New York, New York - New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced a string of appointments just days away from his inauguration on January 1.

Mamdani has appointed NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga to serve as his administration's deputy mayor of health and human services.

In her new role, Arteaga will oversee New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Social Services, Department for the Aging, Department of Veterans Services, Department of Youth and Children’s Services, Health + Hospitals, and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

"Effective, principled leadership is found in those who refuse to lose sight of the communities they came from. That is the leadership I see in our new Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Helen Arteaga," Mamdani said in a statement.

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"New Yorkers deserve a working-class champion like Helen in City Hall, someone who is willing to work around the clock to protect and strengthen our city’s commitment to essential social services."

Also on Tuesday, Mamdani nominated Steven Banks as corporation counsel, a position that would see him at the helm of the New York City Law Department.

Banks previously served as attorney-in-chief of the Legal Aid Society and commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services.

Ramzi Kassem, a White House senior policy advisor to former President Joe Biden, will serve as chief counsel – top legal advisor to the mayor – in the Mamdani administration.

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Kassem is the founding director of Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) Project at the CUNY School of Law, which provides legal support to Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and other communities targeted by local, state, or federal government agencies under the guise of national security and counterterrorism.

"The rule-of-law is the bedrock of good governance, effective leadership, and a city that works for working people," Mamdani said.

"With Steve Banks and Ramzi Kassem as my Corporations and Chief Counsel, our City will not only operate in accordance with the law, but will understand and employ it as a critical tool in the fight for working people and to protect their safety and fundamental freedoms."

As he gears up to become mayor of the nation's largest city, Mamdani has tapped poet, playwright, and musician Cornelius Eady to serve as the inaugural poet during the January 1 afternoon ceremony.

Eady has written several collections of poetry, including Hardheaded Weather, The Gathering of My Name, Victims of the Latest Dance Craze, and Brutal Imagination, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He is also the co-founder of Cave Canem, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black poets.

"A true poet does more than conjure rhymes or compose in carefully measured meter – they tell the truth about the world we live in," Mamdani said in a press release.

"Cornelius Eady has that rare gift. He has four decades writing about the parts of life too often ignored. It is an honor to have him as our inaugural poet, and l am grateful that he chose to write something new for this occasion," the mayor-elect continued.

"As we work to build a New York where every voice is heard, it is a privilege to usher in this moment with a poet who has dedicated his career to that very work."

During the inauguration ceremony, Eady will read an original poem entitled Proof written specifically for the occasion.

"I am thrilled and honored to be invited to be the Inaugural Poet by Mayor Zohran Mamdani," Eady said. "His election to office was the brightest spot in an otherwise troubled political year, and my poem will hopefully serve as a reflection and celebration of the hard but joyful work that so many people put in to make this moment happen."

Mamdani will be sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James in a private ceremony on January 1 at midnight. A public ceremony will take place at 1 PM at City Hall.