Aimee J. Vargas, Esq. Appointed as Senior Advisor to the Dean at the NYU Silver School of Social Work

The NYU Silver School of Social Work has appointed government relations and public affairs executive Aimee J. Vargas, Esq. as Senior Advisor to the Dean, in an important step for expanding the reach and impact of its educational, research and program work, locally and nationally.

As Senior Advisor, Vargas will manage the Silver School’s external affairs, including federal, state, and city government relations; effectively translate and broaden the impact of faculty research on policy and practice; and play a lead role in establishing and facilitating community partnership initiatives.

“It will take resources and bridge-building to achieve our institutional goals, and Aimee is someone with an impressive track record of getting the job done, using her acumen in public affairs and community relations,” says Michael A. Lindsey, PHD, MSW, MPH, Dean of the NYU Silver School. “We are fortunate to have such a well-regarded leader in her field join us at the Silver School.”

“I am thankful and excited to be joining NYU Silver at this important time in our city, state and country’s history,” said Vargas. “Social workers are vitally important to our society. The work being done at NYU Silver, led by Dean Lindsey, will elevate social work education, research and practice. I look forward to working with Dean Lindsey and the team at NYU Silver to help bring about the change that is needed in the communities in which we learn and work.”

Vargas was Director of Downstate Intergovernmental Affairs amongst many other roles during the Cuomo administration, during which she helped to design and execute outreach strategies to support the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, the Penn Station/Farley project and the Jacob Javits Center revitalization.

At the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she was the Chief Government and Community Affairs Officer, Vargas helped to advance major projects, such as the LIRR Third Track Expansion project, the Second Avenue Subway construction project, the L Line Reconstruction project and the Penn Access project.

As Associate Counsel and Director of Environmental Justice at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Vargas built strategic partnerships with community-based organizations to develop public policy initiatives that protect culturally diverse and socio-economically distressed communities.

Vargas is an Adjunct Professor of Communications at Marist College. She also is the Board Secretary of Hunger Free America and a Board Member of the SUNY Rockland Community College Foundation. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Community Affairs and Communications at Sands Corp. Prior roles included Director of the Mid-Hudson Region at the Empire State Development Corporation and Senior Director of Corporate Communications – U.S. Reputation at Anheuser-Busch. She is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.