Walsh appoints Lewis to new role focused on diversity, inclusion, financial empowerment

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has appointed Maria Maldonado Lewis to a newly created job focused on diversity, inclusion, and financial empowerment.

The position is part of the City’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Walsh’s office said.

Lewis — who has served as the city’s constituent-services advocate since 2018 — will now serve as program manager for the Mayor’s Office of Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accountability (IDEA) and the Syracuse Financial Empowerment Center.

As constituent-services advocate, Lewis has helped guide city residents to services and programs and has helped people “problem solve challenges with local government.” She has also played a key role in the city’s response to the pandemic and is a member of the IDEA team, Walsh’s office said.

“Maria is uniformly trusted and respected in city government and throughout the Syracuse community. Her caring and empathetic approach has made a positive impact on the lives of city residents during the past four years as our constituent services advocate,” Walsh said. “Combining those same traits combined with her experience in project management and financial counseling makes Maria a perfect fit for this new role.”

Prior to joining City Hall, Lewis was a program coordinator with Molina Healthcare. She also worked as a Home Headquarters housing counselor and a parent liaison at Delaware Elementary and Middle School.

She founded “I Know I Can Radio” in 2016 to provide community residents with resources and information on mental, physical, financial and spiritual health to help them escape poverty and work on positive paths to live happier and healthier lives.

Lewis is a certified financial empowerment counselor and holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College.

Walsh launched the Syracuse Financial Empowerment Center in 2019 to provide free, one-on-one, professional financial counseling to city residents. To date, participants have increased their savings by a combined $1 million and eliminated over $2 million in debt. Walsh also created the IDEA office in 2020 to improve inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in city government.