Udai Tambar named to New York’s racial justice advisory board

Indian American executive “excited to partner with the new Advisory Board to represent NYC’s most resilient communities”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has appointed Indian American executive Udai Tambar to a newly launched advisory board on implementation of the Racial Justice Charter Amendments, voted into law during the November 2022 general election.

The 15-member advisory board will help ensure the city continues to lead the nation in innovative, racial equity work and carries out the city’s newly enshrined charter changes, according to an April 17 announcement from the Mayor’s office.

Read: Udai Tambar to serve as Director of Children and Youth Services in the de Blasio administration (February 21, 2014)

Tambar is currently the President & CEO of New York Junior Tennis & Learning, the largest nonprofit youth tennis and education program in the nation, serving 85,000 K-12 NYC youth.

He has devoted much of his career to serving youth and most recently served as Vice President of Community Health at Northwell Health, according to his official bio.

He has previously served as Chief of Staff and Director of Youth & Children Services for the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and as the Executive Director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community.

“Our city has come a long way in the fight for racial justice, but there is still much more work to do to end systemic inequity,” said Adams.

“We are proud to announce the launch of this advisory board, which will help us apply the critical actions needed to these important initiatives. We are fully committed to advancing equity for New Yorkers from all backgrounds and walks of life.”

“I am excited to partner with the new Advisory Board to represent NYC’s most resilient communities,” said Tambar. “A majority of the families we serve at NYJTL are BIPOC New Yorkers, and it is crucial that this new racial equity infrastructure ensures that they live in a society where they can flourish and achieve their fullest potential.”

The charter amendments — the first of their kind in the nation — added a statement of values to the city’s charter; required the city to establish a racial equity office and commission, as well as racial equity focused plans; and called for the city to measure the true cost of living for city residents, according to an official release.

The advisory board will bring together 15 diverse leaders with significant experience successfully implementing large-scale change within government and with a proven commitment to racial equity.

Read: Indian-Origin CEO On Racial Justice Advisory Board In U.S. (April 24, 2023)

In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Equity, these leaders will tackle the structure, design, and development of the new, forthcoming office and commission, as well as the citywide racial equity plans and the true cost of living measure.

The Mayor’s Office of Equity will convene monthly meetings with the advisory board to advise on these key priorities, as well as additional areas, including institutional reform to uphold and advance the New York City charter changes and recommendations for engaging New Yorkers.

They will also focus on creating a process for reporting the true cost of living measure and suggesting ways to apply this information, the release stated.