Cyrus Garrett is the Executive Director of New York City’s Young Men’s Initiative. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Garrett served as a political analyst for Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization funded by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He arrived at Everytown for Gun Safety after serving as the Deputy Director of Cabinet Planning for President Obama’s 2013 Inauguration. Mr. Garrett earned this honor after serving as a Deputy Field Director in Ohio for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Prior to the 2012 Presidential Election, Mr. Garrett served as a speechwriter to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) for the U.S. Department of Education. From 2009-2011, Mr. Garrett was the special advisor to Director, Gray-ling Williams at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Counternarcotic Enforcement (CNE), and the lead staffer on Western Hemisphere international affairs, congressional relations. His role was to assess the flow of bulk cash and weapons from the U.S. into Mexico, Central and South America.

Prior to his appointment at Homeland Security, Mr. Garrett helped implement the inaugural White House Internship program during the spring of 2009. He holds the distinctions as being one of the first 100 staffers to serve on President Barack Obama’s 2008 general campaign as a regional political director at the state of Indiana. Prior to joining the campaign, Cyrus Garrett worked as a gang and drug counselor at the Eldora State Training School for Boys in Iowa.

Mr. Garrett attended both the University of Illinois and University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminology from UNI.