Elizabeth Velez
President and Principal

Elizabeth Velez is the President of the Velez Organization, a second-generation construction firm started in 1972 by her father, Andrew Velez. To her credit are hundreds of projects which have come to fruition under her direction, including over 600 units of housing made affordable by State and Federal grants in the Bronx and Harlem, and over two hundred billion dollars of significant educational, healthcare, and large-scale projects throughout New York.

She is a Trustee of Boricua College; an accredited private institution serving primarily Latinas through three campuses in NY. She serves on the advisory boards of numerous NYC and NYS agencies, industry non-profits, and groups supporting mentorship and scholarships for youth. She is a member of the Board for Catholic Charities and the New York City Police Foundation. She was appointed by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Property Tax Reform Commission. Following Hurricane Maria’s disastrous landfall, Elizabeth 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 office in Ponce Puerto Rico. On the international front, Ms. Velez is Co-Chair of Iran 180 – an organization that advocates for human rights and the end to Iran’s nuclear threat. She is a contributor to media outlets such as Matter of Fact TV with Soledad O’Brien, Fox News Latino, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, El Diario La Prensa, Hispanic Business, ENR, City & State and Crain’s New York Business. She is 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, Ms. Velez was recognized by City & State as one of the “Manhattan Power 50”.