Penny Abeywardena
Penny Abeywardena | |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of International Affairs | |
| In office September 2014 – January 2022 | |
| Mayor | Bill Di Blasio |
| Preceded by | Marjorie B. Tiven |
| Succeeded by | Edward Mermelstein |
| Personal details | |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) Columbia University (MIA |
Penny Abeywardena is an American foreign policy advisor and non-profit executive who previously served as the New York City Commissioner for International Affairs from 2014 to 2022.[1]
Early life and education
Abeywardena was born in Sri Lanka. At four years old, along with her family, she fled the civil war to the United States. Her family settled in Los Angeles, California.[2]
Career
After graduating from the University of Southern California, Abeywardena worked at Human Rights Watch. Later, she earned a graduate degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. After graduation, Abeywardena joined the Drum Major Institute. Abeywardena was later the Director of Girls and Women Integration at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).[3]
De Blasio administrations
In September 2014, Abeywardena was appointed as the commissioner of international affairs by Mayor Bill de Blasio , making her the first woman of color and immigrant to serve in the role.[4] In 2017, she was named by the French American Foundation as a Young Leader.[5] Abeywardena left her role in 2022.
After leaving New York City government, Abeywardena founded Soft Power Strategies (SPS). She was named a Fellow-in-Residence at NYU’s McSilver Institute.[6]
In 2023, Abeywardena joined Forbes as a contributor writing on leadership strategies and soft power.[7][8][9]
References
- ^ pascalem (2017-09-29). "September 29, 2017: THE MISSION CONTINUES". MetroFocus. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
- ^ "She Fled Sri Lanka When She Was 4. Now She's a City Leader". New York Times. 7 October 2021.
- ^ "De Blasio commissioner worked closely with Hillary Clinton on women's rights". New York Daily News. 8 February 2015.
- ^ "Penny Abeywardena Joins the de Blasio Administration as the Head of the Office of International Affairs". Philanthropy New York. 16 September 2014.
- ^ "French-American Foundation announces 2017 'Young Leaders'". The HIll. 27 June 2017.
- ^ "NYU McSilver Institute Announces 2024 Fellows-in-Residence". New York University. 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Penny Abeywardena". Forbes.
- ^ Abeywardena, Penny. "The Superpower (aka Soft Power) Of DEI". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
- ^ Abeywardena, Penny. "TDiane Von Furstenberg Unwraps Soft Power". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-12-09.