Hoffnung named to key post

Here's a story from this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

Ari Hoffnung will start his new position
as deputy comptroller Dec. 19.

Riverdale resident Ari Hoffnung was promoted to deputy comptroller this week.

City Comptroller John C. Liu appointed Hoffnung, 38, to Deputy Comptroller for Public Affairs. Hoffnung, who most recently served as Assistant Comptroller of Budget & Chief Policy Officer, will assume his new role on Dec. 19. He replaces Alan van Capelle, who is departing the comptroller’s office.

“Ari has been a consistent and constant driving force on some of our office’s highest priority initiatives over the past two years, and he's proven to execute with precision,” Liu said in a statement. “Ari also shares my deep commitment to public service and improving city government. I’ve no doubt he will excel even more as part of my leadership team.”

Hoffnung will oversee all operations pertaining to the Public Affairs Bureau of the New York City Comptroller’s Office, which includes the Community Action Center, Public Affairs, and Communications departments.

“I am hopeful that my professional experience in the non-profit, business and government sectors will help me build upon the work of my predecessor, Deputy Comptroller Alan van Capelle,” Hoffnung said in an email.

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He added that he was proud of the work he’s done with the Comptroller’s online transparency initiatives, including Checkbook NYC, which gives the public online access to the City’s $66 billion in annual expenditures, and Pension NYC, which provides unparalleled access to information pertaining to the $109 billion New York City pension funds.

In addition, he spearheaded the comptroller’s Retirement Security NYC, a major initiative to protect the retirement security of public employees while ensuring the city’s financial health.

“New York City taxpayers – from Riverdale to the Rockaways - deserve to know exactly how their hard earned money is being spent,” he told the Review. “I am very proud to be associated with the comptroller’s online transparency initiatives and believe that the work the comptroller has done to make the city's finances more transparent will ultimately become an important part of his legacy.”

Growing up in Riverdale, Hoffnung now lives in the community with his wife and two children.

Hoffnung was named one of City Hall News’ rising political stars last year in ‘40 under 40,’ which honors 40 people under 40 years old.

“My wife and I are so happy to be raising our family in Riverdale,” he said. “We really love the community here. Being a husband and dad while working 24x6 for the comptroller’s office means that I can not be as involved as I’d like to on local issues. With that said, the issues we deal with at the comptroller’s office—like eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from the city’s budget—are of concern to all New Yorkers, including Riverdalians."

Prior to joining Liu’s administration, Hoffnung served as chief of staff to then-City Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), and was a managing director at Bear Stearns where he worked for more than a decade. He was also a member of Bronx Community Board 8.

Hoffnung ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2005 against G. Oliver Koppell’s seat in the 11th District. He had planned to run again in 2009 when Koppell vacated the seat, though he dropped before the primary, after term limits were extended allowing Koppell to run one last time.

Asked if he would be running again for the Council seat in 2013—he is registered with the city’s Campaign Finance Board—Hoffnung instead said he was dedicated to working at his current position.

“I am thankful for this opportunity and am committed to carrying out my duties as Deputy Comptroller,” he said.

Hoffnung holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Queens College.

As Deputy Comptroller for Public Affairs, Hoffnung will serve as a chief advisor to Comptroller Liu on all matters involving public policy, intergovernmental, media and community relations. He will also retain his oversight of the Comptroller’s Policy Bureau.

He currently serves as Comptroller Liu’s representative at the Office of Payroll Administration (OPA) and the Financial Information Services Agency (FISA), where he played an integral role in ending the runaway spending associated with the CityTime project. In addition to FISA and OPA, Hoffnung also serves as Liu’s representative on the New York City Banking Commission.