Candidate Leaves Crowded Mayor's Race. One From 'Housewives' Joins". The New York Times.
  30. ^ Gwynne Hogan (February 5, 2021). "$100 Million Dollar Budget And The Power of Oversight — What Is A Comptroller & Why Should You Care?". Gothamist.
  31. ^ a b "City Doles Out Historic Sum Of Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Cash". Gothamist. February 16, 2021.
  32. ^ "Adams taps Zach Iscol, comptroller candidate, to lead emergency management". www.ny1.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  33. ^ "Adams picks Zach Iscol as head of NYC's Emergency Management deptartment". PIX11. February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  34. ^ Sommerfeldt, Chris (February 17, 2022). "Mayor Adams picks rival-turned-campaign donor Zach Iscol as NYC emergency management chief". nydailynews.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.

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