Elizabeth Velez
Elizabeth Velez She is the President of the Velez Organization, a second generation construction firm started in 1972 by her father, Andrew Velez. To her credit are hundreds of projects which have come to fruition under her direction, including over 600 units of housing made affordable by State and Federal grants in the Bronx and Harlem, and over ten billion dollars of significant educational, healthcare and large-scale projects throughout New York.
Ms. Velez is the current Chairperson of the New York Building Congress, and the first person of color and second woman to serve as such in the Congress’ 99-year history.
She is a Trustee of Boricua College; an accredited private institution serving primarily Latinas through three campuses in NY. She serves on the advisory boards of numerous NYC and NYS agencies, industry non-profits, and groups supporting mentorship and scholarships for youth. She is a member of the Board for Catholic Charities and the New York City Police Foundation. She is currently serving as a Commissioner of the New York City Property Tax Reform Commission. Following Hurricane Maria’s disastrous landfall, Elizabeth was appointed to Governor Cuomo’s NY Stands with Puerto Rico Recovery & Rebuilding Committee, the NY Memorial Commission for Hurricane Maria, and has spearheaded numerous workforce and economic development programs – including a satellite corporate office in Ponce Puerto Rico. On the international front, Ms. Velez is Co-Chair of Iran 180 – an organization that advocates for human rights and the end to Iran’s nuclear threat. She is a contributor to media outlets such as MSNBC Morning Joe, Matter of Fact TV with Soledad O’Brien, Fox News Latino, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, El Diario La Prensa, Hispanic Business, ENR, City & State, DowntownNY and Crain’s New York Business . She is an outspoken advocate for diversity and empowerment of women, and a sought after speaker on women’s leadership and work/family balance issues. In addition to numerous awards and recognition, Ms. Velez was recognized by City & State as one of the “Manhattan Power 50”.
Ms. Velez holds a MBA from Hofstra University.