About Us
After 40 combined years in city and state government and a decade together in the private sector, Bruce Bender and Scott Cantone established Bender Cantone Consulting in 2012. As life-long New York residents who have dedicated their careers to public service, Bender Cantone’s principals and co-founders have jointly and separately played a major role in many of New York City and State’s major real estate development projects, public policy issues, and budgetary matters over the last 30 years. Having worked in senior positions on both sides of City Hall and closely with elected and government officials in Albany, New York City and Washington, Bender Cantone has developed a stellar reputation and long-standing, trusted relationships.
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We at Bender Cantone know what it takes to be on the front lines of New York State and City public policy advocacy. If you think we can help you accomplish your goals, drop us a line.
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Bruce Bender
Principal & Co-Founder
Bruce is an experienced public affairs professional who has served as both a senior government official and private sector executive. Bruce has played a significant role in shaping many major development projects across the city and has been instrumental in the rebuilding, reimagining, and overall renaissance of Brooklyn over the last two decades.
A 25-year government veteran, he previously served as Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the New York City Council and Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Finance Committee, where he was responsible for overseeing the city’s legislative and budgetary processes and worked as the chief liaison to the Mayor's Office. Bruce also spent many years as Chief of Staff to the Council’s Committee on Education and has exercised tremendous influence over the City’s education policy.
After more than two decades of public service, Bruce transitioned into the private sector where he served as an Executive Vice President at Forest City Ratner Companies, one of the foremost urban real estate developers in the New York metropolitan area. In this role at FCRD, Bruce oversaw government, media, and community relations for some of the largest economic development projects in the New York City metropolitan area.
In addition to his work in government and the private sector, Bruce has managed and consulted countless political campaigns over the course of his career and has served on the boards of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, the Forest City Ratner Foundation, and the Brooklyn Nets Foundation. Bruce received his B.A. in History and Political Science from Baruch College and has also earned an M.A. from The New School and an M.P.A. from New York University
Scott C. Cantone
Principal & Co-Founder
Scott is an experienced government and private sector executive and attorney with 30 years of public affairs experience. Scott has held several senior positions in two New York City mayoral administrations and the State Legislature in Albany. He has served as the Director of both the Mayor’s Office of City Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Affairs, where he was responsible for overseeing the administration's federal, state and city legislative agendas. He also served as Special Counsel to the Deputy Mayor for Operations and oversaw the city’s procurement and contracting operations. As First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), Scott was the Chief Operating Officer of a City agency responsible for managing the city’s real estate portfolio, citywide procurement, and the civil service system. He was part of the city’s logistics and recovery operations team after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Before founding Bender Cantone, Scott was an executive at Forest City Ratner Companies where he developed comprehensive public relations strategies and oversaw government, community and media affairs for some of New York’s foremost real estate and economic development projects, including Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Manhattan’s East River Plaza, and Westchester’s Ridge Hill.
Scott has also held a number of positions with the State Assembly in Albany and has managed and consulted on numerous local, city, and state-wide political campaigns. He has served on numerous not-for-profit boards including the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the Barclays-Nets Community Alliance and the Kingsborough Community College Foundation. Scott earned his B.A. in Political Science and Communications from The State University of New York at Albany and received his J.D. from The City University of New York School of Law.