Catherine Almonte Da Costa Wikipedia, Biography, Age, Appointment, Resignation, Education, Career, Salary, Net Worth, Husband, Family

admin

Catherine Almonte Da Costa is a political strategist and social impact executive who briefly served as the Director of Appointments for the incoming administration of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in December 2025. Her professional background includes significant roles in both the public and private sectors.

She previously worked in the administration of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, specifically contributing to the NYC Census 2020 team, and held the position of Global Head of Equity and Impact at the auction house Sotheby’s. In her work, she has been described as a strategist focused on the intersection of art, equity, and community.

In mid-December 2025, Da Costa became the subject of significant media attention following her appointment to lead personnel recruitment for City Hall. One day after her appointment was announced, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) publicized a series of social media posts Da Costa had made between 2011 and 2012. These posts contained language that was widely condemned as antisemitic, including the use of offensive tropes regarding Jewish people and wealth.

Following the disclosure of these posts, Da Costa immediately resigned from her position in the Mamdani administration. In her resignation statement, she expressed deep remorse and apologized for the harm caused by her past words, stating they were not indicative of who she is today. She noted that she is now the mother of Jewish children and is married to a Jewish spouse. Mayor-elect Mamdani accepted her resignation, citing her expression of regret and the distraction the controversy would cause to the transition.

Early Life and Background

Dominican Roots and New York Upbringing

Catherine Almonte Da Costa was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States at a young age. She was raised in New York City, an experience she has frequently cited as central to her professional ethos.

Heritage and Identity

Da Costa often identifies as a “disruptor” and organizer, grounding her work in her identity as a woman of color. She has spoken publicly about the challenges of navigating elite spaces—such as fine art institutions and city government—while maintaining a commitment to the communities she comes from.

Education

While Catherine Almonte Da Costa has held senior executive roles that typically require advanced education, specific details regarding her university degrees and alma mater are not publicly disclosed in open-source records.

Professional Career

Catherine Almonte Da Costa’s career is characterized by a “revolving door” between high-stakes public sector roles and private sector social impact leadership.

Early Political Work and The Broad Room

Da Costa began her career in the trenches of New York City politics. She founded and served as the Managing Director of The Broad Room, an organization dedicated to training women activists. In this role, she focused on empowering women to enter political spaces, providing them with the tools to organize and advocate effectively.

Brooklyn Museum

Transitioning into the cultural sector, Da Costa served as the Director of Government and Community Relations at the Brooklyn Museum. Here, she worked to bridge the gap between a historically elite art institution and the diverse Brooklyn community it resides in. Her work involved managing relationships with local government officials and ensuring the museum’s programming resonated with local residents.

NYC Census 2020

One of her most significant public sector achievements occurred during the de Blasio administration, where she served as the Deputy Director for Communications for NYC Census 2020.

Role: She was part of the city’s massive mobilization effort to ensure an accurate count of New York City’s population.

Sotheby’s

Following her work with the city, Da Costa moved to the private sector, taking on a high-profile role at Sotheby’s as the Glbal Head of Equity and Impact.

Responsibilities: She led the auction house’s global efforts to foster diversity and inclusion within the art market, a famously exclusive industry.
Initiatives: She steered comprehensive endeavors to diversify the workforce and the artists represented, viewing art as a vehicle for systemic transformation.

Zohran Mamdani Administration (2025)

On December 17, 2025, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Da Costa as his incoming Director of Appointments.

The Mandate: In this critical role, she was tasked with leading the recruitment strategy for City Hall, effectively acting as the gatekeeper for thousands of municipal jobs.
Resignation: On December 18, 2025, just 24 hours after her appointment, Da Costa resigned amid controversy over past social media activity.

Controversy and Resignation

The ADL Report

On December 18, 2025, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New York/New Jersey publicized a series of posts from Da Costa’s Twitter (now X) account dating back to 2011 and 2012. The posts, written when Da Costa was approximately 19 years old, contained language widely condemned as antisemitic.

Specifics: The posts included references to “money hungry Jews,” “rich Jewish peeps,” and referred to a train line as “the Jew train.” Other posts reportedly contained derogatory language toward the NYPD (“piggies”).

Public Apology and Exit

Da Costa acted swiftly following the report. She deleted the social media account and tendered her resignation to Mayor-elect Mamdani.

Statement: In her apology, she stated, “These statements are not indicative of who I am. As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused.”
Mayor’s Response: Mayor-elect Mamdani accepted the resignation, noting that while Da Costa had expressed “deep remorse,” the distraction would hinder the transition’s work.

Personal Life

Husband and Family

Catherine Almonte Da Costa is married to Ricky M. Da Costa, a prominent figure in New York City government.

Ricky Da Costa serves as the Deputy Comptroller for Public Affairs in the office of NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.

Ricky Da Costa is Jewish. Following the controversy involving his wife, he publicly defended her growth, stating that the tweets from her teenage years did not reflect the person she had become.

The couple has two children, whom they are raising in the Jewish faith.

Net Worth

While Catherine Almonte Da Costa’s exact net worth is not publicly disclosed, her career trajectory suggests a high earning potential.

Based on comparable NYC executive roles, her annual income likely falls in the range of $150,000 to $250,000, though this is an estimate and not a confirmed figure.

Physical Status

Height: Not publicly disclosed.
Weight: Not publicly disclosed.
Eye Color: Dark Brown.
Hair Color: Black.

Conclusion

Catherine Almonte Da Costa’s biography is a complex narrative of professional success and public accountability. From her roots in the Dominican Republic to the halls of Sotheby’s and City Hall, she proved herself as a capable administrator and advocate for equity. However, her career also serves as a high-profile example of how digital footprints from the past can impact modern political careers. Despite her resignation from the Mamdani administration, her expertise in social impact and her deep ties to New York’s political infrastructure suggest she will likely remain an active voice in the city’s civic life.

FAQs

Who is Catherine Almonte Da Costa?

Catherine Almonte Da Costa is a political strategist and social impact executive who has worked for the NYC Census 2020, Sotheby’s, and briefly for the Zohran Mamdani mayoral administration.