From the Bronx to the Ballot: NYS Assembly Member Amanda Septimo on Leadership, Workforce Equity, and What’s Next for New York

In the final episode of the year of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J Morris sits down with NYS Assembly Member Amanda Septimo (AD-84) for a conversation about leadership rooted in community, workforce equity, and New York’s next political chapter.A lifelong Bronxite, AM Septimo reflects on her path from early organizing and community advocacy to elected office, and how her lived experience continues to inform her approach to policymaking. She shares what it means to lead with accountability to place, bringing the voices, needs, and aspirations of Bronx families directly into Albany, and how that grounding shapes her priorities around affordability, public health, education-to-career pathways, and workforce access for working adults.With Greg, AM Septimo digs into the often-overlooked role state policy plays in shaping New York City’s workforce system, from funding decisions and eligibility rules to the alignment (or misalignment) between city and state priorities. Together, they explore how workforce systems function as economic infrastructure and why access, equity, and mobility must remain central as New York navigates ongoing labor shortages, rising costs of living, and widening opportunity gaps.The conversation also looks ahead. Against the backdrop of a new mayoral administration, a shifting federal landscape, and AM Septimo’s recent announcement to run for Congress, they unpack what this moment of transition means for Bronx communities, city–state coordination, and the responsibility of workforce leaders, advocates, and policymakers to stay engaged as New York defines what comes next.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: leadership grounded in community; Bronx-rooted policymaking; workforce equity for working adults; affordability and economic mobility; education-to-career pathways; public health and local economic opportunity; city–state coordination; political transition and future leadership; staying engaged in shaping New York’s next chapter.