Meghan Mulgrew, the daughter of NYC teachers’ union president Michael Mulgrew, has landed a top job in the Adams administration with a salary of $165,000 a year. She holds the position of “Senior Advisor to the Executive Deputy Commissioner of Asset and Property Management” in the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) since April 2023. The hiring of Meghan Mulgrew has raised concerns due to her father’s position as the president of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents nearly 200,000 NYC educators.
Meghan Mulgrew’s role at DCAS involves working directly for executive deputy commissioner Shameka Overton, who oversees Jesse Hamilton, the deputy commissioner for real estate services. DCAS has recently come under scrutiny as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is investigating possible bribery within the department. Last month, DA officials seized the phones of Hamilton and Adams’ chief adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin upon their return from a vacation in Japan with an executive of Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate services firm. Hamilton oversees city-owned buildings and multi-million dollar lease deals with private landlords.
The hiring process for Meghan Mulgrew’s position at DCAS involved 40 applicants, with three individuals being interviewed for the role. Ultimately, Mulgrew was selected for the job and received the top salary within the pay range of $145,000 to $165,000. While her qualifications may be suitable for the position, concerns have been raised about the potential nepotism, cronyism, and impropriety surrounding her appointment, especially given her father’s influential role in the teachers’ union.
Despite criticism and questions about the hiring decision, DCAS spokesperson Dan Kastanis has defended the agency’s choice to appoint Meghan Mulgrew. He stated that she went through a thorough application and vetting process and is considered aptly qualified for the position, having served the residents of the city for over a decade. Meghgan Mulgrew holds a master’s degree in real estate management from NYU and has previous experience in real estate transactions and public-private partnerships at CUNY.
Prior to joining DCAS, Meghan Mulgrew worked as CUNY’s director of real estate transactions for four and a half years, followed by a role as the director of public-private partnerships at the institution. Her salary at CUNY in fiscal year 2023 was $141,858, according to payroll data. However, a CUNY spokesman declined to update the salary figure. Meghan Mulgrew has not responded to requests for comment on her recent appointment at DCAS. The circumstances surrounding her hiring continue to be a topic of discussion and scrutiny given the ongoing federal probes into the mayoral administration and the association with powerful city agencies managed by DCAS.
