Maria Cruz Lee

Maria Cruz Lee is the Project Coordinator and Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA). MOIA’s mandate promotes the well-being of immigrant New Yorkers by recommending policies and programs to help facilitate their integration into the civic, economic and cultural life of the city.

Maria manages MOIA’s digital strategy, coordinating the online presence on nyc.gov and social media. Her work was recently recognized at the 2013 Engage NYC Awards hosted by NYC Digital. MOIA’s Tumblr page received the award for “Best Use of Digital Media Serving a Targeted Population” in the City of New York.

Maria initially joined MOIA as the office’s first social media intern. Her task was to start a social media presence and redesign the agency website. In addition to Project Coordinator, she is the Special Assistant to Commissioner Fatima Shama. Maria manages the Commissioner’s calendar and is the liaison to the offices of government officials, agencies and community partners. She also supports branding and marketing for initiatives, reports and special events. She works with colleagues and agency partners to execute event materials, presentations and reports.

Maria takes the intersection between immigrant communities and government seriously. As an immigrant from the Philippines, she understands the importance of this work as it relates to the diversity of New York City. Through all her projects, she aims to continually connect, support and celebrate immigrants.