Former ESD Atlantic Yards Director Jaiyesimi lands at lobbying powerhouse Kasirer, which represents Pacific Park developer. But she won't lobby on Atlantic Yards.

Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise--after all, when you leave government service, there are typically only a few directions.

So Tobi Jaiyesimi, who left Empire State Development (ESD) last July after eight and a half years as "Executive lead and Project Director for an interdisciplinary team of professionals managing the World Trade Center Site 5 Project in Lower Manhattan, the Atlantic Yards Project in central Brooklyn and the Queens West Development Project in Long Island City," according to her LinkedIn, is now a lobbyist.

She joined ESD as both Executive Director of the (purportedly) advisory Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation (AY CDC),  but eventually served as ESD's Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Project Director, thus essentially advising herself.

Presumably while working at ESD she interacted with lobbyists from Kasirer, the city's busiest lobbying shop, who work for, among other clients, Greenland USA.

At Kasirer

According to her LinkedIn, Jaiyesimi's been a VP,  Real Estate, since February. As stated on her Kasirer bio, "as Vice President of Real Estate at Kasirer, Tobi works with a range of clients on advancing residential and mixed-use development projects across New York City."

She previously worked as Chief of Staff for State Assemblymember Walter Mosley, and Deputy Chief of Staff for his predecessor, Hakeem Jeffries.

Kasirer, on LinkedIn, stated that Jaiyesimi "joins a cohort of eight other Real Estate professionals who provide a variety of services specific to real estate in New York, including but not limited to:
- navigating complex discretionary approvals (ULURP, BSA, LPC, PDC);
- due diligence & positioning clients for portfolio expansion;
- city and state real estate procurement projects;
- advising on government taxes & incentives (affordable housing; life sciences; etc.);
- complex government agency permitting & regulatory approvals (DOB, DOT, DPR, SBS, DEP, and more);
- relationship development & community affairs;
- liquor licensing (Community Board process);
- legislation
- and much more!"

A recent VP, Government Relations job listing at Kasirer stated a salary range from $125,000 to $150,000. 

According to SeeThroughNY, Jaiyesimi's 2023 compensation was $117,286. After five years, state employees are vested in the state retirement system.

Can she lobby on AY? 

State law prohibits former government officials for two years, upon their departure from state service, from
• appearing or practicing before their former agency, and;
• rendering services for compensation, in relation to any case, proceeding, application, or other matter before their former agency.

That suggests Jaiyesimi, at least in the short term, wouldn't be able to lobby Empire State Development.

From the guidance:

The phrase ‘appearing or practicing’ only reflects efforts intended to influence your former agency to make a specific decision or to take a specific action, or to gain information from your agency that is generally not available to the public. It does not, however, ban all contact with your former agency.

There's also a "backroom services clause" that prohibits someone from being paid to help a colleague developing work product, or providing guidance that is intended to influence an agency decision or action. 

Can she lobby on AY?

There's also a more restrictive lifetime bar prevents people from working on projects they directly participated in. As summarized by the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government:

After you leave State service, the lifetime bar prohibits you from working on any specific matter in which you were “directly concerned” and “personally participated,” or on any other matter that was under your “active consideration” as a State employee.