www.negociosnow.com
53 October 2022
Age: 38
Title: NYS Director of Latino
Affairs for the first female
Governor for the State
of New York, Kathy Hochul
Name of Organization:
State of New York
In 2018, Sophia Zayas was ap-
pointed as Bronx Regional Re-
presentative for the State of New
York. As Bronx Regional Repre-
sentative, Ms. Zayas has been
instrumental in maintaining the
State's relationships and projects
with key stakeholders in the bo-
rough of the Bronx, from elected
officials, to faith and grassroots
leaders. Prior to joining the
Governor's administration, Ms.
Zayas was a member of Speaker
Carl Heastie's team.
As part of the Governor's ad-
ministration, Ms. Zayas helped
coordinate the State's response
to COVID-19 with local elected
officials and healthcare profes-
sionals, ensuring that PPE and
healthcare supplies were availa-
ble to the most vulnerable popu-
lations. She helped in building
and coordinating COVID and
antibody testing sites in the most
impacted areas of the Bronx. Ms.
Zayas has been part of key pro-
jects driven by New York State to
invest in the Bronx, create more
opportunities for young people,
and uplift the community.
Among these is the Downtown
Revitalization Initiative that has
provided millions of dollars for
transformational projects in
the South Bronx. Following the
death of Junior, who was killed
in the Bronx by the "Trinitarios"
gang, Ms. Zayas played a key
role in securing a $18 million
fund from the State to support
the work of anti-gun violence
groups in the borough.
In June 2022, Ms. Zayas was
promoted to NYS Director of La
-
tino Affairs for the first female Go-
vernor for the State of New York,
Kathy Hochul. Born in the Bronx
to Puerto Rican parents, and rai-
sed by her grandparents, Ms. Za-
yas' mission in life was to succeed
and prove to her community that
no outside influence should dic-
tate her role in life. She is the first
woman in her family to hold a
state-level office position and has
dedicated herself to advancing
efforts that empower the younger
generation to improve their life
through educational and econo-
mic opportunities provided by
the State of New York.
Ms. Zayas holds a Bachelor's
degree in business administra-
tion with a concentration in
business law.
Leading
at the State
Level
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"G
rowing up as a Latina is
never 'easy', but you have to
take everything you learn from your
challenges and put it to good use for
yourself and for others."
Sophia Zayas
