After Six Years at NYC & Co., Helping Companies Come to New York City
No candidates on their client roster, but many political relationships at Nicholas Lence
February 11th, 2008
When Hornblower Yachts submitted a bid to the National Park Service for the right to ferry passengers to and from the Statue of Liberty, the San Francisco-based company sought out help navigating Gotham political waters.
Like many other companies, they turned to Nicholas Lence.
“They needed to get ingrained in the fabric of the city,” partner George Lence said.
Making introductions, organizing relationships, providing media and government affairs assistance—these are the hallmarks of what Nicholas Lence does.
As they do, Lence and Cristyne Nicholas rely on skills and relationships built up during their six years at the helm of NYC & Co., and other roles in and around New York government.
Before spending six years as the number two at the city’s tourism agency, NYC & Co., Lence worked as an Albany lobbyist for then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and before that as a State Senate staffer. Cristyne Nicholas, who was NYC & Co. president, was Giuliani’s press secretary both on the campaign and at City Hall.
Combined, Nicholas said, they are able to take her communications experience and Lence’s government affairs experience to provide businesses with a way to get into the New York City market.
“New York can be a daunting place for someone not from New York,” Nicholas said.
Much of their work includes arranging introductions to local reporters and politicians and arranging meetings with local companies. Their background in tourism has encouraged them to specialize in the hospitality industry, but they also work with other businesses and groups, like the Greater New York Hospital Association, which turned to the firm for help promoting medical education.
But they also do work beyond the city. Not only are they involved with the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau in dealings with New York, but they are helping Boston tourism officials navigate the Japanese tourism market—a pressing need to a city whose Red Sox have signed pitcher Daisuke Matsuzka, and are playing their first game of the 2008 season in Tokyo.
Sports is a part of the Nicholas-Lence practice. Nicholas’ husband, Nick, a veteran golf writer, runs the firm’s sports branch. Nicholas said the sports practice grew out of an interest in sports by both her and Lence, whose father was a boxing promoter.
The pair was involved in the Olympic bid and the West Side Stadium project while at the tourism agency. They are currently representing the World Police and Fire Games which will be played in New York in 2011.
Others at the firm include Natasha Caputo, another NYC & Co. alumna who serves as chief marketing officer, former WNBC anchor Jane Hanson, who advises clients on television media relations, Maria Pignataro, a former spokeswoman for Elizabeth Taylor and Jersey City Mayor Jerry Healy, who works on media relations.
But though they have gotten the firm involved with many different things, and though they have very political backgrounds themselves, Nicholas and Lence have steered clear of politics. Candidates have approached them for help, but they have declined, citing the trouble this would create for other aspects of their business.
“We do not do politics at all,” Nicholas said. “Once you dabble in politics it will be hard to attract the not-for-profits.”
And that avoidance of politics meant, they said, that the firm would not be impacted by the implosion of their former boss’s presidential campaign. Instead, they have been able to keep focused on their non-profit and corporate clients, for which all the relationships they have been careful to nurture are a constant boon.
“The thing we do best is networking,” Nicholas said. “We can do introductions.”
Photo by Andrew Schwartz.
Like many other companies, they turned to Nicholas Lence.
“They needed to get ingrained in the fabric of the city,” partner George Lence said.
Making introductions, organizing relationships, providing media and government affairs assistance—these are the hallmarks of what Nicholas Lence does.
As they do, Lence and Cristyne Nicholas rely on skills and relationships built up during their six years at the helm of NYC & Co., and other roles in and around New York government.
Before spending six years as the number two at the city’s tourism agency, NYC & Co., Lence worked as an Albany lobbyist for then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and before that as a State Senate staffer. Cristyne Nicholas, who was NYC & Co. president, was Giuliani’s press secretary both on the campaign and at City Hall.
Combined, Nicholas said, they are able to take her communications experience and Lence’s government affairs experience to provide businesses with a way to get into the New York City market.
“New York can be a daunting place for someone not from New York,” Nicholas said.
Much of their work includes arranging introductions to local reporters and politicians and arranging meetings with local companies. Their background in tourism has encouraged them to specialize in the hospitality industry, but they also work with other businesses and groups, like the Greater New York Hospital Association, which turned to the firm for help promoting medical education.
But they also do work beyond the city. Not only are they involved with the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau in dealings with New York, but they are helping Boston tourism officials navigate the Japanese tourism market—a pressing need to a city whose Red Sox have signed pitcher Daisuke Matsuzka, and are playing their first game of the 2008 season in Tokyo.
Sports is a part of the Nicholas-Lence practice. Nicholas’ husband, Nick, a veteran golf writer, runs the firm’s sports branch. Nicholas said the sports practice grew out of an interest in sports by both her and Lence, whose father was a boxing promoter.
The pair was involved in the Olympic bid and the West Side Stadium project while at the tourism agency. They are currently representing the World Police and Fire Games which will be played in New York in 2011.
Others at the firm include Natasha Caputo, another NYC & Co. alumna who serves as chief marketing officer, former WNBC anchor Jane Hanson, who advises clients on television media relations, Maria Pignataro, a former spokeswoman for Elizabeth Taylor and Jersey City Mayor Jerry Healy, who works on media relations.
But though they have gotten the firm involved with many different things, and though they have very political backgrounds themselves, Nicholas and Lence have steered clear of politics. Candidates have approached them for help, but they have declined, citing the trouble this would create for other aspects of their business.
“We do not do politics at all,” Nicholas said. “Once you dabble in politics it will be hard to attract the not-for-profits.”
And that avoidance of politics meant, they said, that the firm would not be impacted by the implosion of their former boss’s presidential campaign. Instead, they have been able to keep focused on their non-profit and corporate clients, for which all the relationships they have been careful to nurture are a constant boon.
“The thing we do best is networking,” Nicholas said. “We can do introductions.”
Photo by Andrew Schwartz.
