Speakers

Michael J. Garner, MBA, was appointed New York City’s first Chief Business Diversity Officer by Mayor Eric Adams on February 16, 2023.   Mr. Garner formerly served as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), State of New York. His tenure at the MTA spanned 14 years from February 2009 through February 2023 and prior to that served as the Senior Director, Business Development at the NYC School Construction Authority. Crain’s New York Business honored Mr. Garner in 2021, as its inaugural Chief Diversity Officer of the Year and referred to him as the Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky of MWBE. He is a diversity champion, making it his personal and professional mission to create a more diverse business environment wherever he’s been.

By changing New York City’s/New York State’s Legislative Laws and creating new innovative Minority Business programming, Mr. Garner and his teams at the City of New York, the MTA and the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA), have been responsible for more than $41 billion in contracts and payments to New York State/City Minority and Women-owned Businesses. In addition, during his tenure at the MTA, he and his team increased the hiring of Blacks, Hispanics and Asians by 20%, across the MTA’s six different operating agencies.