Meet NYCHA Change Ambassador, Yuliya Szczepanski
Yuliya Szczepanski’s support of NYCHA goes above and beyond her responsibilities as Administrative Manager of Intergovernmental Affairs. She also serves as a NYCHA Change Ambassador, one of hundreds of staff from across the Authority who work with their colleagues to share news about the organization’s plans for progress and help ensure that everyone is involved with NYCHA’s transformation.
Ms. Szczepanski first joined NYCHA in 2014 as a member of the newly formed community outreach team in the Office of Recovery and Resilience, which was created earlier that year to rebuild NYCHA properties damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Ms. Szczepanski then transitioned to the Office of Intergovernmental Relations in early 2020, serving as a Legislative Coordinator before assuming her current role. She volunteered to become a Change Ambassador because she believes her unique background in government provides her with an ability to view the issues at hand from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, including residents, resident association leaders, Operations staff, elected officials, and community organizations.
As NYCHA implements its Blueprint for Change Transformation Plan, which seeks to improve how the Authority delivers services to residents, the Change Ambassadors will be increasingly relied upon to bring up-to-date news about the effort to their colleagues. They will help support change at NYCHA by sharing feedback from their colleagues and meeting with staff from other departments to learn about their work and better understand issues impacting the organization.
“I believe that creating the NYCHA Change Network was a crucial step in the right direction in that it helps bring together various departments across the organization and creates a platform to exchange valuable ideas and feedback,” Ms. Szczepanski said. “It also helps to create a sense of community among employees who don’t necessarily interact with each other due to the nature of their jobs and work location. I’m very glad to be able to help bring people together in the effort to advance the Blueprint for Change, which I believe will bring about the much-needed positive improvements to the Authority and the residents we serve.”
Since December 2020, the Change Ambassadors have been participating in monthly virtual meetings to share feedback and insights from their respective departments. To get in touch with the Change Network, please send an email to employee.engagement@nycha.nyc.gov.
