Chamber statement on Mayor’s appointment of economic development chief

Statement from Jessica Walker, President & CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, on the appointment of Anthony Shorris as President & CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation:

"This is an important appointment at an important moment. EDC's next leader takes the helm as New York's economy is being tested: by EDC's own count, 2025 delivered the weakest quarter of net business formation in five years. Storefront vacancies persist, Lower Manhattan's recovery is uneven, and an economy that leans on a handful of sectors is more fragile than a great city should accept.

Tony Shorris is a proven operator — the kind of leader who knows how to make this city's institutions actually work. That experience matters. But this moment asks for more than steady management. It asks for vision: a real plan to diversify our economy, to defend New York as the place where companies choose to grow and hire, and to make job creation the everyday measure of whether EDC is succeeding.

The question business owners are asking is a fair one — does the city have a plan to grow? EDC is where that answer gets written. The Manhattan Chamber will be a candid, data-driven partner in building it, and a clear-eyed advocate for the 125,000 businesses that need EDC to get this right. We will measure this leadership by a simple test: can New Yorkers build here, hire here, and stay here. We look forward to helping make the answer yes."