Media Contact: Alison Berg
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NEW YORK (April 29, 2021) – City & State New York has named Liliana Velez, Chief of Staff at Urban Resource Institute, as a member of the 2021 Nonprofit 40 Under 40. Velez was honored among esteemed peers in the nonprofit sector as rising stars with outsized impact across New York City. As Chief of Staff for 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 leadership team ensuring operational excellence.
At a virtual reception on Monday, April 28, Nathaniel Fields, Chief Executive Officer of URI and a mentor to Velez, participated as an expert on the Nonprofit Power Panel to discuss the current and future state of nonprofit organizations, and how up-and-comers such as Velez will lead the industry into the future. He spoke alongside Liz Roberts, CEO of Safe Horizon, Jess Dannhauser, President & CEO of Graham Windham, and Sharon Greenberger, President & CEO of YMCA Greater NY.
“It is an honor to be included in the Nonprofit 40 Under 40 list among other influential peers in the space,” said Velez. “It is particularly special to be recognized during this year of unprecedented challenges, urgency, and volume of need that made my role more demanding, crucial, and fulfilling than ever before. I congratulate my fellow winners for this recognition as well as their unwavering dedication to supporting vulnerable New Yorkers.”
As Chief of Staff, Velez is responsible for supporting Fields as an advisor and lead project manager. She has over 10 years of leadership experience with budget management, advocacy, grant development, program design, service delivery, quality control, relationship management, team building, staff development, and community outreach.
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 with concentrations in Law and Society, Business and Organization, and Inequality from the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University where she graduated Cum Laude.
URI offers both emergency and transitional residential services as well as prevention, education, and intervention programs to address abuse from all points of the cycle. URI’s shelters remain open and available. For more information visit www.urinyc.org, or for immediate assistance, call NYC’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE.
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.
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