2021 The Clemente Board of Directors

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2021 Board of Directors The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Inc.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Veronica Relea is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins. Ms. Relea has significant experience representing project developers and lenders in highly structured and complex finance transactions. Ms. Relea has developed a robust Latin America practice, advising clients on a range of complex finance transactions. Her seasoned guidance on banking and finance matters has earned recognition from Latinvex annually since 2017 as one of Latin America's top 100 female lawyers. Ms. Relea has also been recommended for her work in Banking and Finance as well as Projects and Energy by The Legal 500 Latin America and The Legal 500 US. Ms. Relea is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a member of the New York City Bar’s Puerto Rico Task Force.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Anisha Steephen is a strategic leader in community development finance with over a decade of experience. She has a successful track record of public-private partnerships that drive investments to build assets for low-wealth communities. Her work’s purpose is to build an inclusive economy by creating scalable solutions that advance public policies centered in social justice and equity. Anisha was previously the Interim Executive Director of Spaceworks NYC, a non-profit cultural workspace operator in New York City. She has also held roles as a Senior Investment Officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation’s largest Community Development Financial Institution, in the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs, and at the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Beatriz De La Torre is Managing Director of housing and homelessness at Trinity Church Wall Street. Ms De La Torre brings years of experience addressing the housing crisis in New York City, as Managing Director of Housing and Homelessness for Robin Hood Foundation, and as Deputy Commissioner and NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. De La Torre’s service also includes board membership in the Institute of Public Architecture.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Diego Leonardo Robayo is a Marketing Strategist based in New York City. He is currently Public Relations Manager to the Historic Districts Council, where he streamlines communication with a variety of executive partners to protect city landmarks and maintain pristine records of all structural changes in Upper Manhattan. He works to increase public engagement through skillful strategizing, execution of research on demographics, and psychographic data analysis.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Guido Hartray is a founding Partner of Marvel Architects and has led design teams working on a wide range of projects, including Pierhouse and 1 Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge Park, the renovation and reprogramming of the Central King Building for the New Jersey Institute of Technology. His interest in public space has informed streetscape redesigns for Hudson Square, the Meatpacking District, and Union Square. He has led a number of affordable and supportive housing projects including Far Rockaway Village for Phipps Houses which will create a new civic center for the town as well as 1700 new apartments.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Urayoán Noel is an associate professor of English and Spanish and Portuguese at New York University and the author of In Visible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam (University of Iowa Press), winner of the Latino Studies Section Book Prize from the Latin American Studies Association. His other publications include eight books of poetry, most recently Transversal (University of Arizona Press), and translations of Latin American poetry that have been shortlisted for the National Translation Award and the Best Translated Book Award. Noel has been a fellow of the Ford Foundation, the Howard Foundation, and the Schomburg Center, and a consultant for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. He has performed at Poesiefestival Berlin, Barcelona Poesia, and the Toronto Biennial of Art, and his poetry is part of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico’s permanent exhibit. He has also taught at SUNY Albany and at Stetson University’s MFA of the Americas, and he has curated literary programs for Pregones/PRTT, the University of Arizona Poetry Center, the Center for Book Arts, and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Noel’s service experience includes the boards of Latino Artists Round Table, Acentos, and the Puerto Rican Studies Association, and the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration’s Creative Network. He is currently a contributing editor of NACLA: Report on the Americas and a member of The Latinx Project’s faculty board, the CantoMundo steering committee, and the Advising Artists Council of the Millay Colony for the Arts.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Jorge Vasquez is the Program Director of the Power and Democracy program at Advancement Project. In this role, Jorge leads the Advancement Project National Office’s voter protection, redistricting, rights restoration, and democracy initiatives throughout the United States. He has been recognized for his work as a national civil rights lawyer, policy influencer, and democracy expert. Prior to joining Advancement Project National Office, Jorge was Associate Counsel with Latino Justice PRLDEF, where he maintained a civil rights litigation portfolio focused on issues such as voting rights, the 2020 Census and criminal justice reform. Jorge, a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side, has been featured as a legal expert on national and local news networks including CNN, ABC Live, NPR, NBC Telemundo, Univision, Spectrum News 1, and he has been an opinion contributor to USA Today, The Hill and other digital and print news outlets. Jorge has also testified before the United States House of Representatives about the impact of the 2020 Census on inner cities and communities of color.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Richard Morales is Community Partnerships Manager at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. He was previously manager of Public Programs at El Museo del Barrio. Originally from Brooklyn and of Puerto Rican descent, Richard attended Oberlin College where he studied Latin American Studies with a concentration on Literature and Fine Arts. He has independently curated exhibits/events that address inclusion/representation for the Hispanic Federation’s Fuerzafest and for the Leslie Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Teatro Círculo, NYC as well as on the advisory board for Making Gay History.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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Annya Ramírez-Jiménez is Director at Marvel Architects; her dual-residency allows her to forge a seamless daily collaboration between the two offices. Prior to joining Marvel, Annya oversaw a very diverse set of projects with a concentration on affordable housing & transportation. Annya tackles complex projects with ease and is focused on achieving consensus while maintaining a clear design voice for each project. Currently, she oversees design teams engaged in projects in 3 boroughs of New York City; The adaptive reuse of the Bedford Courts in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, The Masterplan – Phase 1 & 2 of a new placemaking development in Far Rockaway, Queens, and The Orchard Beach Pavilion Restoration in the Bronx. Annya was raised in Puerto Rico, proudly attended the University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture, and settled in New York City after attending Columbia University GSAPP in 2003.

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080

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About: The Clemente is a Puerto Rican/Latinx multi-arts downtown staple for close to three decades, and the pulpit where countless New York based Latinx, BIPOC, local LES, and international partners create contemporary work and co-productions in a collaborative environment. We provide meaningful support to contemporary artists, curators, independent producers, and small arts organizations in the form of subsidized studio, rehearsal, office, and venue space; as well as countless co-production opportunities, an annual series of exhibitions, and seasonal festivals. Learn more at: theclementecenter.org

The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002 info@theclementecenter.org (212) 260-4080