Future of the City: Conversation with DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard

Join the Museum of the City of New York as we commemorate 400+ years of New York City with Future of the City: Conversations with NYC Commissioners to learn about the role and services of key NYC departments. Hear from Keith Howard, Commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development about the future of Youth Development and Workforce initiatives and policies, and the challenges facing NYC in 2025 in a moderated discussion with local NYC journalists.

Co-Presented by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.

About the Speaker:

Keith Howard was appointed Commissioner of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) by Mayor Eric Adams in June 2022. Commissioner Howard formerly served as NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Sidewalk Inspection Management Division. He also was an Adjunct Professor at Queens College and the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies. Commissioner Howard has dedicated 30 years of his professional career to public service and held various senior level positions in New York City government.

While education and career are priorities in his life, there are more layers. As a child, he was taught by his parents about the importance of service to the community. So, in the summer of 2002, Commissioner Howard started the non-profit Harlem Group. The organization sponsored health fairs with government agencies and community-based organizations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. In collaboration with Health Plus Incorporated, the Harlem Group successfully enrolled over 100 families in free health care programs underwritten by the New York State government.

As a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first Black Greek fraternity, Commissioner Howard has seen the need to build on the fraternity and a commitment to community service by creating a non-profit organization called Servants of All (SOA). For ten years, SOA has escorted more than 700 underprivileged high school and middle school students on college tours to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The goal of the tours is to bring college awareness to students who may not have the resources or access to visit college campuses across the country.

Commissioner Howard is married and the father of two young adults. He is a proud alumnus of John Jay College, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree as well as a master’s degree in public administration.

Event Logistics (subject to changed based on NYC regulations):

• Please contact programs@mcny.org with any questions or ticketing issues.
• All sales are final; refunds not permitted. Exchanges and credit for future programs only. Programs and dates may be subject to change. 

General Admission $15, Members $10