Howard Singer

*** Serves as a guest speaker in the Chief of Staff Certification Partnership Program with the Chief of Staff Association ***

Howard Singer is a senior executive advisor and Chief of Staff–level leader with more than 25 years of experience operating at the intersection of public safety leadership, government operations, and enterprise strategy. He most recently served as Senior Advisor to the First Deputy Mayor of New York City—the second-highest executive in the nation’s largest municipal government—supporting oversight of a workforce of more than 350,000 employees and a $100 billion budget.

In this role, Singer served as a strategic partner across a multi-agency public safety portfolio, helping align operational priorities, manage enterprise risk, and coordinate leadership across organizations responsible for protecting more than 8 million residents.

Previously, Singer served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Correction serving as a strategic advisor to two Correction Commissioners overseeing a 9,000 member work force. Singer also served as an executive advisor within the New York City Police Department, where he supported the second-in-command of a 56,000-person department, including approximately 35,000 sworn personnel. In these roles, he helped translate executive priorities into operational execution, coordinated interagency initiatives, and supported senior leadership in navigating legislative oversight, regulatory scrutiny, and high-visibility public safety challenges. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the National Policing Institute.

Singer began his career on the front lines of public safety, serving as a police officer with the City of Miami, the City of Philadelphia, and the New York City Police Department, where he started as a patrol officer and ultimately rose into executive advisory roles supporting top city leadership, including the Office of the First Deputy Mayor.

Singer was awarded the New York City Police Commissioner Graduate Scholarship. He holds a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University and a Chief of Staff Association Executive Certification from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. Singer brings a unique perspective to the evolving role of Chiefs of Staff in public safety—bridging frontline experience with enterprise governance, strategy, and executive decision-making.