Author: katyusca

My Resume

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Download a pdf of my resume.

Freelance Writer 
JUNE 2016 – PRESENT

  • Writing communications materials for non-profits, including press materials (press releases, media advisories), marketing collaterals (event flyers, brochures), web copy and blogging, and social media copy

Assistant Press Secretary | NYC Department of Consumer Affairs
AUG 2012 – MAY 2016

  • Agency spokesperson; helped develop and implement communications strategies
  • Fostered relationships with key journalists (local and national)
  • Managed all incoming media inquiries to ensure timely reply; monitored news trends
  • Responsible for press materials, including speeches for commissioners, press releases, op-eds, blog posts, fact sheets, and story pitches
  • Created copy for marketing materials, including video scripts (English, Spanish), PSAs (English, Spanish), and ads (English, Spanish)
  • Translated reports and studies to Spanish
  • Doubled social media following to 10,000+ across channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube); launched agency’s Instagram account
  • Developed standards for using the City’s first live chat interface as an outreach and communication tool with the 80,000+ businesses licensed by the agency

Financial Education Associate | NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment 
DEC 2010 – AUG 2012

Program Assistant | NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment 
SEP 2009 – DEC 2010

  • Helped develop and manage tax preparation pilot programs for low-income New Yorkers, including researching relevant tax policy changes, ensuring data collection from partners
  • Collaborated on the design and content of the City’s tax information website
  • Developed training for the City’s tax-time savings program ($aveNYC), which was nationally replicated (SaveUSA); conducted citywide site visits to ensure compliance with the program’s marketing requirements
  • Coordinated orientation and placement of 200 volunteer tax preparers
  • Managed distribution of 600,000 tax time marketing collaterals to 500+ sites across New York City

AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer | Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union
AUG 2008 – AUG 2009

  • Developed content (English, Spanish) for website and marketing materials
  • Executed grassroots outreach campaign with the Dept. of Consumer Affairs for the City’s tax-time savings program ($aveNYC); leveraged 62 low-income New Yorkers to open first-time savings accounts and save $28,758
  • Assessed the needs of credit union members: designed, administered, analyzed survey of 400 clients; redesigned new-account-opening manual; created a guide to improve cross-sell of new and existing products and services

EDUCATION

Cornell University | 2004 – 2008
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature
Minor in Inequality Studies, Concentration in Latino Studies Program 

SKILLS

  • Fluent in English and Spanish (native speaker)
  • Microsoft Office programs
  • Basic Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
  • Basic HTML, CSS and Javascript
  • WordPress, SEO and Google Analytics
  • Bitly, Buffer, Hootsuite
  • Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Vimeo, YouTube

DCA Kicks Off the First of Its 2016 Business Education Days in Brighton Beach

katyusca Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2016

DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND BRIGHTON BEACH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT KICK OFF THE FIRST OF DCA’S 2016 BUSINESS EDUCATION DAYS IN BRIGHTON BEACH

Inspectors Issue Advice, Not Violations, to Local Businesses

BROOKLYN – Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico, Brighton Beach Business Improvement District (BID) Executive Director Yelena Makhnin, staff from the office of Council Member Deutsch, NYC Small Business Services and NYC Department of Sanitation visited more than 100 businesses in the Brighton Beach community of Brooklyn as part of DCA’s 2016 Business Education Day series to educate businesses about key consumer protection laws and licensing requirements. DCA also shared information about the City’s Paid Sick Leave and Commuter Benefits laws.

“Business education is a key strategy in the City’s Small Business First reforms,” said DCA First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico. “By educating businesses, especially small businesses in immigrant communities, we can ensure they’re compliant with the City’s strong consumer protection laws, licensing laws, and labor-related laws. We’re thrilled to be able to carry out the first of many more business education days this year.”

Read full press release: Business Education Day in Brighton Beach: May 12, 2016

Click here to watch News12 coverage.

News12 Brooklyn Covers Business Education in Brighton Beach

katyusca Broadcast, Earned Media ,

Screen Shot 2016-08-25 at 11.45.58 AM

Brighton Beach city inspectors teach instead of ticket
Crystal Walker | News 12 Brooklyn

BRIGHTON BEACH – Several businesses in Brighton Beach got a surprise visit from city inspectors Thursday, but instead of receiving tickets for violations, owners were given a free lesson on how to avoid fines in the future.

The Department of Consumer Affairs educated owners on violations that they were unaware of, so business owners can be prepared the next time they get a surprise visit from a city inspector.

“We’re not issuing violations, our inspectors are going to be going door to door and pointing out where there might be a violation and educating the businesses and sharing a lot of material with them,” says Alba Pico, of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Click here to watch the video and read the full report.

Click here to read the press release.

Senior Program Officer Grace Louis Talks Free Tax Prep on BK Live

katyusca Broadcast, Earned Media , ,

BK Live
Brian Vines

I coordinated an interview with BK Live and Grace Louis, senior program officer at NYC DCA’s Office of Financial Empowerment. With a month to Tax Day, it was important to emphasize the City’s free tax preparation services and the many options available for Brooklynites.

DCA Announced More Than 17,200 Mexican Nationals in NYC Received Financial Education and Counseling

katyusca Press Releases , ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2016

CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO, DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND CITI RELEASE NEW REPORT:
VENTANILLA DE ASESORÍA FINANCIERA PROVIDES FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING TO MORE THAN 17,200 MEXICAN NATIONALS IN NEW YORK CITY

The Second Anniversary of the Financial Counseling Window Kicks Off the Consulate’s Financial Education Week 2016

NEW YORK, NY – Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico, Consul General of Mexico Ambassador Sandra Fuentes-Berain and Citi Community Development released a report today, Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera: Program Insights for the Field, showing the results of the first year of the Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera (Financial Empowerment Window). In just one year, the Ventanilla provided financial education or counseling to more than 17,200 Mexican nationals in New York and helped nearly 1,000 Mexican nationals file taxes for the first time in the United States. To date, these numbers have more than doubled. The financial empowerment at the Ventanilla has touched the lives of more than 44,000 Mexican nationals in New York City. The announcement took place at the celebration of the second anniversary of the Ventanilla, which also kicked off the Consulate’s fifth Financial Education Week. The first two years of the program were made possible through the generous support from Citi Community Development in partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Counseling services are provided by Ariva.

“The Mexican community is one of the largest immigrant groups in New York City and while our Financial Empowerment Centers reach a high number of New Yorkers, we still had not reached this community,” said DCA First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico. “Addressing income inequality is a key priority for Mayor de Blasio and this program is one of the ways to address that. We’re proud of the great milestones we’ve reached and look forward to not only increasing the number of Mexican nationals we reach but helping other municipalities and consulates implement this program using the findings of this report.”

Read the full press release: Ventanilla de Asesoria Financiera Results

DCA Warns New Yorkers About Predatory Tax Preparer Tactics

katyusca Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2016

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WARNS NEW YORKERS ABOUT PREDATORY TAX PREPARER TACTICS

The City Announces Results of Annual Tax Preparer Inspections and Encourages Eligible New Yorkers to File for Free

Federal, State and City Consumer Protection Authorities Recognize National Consumer Protection Week

Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico today, as part of National Consumer Protection Week, issued a warning to New Yorkers about predatory tax preparer tactics, including overcharging, hidden fees and filing without permission. As part of the City’s annual tax preparer inspections, DCA conducted more than 350 targeted inspections citywide and issued violations to two in every five income tax preparers inspected. Top violations included failing to post prices for their services, misrepresenting their qualifications and violating other consumer rights. First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico also encouraged New Yorkers who earned $62,000 or less to take advantage of the City’s free tax preparation services. DCA made the announcement at a press conference with the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York, the New York State Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“Every New Yorker should know their rights before going to a paid preparer to file their taxes,” said Department of Consumer Affairs First Deputy Commissioner Alba Pico. “For a number of years, refund anticipation loans disappeared thanks to federal regulations but they are back in a new way this year. The products are supposed to be free of interest and the cost isn’t supposed to be passed on to the consumer but, as we all know, things are rarely “free.” With the most common violation at tax preparers being related to the price list, we want consumers to be very vigilant about what they are being charged to file their taxes. If you earned $62,000 or less, we encourage you to take advantage of the City’s NYC Free Tax Prep program and get back the full refund you deserve.”

Read the full press release: Warning Against Predatory Tax Preparers

The City Encourages New Yorkers to Use IDNYC to File Their Taxes for Free

katyusca Press Releases , , , ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2016

AMERICA SAVES WEEK: CITY ENCOURAGES NEW YORKERS TO USE IDNYC TO FILE THEIR TAXES FOR FREE AND OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT TO SAVE THEIR REFUND

Bronx Event Highlights Free Tax Prep during America Saves Week and Opening a Bank Account Using IDNYC

BRONX, NY – Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Alba Pico and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Nisha Agarwal today joined Spring Bank President Eric Pallos and Ariva Executive Director Irene Baldwin to encourage New Yorkers to use their IDNYC to file their taxes for free and, as part of America Saves Week 2016, open a bank account where they can save their refund. New Yorkers who earned $54,000 or less with children, or $30,000 or less without children, can file their taxes for free at one of more than 200 in-person sites across the city, like the Ariva site at Spring Bank in the Bronx. IDNYC is accepted as the photo ID needed to file your taxes. Spring Bank also accepts IDNYC as a primary form of identification to open a bank account.

“Tax season is a very crucial moment for many families with lower and moderate incomes as their refund is often one of the largest checks they’ll receive all year,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Alba Pico. “We encourage New Yorkers, especially the immigrant community in the Bronx, to know that they can use their IDNYC to file their taxes for free and they can also use tax time as an opportunity to save and open a bank account using their IDNYC.”

Read the full press release here: IDNYC and Free Taxes for New Yorkers

How Employment Agencies Abuse Job Seekers

katyusca Blog posts, Earned Media
Image courtesy of Talkpoverty.org article.
Image courtesy of Talkpoverty.org article.

If you don’t have a job, or you want a better one, advertisements like these may seem promising:

CLEANERS – NOW STAFFING – F/T & P/T, no exp needed. Up to $29.00 per hour.

The U.S. economy continues to improve and the unemployment rate is decreasing, reaching a seven-year low of 5.2 percent in New York City in September, according to the New York State Department of Labor. But many people are still looking for a job or seeking a better one, which can be a stressful and time-consuming process. Lured by advertisements and the promise of work, some turn to an employment agency for help.

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), which I serve as Commissioner, licenses and regulates employment agencies. While we are very vigilant in our protection of job seekers, with such a high demand for services and many people desperately in need of work, there are inevitably those who try to take advantage of vulnerable individuals. This has led to a proliferation of predatory employment agencies that exploit the unemployed or underemployed who are trying their best to provide for their families.

One of these individuals was Rosa. After paying $125 to an employment agency, the agency sent her to a laundromat that they claimed was looking for workers. However, when Rosa went to inquire about the job, the owner of the laundromat said they were not hiring and had never asked for workers. Rosa returned to the employment agency asking for a refund, but was refused one. Their only response to her was that she was “too old” and so the laundromat just didn’t want to hire her.

And Marlon, a man from Queens, New York, paid a $125 advance fee to an employment agency plus a $774 fee for a construction training class. The agency guaranteed Marlon a job. Not only did it fail to come through on that promise, it never even referred him to a potential employer. When Marlon returned to the agency to demand a refund, the office had been abandoned.

Read the full blog post on talkpoverty.org here.