by Mell P
Jahmila Edwards, the Mamdani administration’s incoming Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, steps into City Hall with more than two decades of experience navigating government, labor, and community relations, and a clear commitment to ensuring working people remain at the center of public policy.
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Carib News’ Mell P recently chatted with Edwards to discuss her priorities for the incoming administration and her deep ties to the Caribbean community. The daughter of a Dominican father and the wife of a Trinidadian-Guyanese husband, Edwards brings both professional expertise and a lived Caribbean perspective to her role, one that continues to shape her approach to public service and representation.
Edwards most recently spent a decade as Associate Director at District Council 37 (DC37), New York City’s largest public employee union, representing 150,000 active members and 50,000 retirees. Since 2015, she has been a key figure in advocating for the rights and protections of the municipal workforce that keeps the city running.
“Nothing gets done without the city workers,” Edwards said. “I can only speak to the immense resiliency and dedication of the members of DC37 and other unions, 1199, UFT, 32BJ, HTC. Working people make the city run.”
Her appointment comes as the Mamdani administration signals a break from what it has described as “the politics of settling for less,” with a focus on delivering tangible results for everyday New Yorkers. Edwards says her role will be to protect that vision as policies move from campaign promises to governing realities.
“I don’t think the mayor would accept his agenda being diluted one bit,” she said. “My job is to make sure we’re building the right coalitions and fostering the right relationships with elected officials across the city, the state, and the country, so the agenda we put forward is ambitious, achievable, and achievable soon.”
Before her tenure at DC37, Edwards held several senior roles within the New York City Department of Education, including Executive Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Chancellor. She also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the New York City Public Advocate, Assistant Director for Political Affairs at the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, and Vice President of Operations at the government and community relations firm Carl Andrews & Associates, Inc.
Reflecting on her time at the DOE, Edwards acknowledged the challenges of managing one of the city’s largest agencies.
“The DOE is a behemoth,” she said. “When you have an agency that large, bureaucracy can make it difficult not just for employees, but for parents, students, teachers, and administrators to navigate. That remains one of its biggest challenges.”
Known among colleagues as a straight shooter, Edwards says trust and transparency will guide her approach in an era when public confidence in government is increasingly strained.
“I’ve always been honest and transparent about where I stand,” she said. “That doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but I’ve never misled anyone. That’s the level of trust I’m bringing into the mayor’s office.”
Edwards’ grounding extends beyond policy and politics. A graduate of the New School, she holds a master’s degree in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed the Senior Executives in State & Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. She is also a co-founder of Stash Queens, a collective focused on providing quality cannabis products while creating opportunities for people impacted by the war on drugs.
“Representation is really important,” she said. “I live in Crown Heights, I play mas every year, and you’ll see me at every fete I can make this summer. I’m excited to be someone from the diaspora representing the culture in this administration.”
Asked what keeps her grounded amid the intensity of city politics, Edwards pointed to integrity as her anchor.
“I never question the work that I do,” she said. “I know my heart is in the right place, and even when I don’t win, I know I’ve done what was right.”
As she prepares to step into her new role, Edwards’ blend of labor advocacy, government expertise, and cultural pride positions her as a key bridge between City Hall and the communities it serves, ensuring that, in her words, the voices of working people are never an afterthought.
