Statement From Mayor de Blasio on the Passing of Alan Anders

May 9, 2020

"It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Alan Anders, who served as the Deputy Director for Financing Policy and Coordination within the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, has passed away following several months of illness unrelated to the pandemic. 

"Alan served the City of New York with pride and excellence since 1990. He was responsible for the City’s bond financing program and spearheaded the issuance of hundreds of billions of dollars in municipal bonds. These funds support building and improving schools, parks, affordable housing, fire and police stations, and other critical infrastructure that keeps the City running. It is no exaggeration to say that generations of New Yorkers benefit from his life’s work.

"Under Alan’s leadership, the City’s bond financing program was widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and successful programs in the country, contributing to the City’s long-term capital strategy and fiscal stability. He deserves a large share of credit for City bond rating upgrades over the past 30 years, including Moody’s elevating the City to Aa1 in March 2019.

"Among his many professional accomplishments, Alan was instrumental in establishing the New York City Transitional Finance Authority (TFA) and the Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corporation (HYIC).  The sale of bonds by TFA and HYIC were groundbreaking, and paved the way for similar financings nationally.

"Alan was honored with numerous national awards for his expertise and service. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the municipal finance industry many times, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Municipal Forum of New York this week, and the inaugural Jim Lebenthal Infrastructure Champion Award at the 2015 Bond Buyer National Outlook Conference.

"Alan’s leadership also extended to bettering our community. For decades he worked with the Municipal Forum’s Urban Leadership Fellows program, which provides summer internships for under-represented high school students who are interested in public finance. Many of these interns worked with Alan and his OMB team. In 2004, the Municipal Forum celebrated his commitment to these young New Yorkers with a Public Sector Award for Service. 

"His love for learning extended past his academic life at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland School of Law. Alan had a passion for movies and was devoted to learning French so he could enjoy his favorite films in their original language. 

"Alan is survived by his wife, Suzi."