Dr. Camelia Tepelus
Executive Director Morris Park Business Improvement District
Dr. Tepelus is the inaugural Executive Director of the Morris Park BID established in 2018. With over 20 years of
high-level executive and non-profi t experience, Dr. Tepelus successfully operationalized a competitive and effective
BID that makes a difference for over 300 businesses on the Morris Park Avenue commercial corridor and for the Morris
Park community. Dr. Tepelus work to create innovative economic development programs, corridor marketing, beautifi
cation and horticulture projects, policy making and legislative advocacy for the Bronx has been highlighted in The
Wall Street Journal, Gotham Gazette and City Limits. In her Executive Director capacity, Dr. Tepelus was successful in
attracting new resources to the area, including a competitive 3 year “Avenue NYC” grant to conduct a Commercial District
Needs Assessment program for Morris Park and Van Nest, to better inform policy makers about the needs of the
district and the wider Morris Park area.
Previously, Dr. Tepelus worked for the NYC Department of Small Business Services in the Neighborhood360 program,
and for the national non-profi t ECPAT USA as the NY State Policy and Program Development Director, responsible
for legislative advocacy against human traffi cking and business engagement on social responsibility in the travel
and tourism sector. For over a decade, Dr. Tepelus served as the co-founder and international Secretariat Coordinator
of TheCode.org, a global business initiative mobilizing the hospitality industry to combat human traffi cking worldwide.
Dr. Tepelus spoke at hundreds of international events, published academic and empiric research articles and
book chapters, and is the recipient of top travel and tourism awards including: Ashoka Changemakers Award, British
Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award, The Ethical Corporation Award, the Travel and Leisure Magazine Human Rights
Leadership Award.
Dr. Tepelus is the NY State 2020 “Women of Distinction” honoree of Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, and a Schneps Media
2020 Bronx Women of Power honoree. A passionate world traveler, Dr. Tepelus chose the Bronx to be the home for her
family.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 42 ARCH 26-APR. 1, 2021 BTR
/TheCode.org
