The ASPIRA Association is very pleased that former New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez joins AARP as Executive Vice President for Multicultural Markets and Engagement. "We congratulate AARP for having the vision to create this new position that will focus on the growing and influential multicultural 50+ population," said Ronald Blackburn-Moreno, President and CEO of the ASPIRA Association.
"We are proud Secretary Cortés-Vázquez will be taking the helm in this new endeavor. She brings an abundance of experience to the position, and we wish her the best."
Secretary Cortés-Vázquez was the first Hispanic to hold the position of New York Secretary of State. She is currently a NALEO board memberConfirmed on March 6, 2007, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez an ASPIRAnte [2] from the Bronx, New York, served as New York States 65th Secretary of State. The Office of Secretary of State, established in 1778, is the third oldest office in New York State.
Secretary Cortés-Vázquez came to the New York Department of State with a background in the corporate, non-profit, and government sectors that extends over 30 years. Prior to her appointment, she was Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Cablevision Systems Corporation, a leading media, entertainment and telecommunications company. In another note of distinction, Secretary Cortés-Vázquez is proud to be the first Hispanic to hold the position of Secretary of State of New York.
Secretary Cortés-Vázquez has gained national recognition for her distinguished work in the non-profit sector. She served as President of the Hispanic Federation, a non-profit network of 90 Latino health and human service agencies in N.Y., N.J., Conn., and Pa., aiding more than two million Latinos annually. Under her direction, the Hispanic Federation provided over $1 million annually in capacity building grants. It also coordinated the "Latino Fund Collaborative," a national coalition of eight regional organizations whose goal is to create endowments and increase individual donor campaigns within the Latino community. Secretary Cortés-Vázquez expanded the organization's annual Hispanic public policy poll beyond NYC to include the tri-state area, making it the largest public opinion poll in the northeast that focuses on the Hispanic community. Additionally, under her direction, the Hispanic Federation created advocacy campaigns on AIDS, education, immigration, and child welfare. During her tenure, the Hispanic Federation also played a leadership role in providing relief to victims of natural disasters in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.
In the early 90's, Secretary Cortés-Vázquez served as the Executive Director of ASPIRA of New York, the oldest and largest non-profit Latino youth leadership development and education advocacy agency in the nation. While at ASPIRA, one of her main accomplishments was the creation of an Endowment Fund. Under her tenure, the organization re-established the post-secondary education program in community volunteer service project as the core component of the ASPIRA leadership experience. The core program was expanded to include a public policy training initiative. Additionally, for the first time in its 30 year history, school-based chapters were established beyond New York City to New York's upstate school districts.
Secretary Cortés-Vázquez also has extensive experience in government service. In 2001, she was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents, a position she held until 2007. She was chief of staff to former New York Bronx County Chairman Roberto Ramirez. She also oversaw the Puerto Rican Hispanic Task Force and the annual Somos El Futuro Conference. Secretary Cortés-Vázquez served on the New York Redistricting Commission in 2003, and on the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board from 2001-2003. For 14 years, Secretary Cortés-Vázquez worked at the New York City Department of Aging, where she became Chief of the Bureau of Program and Resource Development. As Chief, she facilitated public and private partnerships within the agency and increased the number of community-based service providers, while ensuring they were held to the same standards as City and State facilities. Earlier in her career, she held a variety of positions working with pre-school age children, teenagers, and senior citizens in East Harlem.
A graduate of Hunter College, Secretary Cortés-Vázquez has a master's degree from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She is a Toll Fellow, having completed the national leadership program for elected and appointed officials. She has certificates from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and from Columbia University's School of Non-Profit Management.