New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointments of two senior strategy and communications aides. Andrea Hagelgans will now serve as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning, where she will be charged with crafting the architecture of key mayoral policy initiatives and communications strategies. Michael Casca has been appointed Communications Director, a post vacated by Hagelgans, responsible for mayoral and agency communications and event coordination.
Hagelgans has served in City Hall since May of 2014. She was instrumental in the development of communications strategies behind high-profile policy speeches, State of the City addresses, budget announcements, the rollouts of universal pre-K and paid parental leave, and the city’s response to Ebola. Prior to joining the de Blasio administration, Hagelgans worked as a communications consultant and as a senior strategist for Planned Parenthood, where she helped lead the successful effort against the Komen Foundation’s attempt to defund the health care organization.
Casca comes to City Hall after serving as deputy communications director for Senator Bernie Sanders and director of rapid response for Sanders’ presidential campaign. Casca has also served as an aide to U.S.Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Casca will be starting his new role in January.
“Andrea and Michael are supremely talented public servants who bring years of experience meeting some of the most demanding strategic and communications challenges government can face,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our administration’s ability to listen to and engage New Yorkers in communicating our work is at the core of our commitment to help build a fairer New York – founded on the principle that our city only succeeds if everyone has the opportunity to share in our progress. I’m confident Andrea and Michael will serve New Yorkers with the professionalism that has defined their public service.”
“I have been fortunate enough to be involved in many of our administration’s toughest and most important communications challenges,” said Senior Advisor Andrea Hagelgans. “I continue to be inspired by the mayor’s vision for a fairer New York City with shared progress for communities across our five boroughs. I am looking forward to finding creative and compelling ways to build on our policy successes and share the administration's work in the most dynamic, competitive media market in the world.”
"I am grateful to the mayor for the opportunity to serve 8.5 million New Yorkers. I believe in Mayor de Blasio’s vision to tackle income inequality and ensure the city works for everyone,” said Communications Director Michael Casca. I look forward to working hard with the talented team in City Hall to lift up the voices of working people fighting every day to make ends meet."
