DIVERSITY SOLUTIONS

Velez has provided comprehensive diversity solutions to its clients in such areas as outreach, compliance, auditing, workforce inclulsion, and community engagement. In addition, Velez has spearheaded the renowned Mentor Program of the NYC School Construction Authority. In this capacity, over 200 community based construction firms have received strategic capacity building, access to capital, growth visioning, management of change and project opportunities.

MISSION AND HISTORY

The Velez Organization (Velez) literally started with a big break when Andrew Velez, a union carpenter, fell two stories and broke his ankle. Unable to work, he returned to school and started a small contracting firm in his Brooklyn apartment as a Federal Government 8A contractor in 1972.

As the business began to grow, his daughter Elizabeth, now President and Principle of the Velez Organization, would visit his construction sites in order to spend time with him and developed a passion for the building industry . This interest has led to a lifetime of advocacy and support for the industry that is the foundation of our region.

LEADERSHIP

Elizabeth Velez serves as President for all of Velez’s business and management activities. Ms. Velez’s experience in the construction industry has spanned over thirty years and she participates on key industry and powerful advocacy boards, such as the New York Building Congress, she was appointed to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Police Foundation, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, , the Board of ACE Mentor of New York and the NYC Department of Business Services Advisory Board. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Boricua College, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Business School of her alma mater, Hofstra University. Ms. Velez holds an MBA and is actively involved in issues supporting the construction industry , and is a recognized leader in equity and inclusion.

Mentor Technical Assistance Program

BUILDING OUR BUILDERS^SM

The Velez Organization has recognized the critical importance of capacity building, and access to opportunities as we have grown over our 50 years of business. Through this, Velez developed a guiding principle to support effective capacity building programs. Since 2018, Velez has been at the helm of building on the success of the SCA Mentor Training Assistance Program (MTAP) by leveraging our relationships and sharing our strategies with members of the program.

Ranked as the premier Mentoring Program in NYC, The MTAP Program provides Technical and Business Development Training in various topics related to SCA Construction Projects.