Diana Taylor (superintendent)

Diana Taylor
Taylor and Michael Bloomberg in 2006
42nd New York Superintendent of Banks
In office
June 10, 2003 – March 5, 2007
GovernorGeorge Pataki
Eliot Spitzer
Preceded byElizabeth McCaul
Succeeded byRichard H. Neiman
First Lady of New York City (de facto)
In role
January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Preceded byDonna Hanover
Succeeded byChirlane McCray
Personal details
Born
Diana Lancaster Taylor

(1955-02-06) February 6, 1955 (age 69)
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Domestic partnerMichael Bloomberg (2000–present)
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
Columbia University (MBA, MPH)

Diana Lancaster Taylor (born February 6, 1955) is an American business executive. She was the New York Superintendent of Banks from 2003 to 2007. Taylor was the First Lady of New York City from 2002 to 2013 through her domestic partnership with politician and businessperson Michael Bloomberg.[1]

Early life

Taylor was born in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] Taylor stated in an article in The New York Times: "Growing up, I imagined I would come to New York, get married, move to the suburbs and have kids. It just didn’t happen that way."[3]

Education

Taylor attended Greenwich Country Day School, where her mother was a teacher, from first through ninth grade. She spent one year at Milton Academy before graduating from Greenwich High School. She earned an A.B. in economics from Dartmouth College, an MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.[4]

Career

After graduating from Dartmouth, Taylor joined the New York City Department of Social Services.[2] While in business school, she worked nights and weekends as an administrator at St. Vincent's Hospital in Brooklyn and in the public finance department at Smith Barney.[2] She received an offer for a full-time job at Smith Barney upon graduation from Columbia.[2] She subsequently worked for Lehman Brothers and Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette.[2]

In 1996, Taylor became assistant secretary to then Governor George Pataki.[2] After briefly working for Keyspan Energy and serving as the chief financial officer of the Long Island Power Authority, she returned to the Pataki administration as deputy secretary.[2]

In May 2003, she became New York State superintendent of banks.[2]

In 2007, she become managing director at Wolfensohn Fund Management.[2]

Taylor serves on the boards of ACCION International and the YMCA of Greater New York,[2] as director of Citigroup and Brookfield Properties,[2] and as vice chairman of Solera Capital.[5]

In 2006, Taylor was also reportedly considered by the George W. Bush administration as a prospective nominee to serve as the Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), but was not appointed to the post.[6] Taylor considered running as a Republican in the 2010 United States Senate special election in New York against Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, but ultimately decided not to run.[6]

Personal life

Taylor[7][8] met Bloomberg at a Citizens Budget Commission event in 2000, where they were seated together. Since then, the couple has been together and she acted as an unofficial first lady for the city during Bloomberg's mayorship, joining him at social functions and campaigning with him. She has been frequently seen marching with him in parades citywide. During the 2005 New York City transit strike, Taylor stayed with Bloomberg in the city's Office of Emergency Management headquarters in Brooklyn each night of the strike. Taylor campaigned with Bloomberg during the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries in California, Utah, Arkansas and Alabama.[9]

In her civic life, Taylor serves on non-profit and corporate boards that include Hot Bread Kitchen, the International Women's Health Coalition, The New York Women's Foundation, YMCA of Greater New York, ACCION, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Sotheby's, Citigroup, Brookfield Properties and her alma mater Dartmouth[2] She changed her political party affiliation to the Democratic Party in 2018.[10]

References

  1. ^ La Ferla, Ruth (2013-12-27). "Her Term Is Up as Well". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Spiers, Elizabeth (September 30, 2011). "The First Lady of New York City: An Interview with Diana Taylor". The New York Observer. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  3. ^ La Ferla, Ruth (2013-12-27). "Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Companion, Diana Taylor, Gives a Rare Interview". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  4. ^ Forbes Profile: Diana L. Taylor
  5. ^ "Solera". Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  6. ^ a b Barbaro, Michael (2010-06-03). "A Mayor by Her Side, but Politics Woos Her, Too". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  7. ^ Givhan, Robin (6 February 2020). "Diana Taylor doesn't have a name for her relationship with Mike Bloomberg. She just wants him to win". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  8. ^ "The First Lady of New York City: An Interview with Diana Taylor". Observer. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  9. ^ Siegel, Benjamin and Garcia, Armando. (29 February 2020). "Bloomberg campaign plans 2,400 events in 30 states ahead of Super Tuesday." ABC News website Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. ^ Campanile, Carl (2019-11-16). "Michael Bloomberg's gal pal re-registered as Democrat last year". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
Civic offices
Preceded by New York Superintendent of Banks
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by First Lady of New York City
2002–2013 		Succeeded by