NYC Gazette

The City University of New York (CUNY) has appointed Sascha Owen as senior vice chancellor for strategy and policy implementation. Owen, a former top official in the offices of the New York City Comptroller and the Manhattan Borough President, joins CUNY from Pursuit, an organization that aids low-income New Yorkers in accessing career pathways in the tech industry.

Owen’s appointment was approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees and is effective August 19.

“Sascha Owen is a talented leader with an impressive record as a strategist, problem-solver and innovator. She will be an outstanding addition to CUNY’s senior leadership at a transformational time for our University,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “With her impressive resume in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Sascha brings the demonstrated experience and commitment to help fulfill CUNY’s mission of educating New Yorkers of all backgrounds and lifting our city and state.”

Owen’s responsibilities will include oversight of the Chancellor’s office, government affairs, University advancement, and executive search. She will also play a leadership role as a member of the Chancellor’s executive team, supervising projects that require interdepartmental collaboration and assisting the Chancellor in meeting the goals of the University’s 2023-2030 strategic roadmap, CUNY Lifting New York.

“It is an honor to support the vision and work of Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and the outstanding team at CUNY,” said Owen. “CUNY is core to the fabric of New York City, uplifting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers regardless of where they started and helping drive its economy, diversity and generations of leaders. I am thrilled to play a role in meeting CUNY’s mission and strategic goals.”

Owen served as chief of staff in the New York City comptroller’s office from 2014 to 2021. In that role, she oversaw 16 bureaus as well as public and external affairs, executive office operations, advocacy, communications, and relations with city, state, and federal government. In developing strategy for legislative and policy initiatives, Owen led advocacy that resulted in significant changes such as overhauling the New York City Housing Authority’s inventory management system; securing city funding to expand arts education in public schools; implementing a successful ballot proposal to place a chief diversity officer in every city agency; and passing legislation prohibiting discrimination against women-, minority-, and LGBTQ-owned firms bidding on city contracts. She also negotiated changes to guide investments for the city’s $260 billion pension system.

As deputy chief of staff and director of intergovernmental affairs in the Manhattan Borough President’s Office from 2007 to 2013, Owen managed relations with elected officials at various levels of government.

In her recent role as senior vice president for policy and external affairs at Pursuit over the past year, Owen oversaw engagement with policymakers, business associations, nonprofits, key employers, forging partnerships to expand opportunities for low-income New Yorkers. She also worked with Doordash in 2022 as senior manager for government relations across New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.

A lifelong New Yorker with academic credentials including a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Oberlin College majoring in religion along with Judaic and Near Eastern studies.

CUNY is recognized as one of America’s largest urban public universities founded in 1847. It serves more than 233,000 undergraduate and graduate students across its campuses located within NYC's five boroughs while awarding approximately 50,000 degrees annually.