FOR RELEASE: 02/18/2025
CONTACT: Dr. Sam Bowden Akbari, [email protected]
Award Recognizes Wylde’s Leadership and Outstanding Contributions to New York and Its Economic Prosperity
NEW YORK, NY — Regional Plan Association announced today that Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, is the 2025 John Zuccotti Award recipient. Wylde has served in her current role with the Partnership since 2000 and has dedicated her career to advancing New York City’s standing as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation through collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Named after John E. Zuccotti, a long-serving member of the RPA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the award recognizes leaders who have made exceptional contributions to the built environment of the city and the region. Wylde joins the ranks of esteemed past recipients of the award, including President Joe Biden; Governor Wes Moore (MD); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; and Governors Kathy Hochul (NY), Ned Lamont (CT), and Phil Murphy (NJ). Wylde herself worked closely with Zuccotti for many years on a variety of planning, housing, and Brooklyn development projects.
“Kathy Wylde’s years-long leadership of the Partnership for New York City has distinguished herself and the Partnership. Her materially positive impact will be felt for generations,” Raymond J. McGuire, Chair, Regional Plan Association.
“Kathy has been a long-time ally of Regional Plan Association in our joint efforts to secure the long-term prosperity and competitiveness of New York City and the metropolitan region. Her leadership on a wide range of issues, including housing opportunity, transit investment, technology and innovation, and congestion pricing make her an outstanding recipient for this award,” said Tom Wright, President & CEO, RPA.
“Kathryn Wylde, like John Zuccotti, viewed New York City from every angle and had big ideas for shaping it and making it better. I know he would have been proud to see her carry the torch and receive the award that’s in his name,” Howard Milstein, Chairman & CEO, Emigrant Savings Bank.
As the founding CEO of the Partnership’s Investment Fund and Housing Affiliates, Wylde oversaw the creation of the Partnership Fund for New York City, an impact fund that invests in companies and entrepreneurs that advance opportunity and innovation in New York City. Her leadership at the NYC Housing Partnership produced over 40,000 affordable housing units and supported minority- and women-owned firms in revitalizing city-owned properties. Under her leadership the Partnership established its Innovation Labs program which brings early to growth-stage companies together with some of our largest and most complex public sector agencies to apply new technologies to address their most critical challenges and transform the delivery of essential services.
Additionally, her advocacy for congestion pricing—a commitment of over twenty years—to enhance transit funding, reduce traffic, and secure New York City’s ability to thrive and grow, underscores how profoundly her contributions shape the city’s economic and social landscape.
Wylde will be presented with the Zuccotti Award at the 2025 Regional Plan Association Assembly, held at Pier 60 on Friday, May 2. More information about the Assembly is available on RPA’s website.
About Regional Plan Association
Regional Plan Association (RPA) is an independent non-profit organization that conducts research, planning, and advocacy to expand economic opportunity, environmental resiliency, improved health, and better quality of life in the New York metropolitan area. Since the 1920s, RPA has produced four landmark plans for the region. The most recent was released in November 2017. For more information, please visit www.rpa.org.
