Meet Ella Santos

Deputy Director of NYCHA’s Project Management Unit  

As a graduate of New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Ella Santos feels that her specialized studies in international development have provided her with a useful perspective for her work at NYCHA. Studying how different countries operate, each with their own unique populations, customs, and expectations, shed light on the ways that separate but related groups interact with each other within a broader ecosystem. 

“You have to learn a lot of different systems, how every culture works differently,” she notes of international relations, which, as she points out, bears some similarity to NYCHA, home to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. 

“Each development has their own approach to accomplishing the work, but, meanwhile, we all belong to the same agency,” Ms. Santos said. “It’s so complex to create a standard procedure that is going to impact all of NYCHA,” and yet this is what Ms. Santos and her team spend their days doing at NYCHA.  

Ms. Santos, who was recently promoted to Deputy Director of the Project Management Unit in the Planning and Project Management Office, currently leads a team of five project managers responsible for over two dozen projects intended to improve Operations’ processes throughout NYCHA. 

The team handles intricate projects and oversees planning, execution, resource management, strategic decision-making, progress monitoring, and cross-organizational collaboration for process enhancement. The unit not only analyzes existing processes, but recommends improvements, implements changes, and coordinates training to support the changes. A major part of her role means visiting developments, studying processes, doing research, creating working groups, and developing new and more efficient processes to help developments.  

A recent process revamp that Ms. Santos is overseeing is digitizing the sign-in process for vendors and skilled trades workers at developments – the use of a QR code instead of paper is currently being piloted. Creating a centralized virtual logbook makes recordkeeping simpler and eliminates the need for manual logbook entries, saving time and improving reporting accuracy. Developments and central office departments will be able to monitor the arrival, departure, and activities of skilled trades and vendors in real time, facilitating better coordination and resource allocation.  

“There’s a lot of strategizing,” she explains about her work. “My team doesn’t just visit one development; they visit multiple developments. They do the research. They speak to the subject matter experts; they’re talking to the electricians, the plumbers, and other departments.” 

“We’re not just telling a Superintendent, ‘You have to add this to your scope of work,’” she added. “Instead, we’re informing them that we’ve already engaged in consultations with 10 other Supers, along with a working group that has offered their insight. From this collective input, we’re now developing this new policy or change.”  

Prior to coming to NYCHA, Ms. Santos worked part time as an instructor for a company that taught people how to properly contain lead and dust during renovation, repair, and painting work. With this experience, and her master’s, she decided to apply for a Project Manager position in NYCHA’s Newborn Hazard Prevention Program (which is now known as Healthy Start @ NYCHA). 

Healthy Start @ NYCHA aims to ensure that every NYCHA family with a newborn or infant has a safe home and connections to supportive resources. Ms. Santos was integral to establishing and expanding the initiative, providing an even greater array of services and resources to pregnant mothers and the parents of newborns.  

As part of her efforts, Ms. Santos held two intensive working groups – one where she and her team did deep dives into exploring ideas, and another in which NYCHA employees with children, from all backgrounds and departments, could offer insights into what parents of newborns could use help with based on their personal experience. She also surveyed numerous NYCHA residents with children under the age of 6 to learn about their experiences and incorporate those findings into the program. 

For Ms. Santos, it’s crucial to take into account as many different perspectives into the process as possible. This ethos is reflected in her hiring process. When she began hiring seasonal workers to help with the program, she wanted to ensure inclusivity and representation on the team. “I wanted a diverse group of people to be part of the team,” she said, “because I understood that their input would benefit the program.”  

One of the most impactful changes Ms. Santos oversaw was developing a process where soon-to-be mothers could voluntarily inform NYCHA of their pregnancy, working with the IT Department to incorporate a simple checkbox in the Self-Service Portal. She also helped partner with organizations such as the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baby2Baby, the Doula Program, and The Bronx Health Link to provide families with crucial supplies and resources for their newborns. 

Healthy Start @ NYCHA illustrated for Ms. Santos the difference she could make for NYCHA families, and inspired her to broaden that impact by working in Operations, helping to inform “policies and procedures that are being created at an executive level.”  

In her current role, she finds satisfaction in being able to support the property management teams (and thus the residents they serve), thanks in part to the support of an incredible team, including her supervisor, Yadhira Espinal. 

“It always goes back to being able to support the residents.” 

Is your family expecting? Don’t miss updates on community baby showers and other free support. Let NYCHA know if you’re pregnant through the Self-Service Portal.

To enroll in Healthy Start, let NYCHA know your family is expecting through the Self-Service Portal. 

If you have any questions about community baby showers or Healthy Start, please email healthy.start@nycha.nyc.gov or call 212-306-8282.