NEWS
Hochul taps Elizabeth Velez as Board Member for the MTA
Governor Kathy Hochul officially also tapped New York Building Congress Chairperson Elizabeth Velez for a seat on the MTA’s 21-member board, according to the Saturday announcement.
City & State NY, The 2022 Manhattan Power 100—Elizabeth Velez Honored
Elizabeth Velez: President, Velez Organization
When Gov. Kathy Hochul needed someone to join the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board during a funding crisis, she turned to Elizabeth Velez. The construction industry leader’s experience as the chair of the New York Building Congress and serving on pandemic recovery and Hurricane Maria rebuilding committees made her a shoo-in to help.
City & State NY, The 2021 Power of Diversity: Latino 100—Elizabeth Velez Honored
Elizabeth Velez: President, Velez Organization
As the leader of the Velez Organization, a construction firm started by her father, Elizabeth Velez has earned a national reputation as an advocate for diversity. In her position as president, she has presided over the construction of 600 units of affordable housing in the Bronx and Harlem and more than $10 billion in major projects.
Crain’s NY Op-Ed by Elizabeth Velez: Infrastructure initiatives are an opportunity to correct past misdeeds
Amidst impactful, nationwide protests against institutionalized racism and calls for change from our leaders, we have started to come face to face with the systems designed to marginalize certain communities and people of color for centuries.
Crain’s NY: These six New Yorkers could shape the future of congestion pricing
Velez is president of the 50-year-old Velez Organization, a second-generation construction firm started in 1972 by her father, Andrew. This year Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Velez to the MTA’s board, meaning she also will have a vote on congestion pricing’s final form.
NYC Construction Plugs Away Even With City Shutting Down
For now, construction continues.
As the coronavirus outbreak quiets New York City — closing offices, idling taxis and shuttering bars — workers in bright yellow reflective vests, hard hats and steel-toe boots are still showing up.
Build It Back goes further over-budget
The New York Building Congress named Elizabeth Velez as its new chair at an annual membership meeting on Thursday. Velez, president of the Velez Organization, will be the first Latina and second woman to hold the title.
“La diversidad incrementa la competencia, reduce costos e impacta a más comunidades”
Cuando Elizabeth Vélez cuenta cómo le preguntaron si estaba interesada en presidir el New York Building Congress (NYBC) se corrige en inglés. “Me dijeron, ¿ha pensado alguna vez en ser la chairman? bueno, chairperson, me tengo que acostumbrar”, dice de buen humor en una entrevista con este diario.
Mayor De Blasio: NYC increases city contracts to $25B for certified women-business owners
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is amping up his commitment to the city’s women- and minority-owned businesses.
Mujeres Destacadas 2016: Elizabeth Vélez
Pese a su apariencia juvenil, Elizabeth Vélez tiene más de dos décadas en el mundo de la construcción, en el cual creció siguiendo los pasos de su padre, Andrew Vélez.
Elizabeth Velez, a Trailblazer in the Construction Industry
March 6th thru March 12 is being celebrated as Women in Construction Week. Fox News takes a look at a true trailblazer in the industry, Elizabeth Velez.
Latin business owners, entrepreneurs are on the rise, dominating tech, construction, finance fields
When Kevin Alicea’s grandfather left Puerto Rico for the Bronx back in the 1940s, opening a small grocery on Webster Ave. was a matter of survival.
POWER LIST The 2018 Manhattan Power 50; 11-50
The 50 people in Manhattan who are key players in the world of New York politics and government.
Elizabeth Velez Talks Business, Advocacy And Girl Power
This year, the Velez Organization is proud to announce its nomination for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. For the past 31 years, the accounting firm praises leaders shaking up the business world with big ideas to shape the future. President and Chief Contract Administrator Elizabeth Velez was delighted that after the company’s 45 years of dominating the NYC construction industry, the company is still considered to be blazing trails.
Latinos Start Businesses Faster Than any Other Group. So Why Can’t They Get Capital?
She’s young, Latina, and a second-generation business owner. She’s also a trailblazer as one of the few women at the head of a construction company. But Latino entrepreneurs are fighting uphill battles, including access to capital, despite the fact they start businesses faster than any other demographic. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Elizabeth Velez, president of Velez Organization, to share her personal story and her business advice for others.
Tri-State Among Top Ten Areas for Minority-Owned Businesses
Puerto Rican entrepreneur Anthony Rosa has a textile and fashion business in New York. Elizabeth Vélez is the president of the construction company that her father started four decades ago. Cecilia Zanetta and Verónica Franzese, from Argentina, design and produce the María Castelli artisanal handbags made in Industry City in Brooklyn.
These are just a few of the many Hispanic businesses based in New York and catapulting the area formed by New York City, Newark, and Jersey City into the top 10 cities with the most minority-owned companies in the country.
Velez Organization, a leader in NYC construction | Our American Dream
NEW YORK – Andres Velez, known to many as Andrew, came to New York from Puerto Rico at age 8. He raised his family in Brooklyn, where his daughter Elizabeth Velez was born. She said he got his break in the construction industry by joining the carpenters union.
That is where it all started for the Velez family. In 1971, Andres Velez and his wife started a construction company, Velez Organization, in their apartment.
Engineering News Record
Elizabeth Velez appeared in ENRNew York in an article entitled, “Conference: ‘Game is Changing’ as Women Push Against the Glass Ceiling,” because of her participation in the 2012 ENR Groundbreaking Women in Construction Forum
Hispanic Business
Elizabeth Velez was interviewed by Hispanic Business for a January 10, 2013, article entitled “New Law Opens Doors for M/WBEs in NYC”.
Diversity Agenda
In June 2012, Velez was featured in Diversity Agenda, in a profile entitled “Velez Organization – Creating a New Leadership and Business Development Agenda.”
Engineering News Record
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Elizabeth Velez for an article entitled “Schools Aid Builders in a Slump” on September 29, 2010.
Real Estate Weekly
Elizabeth Velez was featured in the Real Estate Weekly issue dated March 10, 2010, profiling her involvement with the Construction Chiefs Forum hosted by Professional Women in Construction.