Borough president’s office welcomes new faces
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Ebony Young will become deputy borough president and Michael Mallon will become Borough President Donovan Richards’ chief of staff come January. Photos via Twitter
By Jacob Kaye
Two top officials in the borough president’s office are moving onto new ventures, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Wednesday.
Deputy Borough President Rhonda Binda and Chief of Staff Franck Joseph will leave Richards’ office in the coming weeks and their replacements will take over come January 2022, when Richards is sworn in for his first full term in office.
Binda, who is moving into the private sector, will be replaced by Ebony Young, who has spent the majority of the past two decades working in the nonprofit sector. Young most recently made an unsuccessful run for City Council in District 26.
Joseph will “explore other professional opportunities,” the BP’s office said. He’ll be replaced by Michael Mallon, who currently serves as the director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the borough president’s office.
“Ebony Young and Michael Mallon are talented individuals, demonstrating dedication to public service throughout their careers,” Richards said in a statement. “I look forward to serving with the incoming Deputy Borough President and Chief of Staff, and I can’t wait to continue the good work.”
Both Binda and Joseph came on board when Richards won the special election for the seat last year. On Tuesday, Richards won his bid for reelection over Republican challenger Thomas Zmich, unofficial results from the New York City Board of Election show.
Binda said that she was confident that Young was the right person to fill her shoes.
“I took this role very seriously and it was deeply meaningful to serve in the same year Vice President Kamala Devi Harris broke a significant glass ceiling for women of color in politics,” Binda said in a statement. “As the Borough and New York City turns the corner, I’ll be leaving this position but won’t be going far. I am always available to help my beloved borough and city, and I am excited for the new ideas Ebony Young will bring as the incoming Deputy Borough President.”
Young has previously served the Long Island City YMCA, TF Cornerstone, the Black Entrepreneur Initiative and the Ladies of Hope Ministries. The Woodside resident has also served on various boards, task forces and advisory committees in Queens.
“It is with great honor that I accept the opportunity to serve my neighbors as Deputy Borough President of Queens,” Young said. “I believe in the vision of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and I look forward to building a Queens that works for everyone alongside him and his team.”
In his role as director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Mallon has overseen events, civic engagement initiatives and the office’s hate crimes and bias response, among other initiatives.
Mallon is also a longtime LGBTQ+ activist, organizing for passage of statewide legislation to codify workplace protections for transgender and gender nonconforming people. He founded CUNY’s LGBTQI Student Leadership Advisory Council and has helped to raise tens of thousands of dollars for social services organizations.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed to serve as Queens Borough President Richards's next Chief of Staff. Borough President Richards has truly delivered for the World’s Borough over the past year, and I remain committed to working alongside him and incoming Deputy Queens Borough President Ebony Young to build upon that progress,” Mallon said. “I am grateful for the solid foundation Deputy Queens Borough President Rhonda Binda and Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor Franck Joseph have laid at Borough Hall and for all that they have done to lift up the community.”
