URI Chief of Staff Liliana Velez Named to Crain’s New York Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives

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URI Chief of Staff Liliana Velez Named to Crain’s New York Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives

NEW YORK (October 15, 2021) – Crain’s New York has named Liliana Velez, Chief of Staff at Urban Resource Institute (URI) as a member of the 2021 Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives.  In her role as Chief of Staff for URI, the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the U.S. and a leading provider of homeless shelters in New York City, Velez is a crucial member of the senior team ensuring operational excellence.

In the announcement, Crain’s New York noted that the Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives list “offers a glimpse of the diverse professionals who are shaping companies and institutions in the New York metropolitan area—in both the nonprofit and private sectors…Although these leaders have had a vast impact on the city, much work remains… Only 4.5% of executives in the city are Hispanic, and the percentage is even lower, 4%, across the country.”

As Chief of Staff, Velez is URI’s lead project manager and adviser to the CEO, Nathaniel M. Fields, and her work is critical to the organization’s teamwork and operational excellence. She has extensive leadership experience with budget management, advocacy, grant development, program design, service delivery, quality control, relationship management, team building, staff development, and community outreach.  In 2001 Velez was a founding member of the Mexican American Students’ Alliance, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower the Latino community through education.

“It is an honor to be included in the Notable Hispanic Leaders and Executives list,” said Velez. “I am proud of URI’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, but I am equally proud of the commitment of the organization to standards of excellence in the work we do and the services we deliver, which echoes my own lifelong commitment to high standards of performance. I congratulate my fellow winners for this recognition and look forward to the day when the representation of Hispanics among leaders in New York City will be much higher.”

Velez holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Cornell University, where she graduated Cum Laude, with concentrations in Law and Society, Business and Organization, and Inequality.

About Urban Resource Institute (URI):

Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a leading non-profit organization based in New York City that empowers individuals, families, communities, particularly communities of color and other vulnerable populations, to end cycles of domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, and trauma by increasing safety and resiliency. URI’s innovative programs serve individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and homeless families, allowing them to live in safety and recover from trauma in both residential and non-residential settings. Founded in 1980, URI is the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the U.S., and is focused on a holistic approach, encompassing prevention and intervention as well as direct services. With deep community relationships and a flexible, innovative approach to program development and service delivery, URI is uniquely equipped to provide solutions to the challenges affecting vulnerable populations in the New York City area while influencing service delivery across the U.S. and the world. For more information, please visit www.urinyc.org.