United States Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-Ny 7th District) to Participate in Live Discussion at St. Francis College
Who: Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez and Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz, President of St. Francis College
What: Inaugural event in Reflections of a Life in Public Service, a new St. Francis College live discussion series between Dr. Martinez-Saenz and local elected officials and other leaders
Where: St. Francis College
180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
When: Monday, September 16, 2019
12:30 – 1:30 pm
FREE & Open to the Public
Doors open at noon; First come, first seated
Advance registration requested: http://bit.ly/SFCvelazquez
Members of the media: email [email protected] to arrange coverage.
Brooklyn, NY – St. Francis College is pleased to welcome U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY 7th District), as the first guest in Reflections of a Life in Public Service, a new discussion series between Miguel Martinez-Saenz, President of St. Francis College, and local elected officials and other leaders.
Congresswoman Velázquez will join Dr. Martinez-Saenz in an hour-long conversation focused on her early life in Puerto Rico and how it led her into politics, her motivations for becoming and remaining a public servant, and her advice to young people considering a similar path.
In recognition of Constitution Day, which commemorates the formation and signing of the United States Constitution and falls on September 17th this year, the conversation will also touch on the Congresswoman's thoughts on the Constitution's role in modern civic life.
"We so often hear from our elected officials when they're weighing in on the political fight of the day, or articulating a policy position, but their service involves so much more than that," said Dr. Martinez-Saenz. "My intent with Congresswoman Velázquez – and with all upcoming conversations in Reflections of a Lifetime in Public Service – is to delve into broader questions of what draws people into public service and how those motivations evolve over the years. I'm tremendously grateful Congresswoman Velázquez agreed to be our first guest in this pursuit."
St. Francis College resides within the district Congresswoman Velázquez represents, which encompasses parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She has served in the United States House of Representatives since 1992.
A schedule of additional Reflections of a Lifetime in Public Service events will be available later this fall.
About Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez is currently serving her fourteenth term as Representative for New York's 7th Congressional District. In the 116th Congress, she is the Chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Velázquez was born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. At the age of 16, she entered the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras and graduated magna cum laude in 1974 with a degree in political science. After earning a master's degree on scholarship from N.Y.U., Velázquez taught Puerto Rican studies at CUNY's Hunter College in 1981.
In 1983, Velázquez was appointed Special Assistant to Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn). One year later, she became the first Latina appointed to serve on the New York City Council.
By 1986, Velázquez served as the Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States. In 1992, after months of running a grassroots political campaign, Velázquez was elected to the House of Representatives to represent New York's 12th District.
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