Stephanie Pasquale Credit: Courtesy of Stephanie Pasquale

Updated on August 5th, 2026

Stephanie returned to Syracuse City Hall in January 2026 as the Chief Strategy Officer for Mayor Sharon Owens, after a six-year tenure as the Director for Neighborhood Development for the Allyn Family Foundation.  In this new role, Stephanie oversees the Departments of Neighborhood and Business Development, Bureau of Research, Constituent Services, and the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence.

Formerly, Stephanie served as Syracuse’s Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development where she was responsible for oversight of the Department’s five divisions and 75+ employees that carried out the delivery of a wide variety of affordable housing, economic development, and community development activities, including the administration of over $15 million in federal, state, and local funding annually. 

Stephanie has held several nonprofit affordable housing and community development finance positions at Home HeadQuarters, Worcester Community Housing Resources, and the United Way of Central New York.  Stephanie earned her Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Policy Studies from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, where she has served as an adjunct faculty member for more than 10 years.  She serves on several community boards including Blueprint 15, the Central Current, the Housing + Homeless Coalition, Jubilee Homes, and the Early Childhood Alliance. Stephanie lives in Syracuse with her husband, two daughters, and beloved pup. year-round.  

Julie McMahon is the former editor-in-chief of Central Current. She's lived and worked in Syracuse as a reporter, editor and professor of journalism for more than a decade.