Jay Carson

Executive Director, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; Senior Advisor, Bloomberg Philanthropies

In November 2010, Carson began serving in his current positions as the Executive Director for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Senior Advisor to Bloomberg Philanthropies, Michael Bloomberg's venue for charitable giving.

It was recently announced that Carson is stepping down as the Executive Director of the C40 in the spring of 2013, at which time he will continue his work as a senior advisor to Bloomberg Philanthropies. C40 Chair, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg stated: “Under his leadership and management C40 has made tremendous strides. He will be hard to replace, but we now have a strong management team in place and solid organizational structure that will carry this mission forward.”

Chief Deputy Mayor, City of Los Angeles

In early 2009, Carson joined Shangri La Industries in Los Angeles as the Senior Vice President where he was responsible for promoting and developing sustainable, eco-friendly products., In September of that same year, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Carson to the position of Chief Deputy Mayor as part of the Mayor’s broader effort to refocus his office during his second and final term. After Carson’s arrival, Villaraigosa replaced then Deputy Mayor S. David Freeman who was in charge of environmental matters with Austin Beutner, who served as both the first deputy mayor and as interim head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The new team embarked on a series of initiatives, including efforts to revamp the teams devoted to education, business, and lobbying the federal government. Carson also worked on the mayor’s effort to jump-start construction of his proposed "subway to the sea" and other transportation initiatives. In September 2010, Carson announced his plans to step down from his position as Chief Deputy Mayor at the end of the month stating, “The mayor brought me in to effect specific change in his office. I worked as hard as I could at his direction to make that change, and I’m proud of the job that I did.”

Press Secretary, Hillary Clinton 2008 Presidential Campaign

After spending several years as the Communications Director at the Clinton Foundation, Carson served as the Press Secretary for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. He traveled with Secretary Clinton throughout the campaign and was the on-the-record spokesman for the traveling press corps, the senior briefer for the candidate and the substantive liaison between headquarters and the traveling party. In addition to serving as the main spokesperson for the campaign, he was a senior advisor to then-Senator Clinton providing day-to-day counsel.

Communications Director, William J. Clinton Foundation

In August 2005, Carson was named the Communications Director for the William J. Clinton Foundation—President Clinton's international non-profit organization based in New York City—where he was responsible for overseeing media relations and serving as a senior advisor to the former President. In this capacity, Carson helped shape some of the Foundation’s signature programs including the Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Climate Initiative while also working with President Clinton on AIDS treatment, rural development, and the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

Early Career and Education

Carson’s career as a senior-level policy advisor and strategist began in 1998 working on Senator Charles Schumer's successful upset Senate campaign in 1998 and Bill Bradley's presidential campaign in 2000. Carson then served as the Deputy Communications Director for Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. While with Senator Daschle, Carson was a member of the Senator's senior staff and worked closely with the legislative and policy teams. Carson also helped lead two successful recount efforts—one in 2000 and another in 2002 for Senators Cantwell (Washington) and Landrieu (Louisiana). Carson left the Leadership’s Office to become the Press Secretary for Governor Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign—the first major campaign to utilize the Internet for mass fundraising and volunteer organizing. After the Dean campaign, Jay worked as a Senior Advisor to New York City’s 2012 Olympic Games bid and Mayor Bloomberg’s Administration, focusing on approval of an NFL/Olympic stadium in Manhattan.

Carson received his B.A. from Columbia University in New York City, and has served as an Adjunct Professor at USC’s Annenberg School and Senior Fellow at UCLA’s School of Public Affairs.

Personal life

Carson is married to the playwright and screenwriter Sarah Treem, and they have one son. Carson currently lives with his family in Los Angeles, California.

Awards and Honors