Rafael Espinal announced as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment

Watch Rafael Espinal announced as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment - New York Post on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Thank you so much. And now, our Commissioner, Rafael Espinal.

00:09Good morning. My name is Rafael Espinal, and I'm honored to serve as the next Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media Entertainment.

00:15Thank you, Mayor Mondomini, for this incredible opportunity to help build a city that every New Yorker,

00:20no matter whether you're on your way to become the next Tom Cruise or you're on a set as a grip, you can afford to live in.

00:27I grew up in East New York in the 90s. Films and television were my escape.

00:32They transported me to new worlds, and they made me want to create new worlds of my own for my friends and family.

00:39So I started making short films when I was 13 years old.

00:42But growing up on the edges of our city, I didn't see a clear pipeline into a real career in the creative industries.

00:47And I heard the same message too often. You need a plan B if you want to afford to live in this city.

00:52So life pulled me in other directions, and I'm proud of the work that I've done along the way in the New York State Assembly,

00:59in the City Council, and at the Freelancers Union, fighting to make it easier for working New Yorkers,

01:04especially creative workers, to make ends meet and build stability.

01:10Still, I've asked myself more than once, what would my life look like if I believed early on that my passion could be my profession?

01:17That question and energy is part of what I'm bringing into this role.

01:21As commissioner, I'll work to keep New York the creative capital of the world,

01:25not just a place where great work gets made, but a place where the people who make that work can actually live in.

01:31To do that, I'll prioritize partnership with the amazing labor unions, with the industries and partners in the state,

01:36to secure and expand good-paying union jobs, and to strengthen the ecosystem that makes the city the global standard.

01:42I'll work across the creative sectors to ensure New York remains the premier place to create,

01:47while widening the pathways so that the next generation and the communities too often shut out

01:52can access training, opportunities, benefits, and the resources to tell their stories.

01:57I wanted to join Mandami's administration because of its whole-of-government approach to affordability.

02:02Because if New York is unaffordable, we don't just lose residents, we lose our culture.

02:07And as a proud of some Dominican immigrants born and raised in Brooklyn, being able to marry my work with my passion is a dream come true.

02:15So thank you again, Mr. Mayor, for this opportunity.

02:17I want to thank the Deputy Mayor, Julie Su, and thank you to my family and my friends who are here with me today

02:23for supporting me every step of the way.

02:25I want to thank my former team at the Freelancers Union, who also joined us.

02:28Thank you for your work.

02:30I also want to thank the outgoing commissioner, Pat Kaufman, for her work over the years.

02:34And also, Rich and Samsung Studios Stages for having us here today.

02:41MOM has a critical role to play in delivering an affordability agenda for creatives, and I'm ready to get to work.