Washington, D.C. — Latino Victory Project today announced two major leadership staff transitions. Interim president Melissa Mark-Viverito will step down from her position effective Tue. Aug. 13, and the organization’s vice president, Mayra Macías, has been named the organization’s first executive director.
Before serving as interim director, Melissa Mark-Viverito was the organization’s vice president of strategic engagement, and prior to that, she was a co-chair of the Latino Victory Fund. Macías joined the organization as the national political director and was subsequently promoted to vice president.
Latino Victory Project Chairman Luis A. Miranda, Jr. issued the following statement:
“Melissa Mark-Viverito is one of Latino Victory’s earliest supporters, and we are above all, grateful for her passion and dedication to our mission. She is among the most fearless Latina leaders fighting for our community at the front right now, and we know she will continue breaking barriers as she did when she became the first Latina speaker of the New York City Council. We wish Melissa the best of luck in her future endeavors, knowing full well that she will remain a part of the Latino Victory familia.”
Miranda added:
“In the 2018 midterm elections, Latino Victory had a win rate of 74 percent, most of whom were Latina candidates, and the architect of this winning strategy was Mayra Macías. Mayra came to Latino Victory with a clear vision and an open heart–she is a pragmatic, talented political strategist who has dedicated her professional career to building Latino political power. We are beyond honored to have Mayra as our new executive director. With this being the most consequential election and Latinos becoming the largest nonwhite voting bloc, Latino Victory is ready to elect more Latinos up and down the ballot. And that will happen with Mayra Macías at the helm.”
Latino Victory Project Executive Director Mayra Macías issued the following statement:
“With Latinos becoming the largest non-white voting bloc in 2020 and with the current harmful policies coming from the Senate and the White House, our work at Latino Victory is far more critical than we ever imagined.
“Our commitment to electing more Latinos up and down the ballot remains our guiding principle. We are ready to keep expanding our battlefield and electing the next champions for our community.”
ABOUT LVP’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAYRA MACÍAS:
Mayra Macías is a highly sought-after organizer, educator, and political operative, Mayra was named one of the American Association of Political Consultants’ top “2019 40 Under 40.”
Mayra grew up in Chicago’s south side, in the working-class family of Mexican immigrant parents and went on to attend Yale University, where she majored in American Studies and Ethnicity, Race & Migration. After graduating, Mayra moved to Miami to work for Teach for America as a middle school Language Arts teacher in Liberty City at Charles R. Drew Middle School.
She joined the Latino Victory Project in 2017, serving as national political director and vice president. Mayra was the architect behind Latino Victory’s 74% win rate in the 2018 cycle — playing a critical role in electing the most diverse congressional class in history.
Mayra began her work in politics as a field organizer for the 2012 Obama campaign, working in the Little Havana office. After working in several issue-based campaigns, Mayra transitioned to the Florida Democratic Party, serving first as the Hispanic outreach director for South Florida and then as the deputy political director where she helped flip the Sarasota City Council. Mayra then transitioned from politics to policy by joining the Capitol Hill Fellowship, working for Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, D-CT. Mayra returned to Florida the summer of 2016 and became the Florida Democratic Party’s political director — becoming the first Latina to hold this position.
Mayra’s media appearances include CNN’s New Day with Chris Cuomo, Telemundo, and Univision. She has been featured on The New York Times, Time magazine, The Miami Herald, NBC News, Vox, Business Insider, Politico, and The Hill.
ABOUT LATINO VICTORY PROJECT:
The Latino Victory Project is a progressive political organization working to grow Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government. From school boards, to the Senate, to the White House, Latino Victory identifies, recruits, and develops candidates for public office while building a permanent base of Latino donors to support them.
