Kathryn Wylde, the influential leader of the Partnership for New York City, announced her retirement on Thursday after more than four decades with the pro-business lobby group. Wylde, 79, joined the organization in 1982 and became CEO of the non-profit in 2011. Throughout her tenure, Wylde has been a strong advocate for reducing bureaucracy to encourage investment in New York City.
She has worked with both Democratic and Republican administrations to promote business-friendly policies. Before her retirement, Wylde cautioned against limiting workarounds to the SALT cap, such as pass-through entity taxes (PTET), which could force companies and high earners to pay billions more in deductions to the state. The elimination of PTET deductibility for partnerships and LLCs was included in a Trump-backed legislative bill passed by the House.
“New York is a very high tax state right now, and depending on what happens with the federal tax bill, things could get worse,” Wylde said. Wylde plans to retire in June 2026 once a recruitment process for her successor is complete. She emphasized that she will not be “going out to pasture” and intends to remain engaged in the challenges faced by the city.
Wylde advocates for lower taxes
“I will be writing op-eds that drive everybody crazy,” she said. “I will be able to say anything I want!”
Reflecting on her accomplishments, Wylde highlighted the construction of 40,000 units of home ownership housing across the five boroughs between 1983 and 1985 as her “biggest personal accomplishment.” She also spearheaded the “We Love NYC” campaign, urging businesses and residents to help the city recover from recent challenges.
Wylde’s Partnership has been critical of tax increases on the wealthy, warning that they could lead to a significant loss of economic activity and revenue as companies relocate. Her concerns were validated when an estimated 125,000 high-income New Yorkers left for Florida, resulting in a $14 billion loss in income, according to a recent Citizen Budget Commission report. “There’s been a significant out-migration of high earners and we’ve lost their tax revenues, but the biggest danger is the migration of jobs,” she said.
Wylde’s influence extends beyond the business community, as she has worked behind the scenes to bring congestion pricing to New York City and reportedly lobbied the Trump administration to reconsider its stance on the controversial tolls. As Wylde prepares to step down, she believes it is time for younger leadership to take the reins at the Partnership for New York City. She will assist in finding a successor to continue the organization’s mission of managing a civic-minded investment fund and research arm.
Kathryn Wylde’s retirement marks the end of an era for the Partnership for New York City and highlights the ongoing transitions within New York’s power structures. Her legacy of advocating for the city’s business environment and her significant contributions to its growth and recovery will continue to resonate as she enters retirement.