Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission Marisa Lago. (NYC gov, Getty)
President Biden plans to nominate the head of City Planning for a key role in the U.S. Commerce Department.
If confirmed, Marisa Lago would serve as under secretary of commerce for international trade, the White House announced in a press release Monday.
Lago has served as director of the Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission since March 2017. Prior to that, she served in the Obama administration as Assistant Secretary for International Markets and Development, a Treasury Department position.
Her departure from City Planning would come as the de Blasio administration pushes for the approval of several major planning proposals, including the rezonings of Gowanus and Soho, as well as a plan to require special permits for all new hotel construction citywide. It is unclear how a shakeup in leadership at the agency would affect these proposals, all of which are priorities for Mayor de Blasio in the final three months of his term.
Representatives for City Planning did not immediately provide comment on who would take over for Lago.
“I’m immensely grateful to Marisa for her exceptional service, and I’m excited to see yet another New Yorker asked to assume a leadership role in the federal government,” de Blasio said in a statement. “Marisa worked tirelessly to shape fairer, more inclusive communities across the city. I know she’ll bring that same creativity and determination to Washington, and I wish her the best of luck in her new role.”
