2020
ELIZABETH
VELEZ
CHAIR
NY BUILDING CONGRESS
Elizabeth Velez has been serving as the Chair for NY Building Congress as well as President
of the Velez Organization, a second generation construction fi rm started in 1972��by her father,
Andrew Velez. Under her direction, hundreds of projects have come to fruition, including over
600��units of housing made affordable by State and Federal grants in the Bronx and Harlem,
and over ten billion dollars of signifi cant educational, healthcare and large-scale projects
throughout New York.
Velez has been a Trustee of Boricua College, an accredited private institution serving primarily
Latinas through three campuses in New York and has been a member of various charities and
foundations. She has currently been serving as a Commissioner of the New York City Property
Tax Reform Commission.
Following Hurricane Maria’s disastrous landfall, Velez 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 offi ce in Ponce Puerto Rico.
On the international front, Velez has been Co-Chair of Iran 180��— an organization that advocates
for human rights and the end to Iran’s nuclear threat and has been a contributor to
numerous media outlets.
Velez has been 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, she was recognized by City & State as one of the “Manhattan
Power 50” and holds an MBA from Hofstra University.
SALUTE TO LABOR & POWER WOMEN NEW YORK