Ex officio member.
ex offcio member. Maria Torres-Springer is the NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development, charged with spearheading the Adams Administration’s efforts to strengthen and diversify its economy, invest in emerging industries, bolster small business, connect New Yorkers to family-sustaining jobs and expand access to arts and culture. She was previously Vice President of US Programs at the Ford Foundation where she oversaw the Foundation’s domestic grant making and made historic investments in support of racial equity, workers’ rights, voting rights, and arts and culture across the country. Maria has a long track record of public service with the City of New York. She led three agencies with over 3,000 employees and approximately $2 billion in annual operating budgets, addressing some of the city’s most significant public policy challenges. Throughout her tenure in government, she worked to create powerful partnerships among communities, business, and the agencies she has led in pursuit of expanded economic opportunity for all New Yorkers. Maria served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the nation's largest municipal housing agency. She led the implementation of Housing New York, a five-borough, 12-year plan to create or preserve 300,000 affordable homes. During her tenure, she steered the financing of approximately 60,000 affordable homes, more than any two-year period in HPD’s history. She focused on the production of housing for the city’s most vulnerable communities while launching several new programs to protect tenants’ rights. Earlier, as the first woman to serve as president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Maria led the implementation of the new city-wide ferry service and made major investments in key sectors of New York City’s economy. Marshaling the energy and drive of community leaders, she also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization plans across the city. As commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, Maria prioritized efforts to raise wages and support women and immigrant-owned businesses. She also launched Women Entrepreneurs NYC and, with the innovative Tech to Talent Pipeline program, worked to prepare New Yorkers for 21st century jobs. Maria also served previously as the executive vice president and chief of staff at NYCEDC as well as chief operating officer for Friends of the High Line. Maria earned her bachelor's degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University and a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. Ms. Emma Pfohman serves as Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer’s designee on the Board of Trustees of the Trust.