Policy, Power & Pathways: A Conversation with Teresa Gonzalez

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, NYCETC CEO Gregory J. Morris sits down with Teresa Gonzalez, partner at Bolton-St. Johns and principal at DalyGonzalez Consulting, for a candid, pragmatic conversation about what it takes to build a healthier, more affordable New York where workforce is the throughline across every policy area.Teresa traces her journey from a Puerto Rican kid growing up in Williamsburg to roles at the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, and into values-aligned government relations work. She opens up about why she prioritizes directness with clients, the power of structure and coalition-building, and how her portfolio keeps her anchored to impact.With Greg, she reframes workforce development as the scaffolding of a city: a cradle-to-later-life system that ties affordability, small business vitality, immigration, arts and culture, and economic mobility together. The two dig into what happens when that scaffolding breaks down, how to make workforce legible to elected officials, and why advocates should help leaders refine agendas rather than just pitch ideas. They also look ahead to City Hall’s next chapter—what an incoming mayor and Council leadership will need, how the New Majority changed representation (and why it matters for policy), and the wins a workforce-first agenda can deliver.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: workforce as economic scaffolding; coalition strategy; values-aligned lobbying; arts, immigration, and small business linkages; affordability and mobility; City Hall transitions; New Majority & Council leadership; truth-telling in advocacy; cradle-to-career/later-life training