|
Maria is the third child seven of children born to Pablo and Carmen Arroyo. She was born in Corozal, Puerto Rico, and lived in Puerto Rico until the age of seven years old. Between 1964 and 1965, her family moved to the Bronx.
Maria attended elementary school at P.S. 154 in the South Bronx, Junior High School in Harlem and two years of high school at Washington Irving High School in Manhattan. Maria dropped out of high school in her sophomore year and went to work on a full-time basis to assist with her family's financial responsibilities. In 1978 at the age of twenty she obtained her GED.
In 1979, Maria married Ricardo Antonio Aguirre. Ricardo is a partner in the law firm Codelia, Aguirre and Socorro. They have two children, Omi Davina and Ricardo, Jr. Omi is recently completed a four-year tour of duty as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Ricardo Jr. received his Bachelors degree in Political Science, December 2005 from Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA.
While working as a receptionist at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Maria realized that without a college education, she would not be able to make a difference in the service delivery system she worked in. Her passion to help people guided her pursue a higher education goals. Maria graduated from Hostos Community College with an Associate in Arts in January 1989 and immediately enrolled at Lehman College to pursue a bachelor's degree. She graduated from Lehman, CUM LAUDE, with a Bachelor's Degree in Health Service Administration in January 1991. Immediately thereafter, Maria enrolled at the New York University, Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she obtained a Master of Public Administration in 1994.
Maria is an experienced administrator with nearly twenty five years of progressive managerial and administrative experience. She served as the Executive Director at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center, where she began as a receptionist, Senior Director of Operations for the Narco Freedom, Inc., Division of Health Care Services and as volunteer Executive Director of the South Bronx Community Corporation. The three organizations provide much needed services to residents of the South Bronx community where Maria was raised. Service with a passion is Maria's motto. "Our people deserve no less".
Maria del Carmen Arroyo was elected to represent the 17th Council District in the City Council on February 15, 2005. Since the time of her election, she has reached out and connected with community residents, organizations and leaders to build the partnerships and collaborations needed to bring positive changes to the community she represents.
Councilmember Arroyo is currently the Chair of the Committee on Aging and a member of the Education, Health, Juvenile Justice, Land Use, and the subcommittee for Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses. Most recently, she was elected Co-Chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus of the City Council.
|
