Who is Emilia Winter Rowland? Zohran Mamdani’s influencer army head hits back at ‘PR princess’ report

Emilia Winter Rowland, the director of new media and cultural communications for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has come under scrutiny for her involvement in the city's outreach to social-media influencers. A recent New York Post report detailed Rowland's family background and her role in coordinating with hundreds of online creators. Her grandfather, Herb Rowland, founded The Rowland Company, which became one of the top PR firms before being acquired in 1985, while her father, Daryl Rowland, worked in television and later headed a branding firm.

Her mother, Lisa DeBenedictis, also had a career in television and moved into consulting and writing. Rowland's LinkedIn profile shows she previously worked for the Democratic National Committee and was press secretary for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman's 2022 campaign. The Post described Rowland using the term "PR princess," but this is her family background, not her official title.

Rowland oversees a Signal group called "NYC Creators Announcements" to send announcements and talking points to over 250 influencers. Some creators in this network have received direct access to the mayor, and smaller Signal chats, including one configured to auto-delete messages, have been established for specific groups. Rowland has defended the administration's approach, arguing that government should communicate through the platforms where people consume information and criticizing the concentration of media ownership.

This controversy highlights the evolving relationship between City Hall and the media, particularly as influencers play a larger role in government outreach.