Zach Iscol

Zach Iscol (born 1978) is an American entrepreneur, mental-health non-profit founder, and former United States Marine awarded a Bronze Star Medal for bravery in combat.[2][3] He is a Democratic candidate in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election, and is a moderate.[4]

Zach Iscol
Zach Iscol in 2017
Born1978 (age 42–43)
New York City, New York, US[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCornell University
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Meredith Melling
​
(m. 2016)​
Children4
AwardsBronze Star Medal
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

Iscol was born in New York City, New York,[1] grew up in Pound Ridge, New York (in Westchester County, New York, next to the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation), and is Jewish.[5][6][7][8] His father Ken Iscol, the son of a Queens sanitation department worker, is a cellphone technology entrepreneur.[9][10][11] His mother Jill Iscol is an educator.[12][13][14]

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, class of 1997.[7][15] Iscol was honored by Phillips Exeter with the 2017 John Phillips Award for helping veterans gain access to mental health care and employment.[15][16]

Iscol attended Cornell University, class of 2001. There, he majored in Government and competed in lightweight football.[13][8]

Career

Marines, Bronze Star, and war film

Iscol served two tours and fought in Iraq from 2001 to 2007 as a special ops Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.[10][17][18][8][19] During his service in Iraq in the Iraq War, he fought on the front lines in the Second Battle of Fallujah, as commander of a combined action platoon composed of 30 U.S. Marines and 250 Iraqi soldiers.[18][20] He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery in combat in that battle, with Combat-Distinguished V device, and the Combat Action Ribbon.[20][15] After returning from Iraq, he successfully lobbied to bring his threatened Iraqi translator to the United States.[21] In 2019, he was named to be one of five Grand Marshals leading the New York City Veterans Day Parade.[22][23]

He returned to Iraq to make a film, The Western Front, which was shown at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, and explored in what ways the US changed its tactics in Iraq over time.[6][24] Iscol served as screenwriter, cast, director, and producer.[25]

Nonprofit, entrepreneurship, and Deputy Director of COVID-19 temporary hospital

Iscol then launched the Headstrong Project in 2012. It is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that provides veterans and their families in 25 cities with free mental health care.[26][19] Therapy is confidential, free, and there is no application process.[27][28] It offers a number of treatments, including psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and virtual reality, and the number of sessions is open-ended – there are not any limits on frequency of care.[29] He is its former Chairman.[11][30]

He co-founded Task & Purpose in 2014, and Iscol is its CEO.[31] It is a military-focused digital media company, serving as a news outlet that provides reporting and perspectives on stories of interest to military members, veterans, and the broader American public.[31][32][11] Its parent company is Grid North Group.[33] In 2018 managing editor Adam Weinstein resigned after CEO Zachary Iscol requested that he change the title of a ProPublica investigation into undue influence over the Department of Veterans Affairs featured on the site.[34] Weinstein contended that Iscol strongly disagreed with both the title and the factual accuracy of the reporting done by ProPublica which Weinstein felt was undue influence on the publication's editorial independence. Weinstein also said that this was not the first time that management, specifically Iscol, had interfered in the editorial process in an effort to make the publication appealing to more conservative readers.[35]

In 2014 Iscol also founded and became CEO of Hirepurpose, a Manhattan-based company that supplies a hiring platform job website for former military service members, veterans, and spouses that provides them with career guidance and matches them with potential employers.[29][31][36] Hirepurpose is also part of the Grid North Group.[31][36]

Iscol worked as the Deputy Director at the Javits Center's COVID-19 temporary emergency hospital during the Spring 2020 height of the pandemic in New York City.[19][11] The field hospital treated over 1,000 patients.[26]

2021 New York City Mayoral campaign

Iscol was one of a number of candidates looking to succeed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, having launched his campaign in the 2021 New York City Mayoral election on October 21, 2020, and was initially entered in the June 22, 2021, Democratic primary.[10][37][38][11][19][8] He proposed involving the New York City tech community in educating young students, involving the real estate industry in providing affordable housing in properties left vacant by COVID-19, bolstering restaurants by waiving fines except for the worst violations, and keeping the subway closed down every night for cleaning.[18] Iscol said that post-pandemic, the city will need programs to educate New Yorkers about mental health and effectively address mental illness.[19] New York City's last mayor with a military background was David Dinkins, a Marine veteran who was mayor from 1990 to 1993.[8] Iscol's campaign staff included Joe Trippi, a national political strategist.[11] As of mid-January 2021, he had raised more than $746,000 from donors, spent just over $261,000 on his campaign, and had about $485,000 left.[39]

2021 New York City Comptroller campaign

On January 26, 2021, Iscol filed paperwork to drop out of the Mayor's race, and run instead in the 2021 New York City Comptroller election.[4][40] The NYC Comptroller is the watchdog responsible for auditing the financial performance of all city agencies, reviewing all city contracts, and managing the large city pension funds, and has a staff of about 800 people and a budget of over $100 million.[41] Iscol will be able to use the money he raised while he ran for mayor in the comptroller’s race.[42] As of the end of January, he was the second-biggest fundraiser in the race.[43]

Iscol said his goal is to help the city recover economically from the pandemic, focusing on the performance of city agencies.[42] He also said he would require companies that contract with New York City to describe their commitment to the five boroughs, and that he would push to reinvest some pension fund monies in local job creation.[41] Hillary Clinton said: "I’ve known Zach Iscol for over two decades, and he comes at everything from the mind-set of 'How do we bring resources and assets together to solve problems and address inequities.' He’s done it at the community level, the national level and in combat zones. He's got a big heart and is indefatigable when he puts his mind to something."[42]

Personal life

Iscol lives in NoHo in Manhattan with his wife, former Vogue editor Meredith Melling whom he married in 2016, and their four children.[44][11][18][10]

References
  1. "2019 UWVC Veterans Day Parade – Meet the Grand Marshals". United War Veterans Council.
  2. "Zack Iscol, Veteran and Entrepreneur, Joins NYC Mayor's Race," U.S. News & World Report, October 20, 2020.
  3. Jeff Coltin (December 31, 2020). "The major 2021 mayoral contenders". City & State.
  4. William Engel (January 28, 2021). "Zach Iscol Changes Lanes from Mayoral Race to Comptroller Race". New York County Politics.
  5. "Zachary Iscol '97. Remarks at the John Phillips Award assembly," October 27, 2017, exeter.edu.
  6. McKinney, Michael P. (November 8, 2019). "Pound Ridge native who fought in Fallujah is a grand marshal of NYC Veterans Day Parade". The Journal News.
  7. "NCCS Grad, Zach Iscol '94 to Lead NYC Veteran's Day Parade; The marine veteran is the founder of three organizations serving post-9/11 veterans". Patch. November 8, 2019.
  8. Sisk, Richard (December 17, 2020). "From Fallujah to City Hall: A Marine's Uphill Run to Be Mayor of New York". Military.com.
  9. Chizzik, Danielle Stein (May 11, 2016). "Meredith Melling and Zach Iscol Have Made Service a Family Affair; The T&C 50: The couple are working to get top notch mental health care to veterans". Town & Country.
  10. Marsh, Julia (July 31, 2020). "Decorated combat vet with ties to Hillary Clinton considering NYC mayoral bid". The New York Post.
  11. Jeff Coltin (October 23, 2020). "Zach Iscol wants to be a cross between Bloomberg and de Blasio". City & State.
  12. "US Marine vet with ties to Clintons may run for NYC mayor". 1010 WINS. August 1, 2020.
  13. Burstein, David D. (January 13, 2011). "Change Generation: Zach Iscol, Writer, Director, and Producer, The Western Front". Fast Company.
  14. Rachel Etlinger (May 19, 2015). "Marine Officer, Iraq Veteran and Entrepreneur, Zach Iscol, to Receive 2015 New Canaan Alumni Award". Patch.
  15. Melanie Wilson (October 29, 2017). "Zachary Iscol '97 receives the 2017 John Phillips Award; Combat-decorated former Marine Corps officer was honored for his efforts to help veterans gain access to quality mental health care and employment". Phillips Exeter Academy.
  16. "Combat decorated former Marine officer, Zach Iscol," U.S. House of Representatives Document Repository, June 7, 2017.
  17. Michael Rock (October 22, 2020). "Iscol Continues Public Service Career with Run for Mayor". New York County Politics.
  18. Marsh, Julia (November 1, 2020). "Ex-Marine runs for NYC mayor vowing budget discipline, private partnerships". The New York Post.
  19. Shanel Dawson (December 19, 2020). "Meet the Candidate: Former Marine Zach Iscol Talks Police Reform, Mental Health and Pandemic Recovery". NY1.
  20. "THE PLIGHT OF IRAQI REFUGEES; HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, UNITED STATES SENATE, ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION". www.govinfo.gov. January 16, 2007.
  21. "Marine Wins Personal Iraq Battle; After aiding the U.S. military, an Iraqi translator seeks refuge in New York". ABC News. November 2, 2007.
  22. "Zachary Iscol on veterans and mental health". FOX News. November 7, 2019.
  23. "Zachary Iscol who fought in Iraq will be a grand marshal of NYC Veterans Day Parade; Zachary Iscol did two tours of duty as a Marine officer in Iraq, including as one of 12,000 U.S. Marines and Army who fought in Fallujah". The Journal News. November 8, 2019.
  24. "Zachary Iscol". The Daily Beast.
  25. "The Western Front | 2010 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca Film.
  26. Bliss, Sara (January 21, 2020). "An Entrepreneur And Former Marine Takes On The NYC Mayoral Race: Meet Zach Iscol". Forbes.
  27. "The Headstrong Project heals hidden wounds". Cornell University. November 8, 2016.
  28. "OVERCOMING PTSD: ASSESSING VA'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE WELLNESS AND HEALING; HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION". www.govinfo.gov. June 7, 2017.
  29. Beth Saulnier (April 2014). "Soldier's Heart". Cornell Alumni Magazine.
  30. "Hero Summit Speakers List". The Daily Beast. November 14, 2012.
  31. "About Task & Purpose". taskandpurpose.com. April 9, 2019.
  32. Murphy, Jarrett (November 12, 2020). "Meet the Former Marine and the Brooklyn Councilmember Who Are Running for Mayor". City Limits.
  34. Nover, Scott. "A Popular Military Website Is Attacked From the Right". www.theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  35. Levine, Jon. "Military Veterans' News Site's Top Editor Quits, Says He Faced Pressure to Be 'Less Liberal'". www.thewrap.com. The Wrap. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  36. "About us: Hirepurpose". hirepurpose.com.
  37. Max, Ben (November 12, 2020). "Max & Murphy Podcast: Zach Iscol is Running for Mayor". Gotham Gazette.
  38. "Zach Iscol, Veteran And Entrepreneur, Joins Crowded NYC Mayoral Race; Iscol, the former Marine who spent time in Iraq and later founded a mental health program for veterans, becomes the latest to enter the mayor race". NBC News. October 20, 2020.
  39. Samar Khurshid (January 18, 2021). "Major Financial Disparities in City's Large Mayoral Field". City Limits.
  40. "Iscol to drop out of mayors race; jump into ring for comptroller". Politico. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  41. Gwynne Hogan (February 5, 2021). "$100 Million Dollar Budget And The Power of Oversight — What Is A Comptroller & Why Should You Care?". Gothamist.
  42. Mays, Jeffery C. (January 27, 2021). "One Candidate Leaves Crowded Mayor's Race. One From 'Housewives' Joins". The New York Times.
  43. David Cruz and Jake Dobkin (January 29, 2021). "Crunching The Numbers: Who's Making Bank In The Comptroller's Race?". Gothamist.
  44. Marsh, Julia (October 19, 2020). "Combat vet makes City Hall bid official, rips de Blasio's competency". The New York Post.
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