By
Alair Townsend became publisher of Crain's New York Business in February 1989. Crain's New York Business is a weekly newspaper covering the New York City economy and business community and the regional, national and international factors that affect them.
This appointment follows a public service career in New York and Washington, D.C. Townsend served as New York City's deputy mayor for finance and economic development from February 1985 to January 1989. As deputy mayor she was responsible for formulating and guiding the city's policies to encourage economic growth and the creation of jobs.
She played a key role in the negotiations to keep NBC and Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City as well as in developing incentive programs to retain scores of smaller firms. Townsend is a native of Elmira, N.Y., a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Elmira College, and holds a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin.
Before coming to New York City, she served in Washington, D.C. Among her posts were: associate director of the budget committee of the House of Representatives; assistant secretary for management and budget of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she was responsible for the administration of that agency's then $250-billion-a-year budget; and staff director of the subcommittee on fiscal policy of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress.
She is a former governor of the American Stock Exchange, a former director of Fay's Inc., a current director of Armor Holdings Inc., and a member of the Board of Overseers of TIAA-CREF.
She is chairman of the American Woman's Economic Development Corp. and former chair of the Exploring program of the Greater New York Councils, and the Leadership Committee of the Lincoln Center Consolidated Corporate Fund.
