Behind Bill De Blasio’s Inauguration Ceremony

by Natasha Wolff | December 31, 2013 11:12 am

As Chairwoman of New York’s Mayoral Inauguration January 1, the President of Haskell Jewels (the company that owns Miriam Haskell[1] and Robert Lee Morris[2]) is charged with programming the city’s most anticipated event. Below, Gabrielle Fialkoff gives us the play-by-play.

December 26

A year ago today, I was running a jewelry company and in my ninth month of mommyhood and thought life couldn’t get any busier. Isn’t there some kind of Murphy’s Law that advises us not to have such thoughts? If not, there should be.

Life sure has gotten busier, thanks in large part to my good friend, Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio. Last month I was named to Chair his Inauguration and now the only thing I’m not doing is sitting still!

December 27

Working on the program today. It’s my job to make sure the overall theme of the Inaugural Ceremony is in line with the Mayor-Elect’s themes for governing. It needs to be open, progressive and represent as wide a group of New Yorkers as possible. And, oh yeah—it has to be fun and entertaining! Luckily, I’ve had a fantastic Inaugural Committee to work with, and I think we’ve managed to put together a program that will wow New Yorkers.

December 28

Today we’re announcing that Hillary and Bill Clinton will attend the ceremony and the former President will actually swear the Mayor-Elect in[3]. It’s particularly meaningful to me: The last campaign I served as finance director of was Hillary’s first Senate run, where Bill de Blasio was the campaign manager. I think you call this coming full circle.

December 29

This is when it turns to pure logistics. We’ve got 5,000 people coming to City Hall in three days, three elected officials to swear in, and things not running smoothly is just not an option. These are the days you wake up in a panic at 5 a.m. from that dream that where no one had chairs and the microphones weren’t working and in the blink of an eye it’s 5 p.m.! We’ve got a good team, though and my event brain is on overdrive. Even my daughter’s getting into the planning!

MORE:

Casual Conversations with Ralph Nader[4]
Could Meghan McCain be the New Face of the Republican Party?[5]
The Secret History behind the National Enquirer [6]

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