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NYCHA Now
LSU customer service excellence
October 2021 

NYCHA’s Language Services Staff Honored for Customer Service Excellence

Vincent Echavaria

The limited English proficient (LEP) community at NYCHA relies on them to be able to comprehend information about the Authority’s various programs, activities, and services.  

Since 2008, employees with NYCHA’s Language Services Unit (LSU) have been working to ensure that all residents, Section 8 voucher holders, and applicants with limited English proficiency can be adequately informed in their native languages. The unit was established under the Department of Equal Opportunity and is now part of the Department of Communications.  

Their daily services include translating NYCHA’s vital documents, resident-facing program collateral, legal documents, lease agreements, and critical outage and emergency notifications for residents across the five boroughs. Additionally, LSU staff provide interpretation services for development and community meetings on high-priority issues such as weather emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and NYCHA’s Blueprint for Change.   

In recognition of their dedication and efforts, the Mayor’s Office of Operations selected the LSU team as the NYCHA group winner of the 2021 Excellence in Customer Service Award. The team includes Spanish interpreters Gianna Nicasio and Catalina Blanco, Russian interpreters Victor Kuznetsoff and Iryna Baranska, Chinese interpreters Katherine Tan-Li and Vicky Wu, as well as supervisor Millie Molina, Senior Manager for Events and Communications Services.   

The annual awards, which are presented across City agencies, recognize “outstanding City workers and teams that demonstrate their dedication and commitment to New York City through their customer service achievements.” This year’s honorees were celebrated by the Office of Operations during a virtual ceremony on October 7.  

“It’s a true honor because each of the members of the Language Services Unit are dedicated professionals, and they do this on a daily basis to serve the limited English proficient community,” said Ms. Molina, who has served as the team’s supervisor for over eight years. “They are a fantastic team and really give it their all. They represent diversity, they are communicators, and they have a passion for the work they do.”  

NYCHA’s Language Services Unit includes (from left) Russian interpreter Iryna Baranska, Spanish interpreter Gianna Nicasio, supervisor Millie Molina, Russian interpreter Victor Kuznetsoff, Chinese interpreter Vicky Wu, and Spanish interpreter Catalina Blanco. Not pictured is Chinese interpreter Katherine Tan-Li.

Ms. Tan-Li, who immigrated to New York from China as a 13-year-old, helped found the LSU when she joined NYCHA as an employee in 2008. She called the award “quite meaningful,” as it recognizes the unit’s hard work over the years.  

“We’re providing meaningful access to LEP residents so they can understand and be able to use the programs and services that we have,” she said. “We serve as a bridge so they can be able to get the help they need, because sometimes the language barrier can really be a difficulty for them.”  

Colleague Ms. Baranska also took pride in how the unit helps build bridges between communities by providing residents with vital information, especially during service outages and emergency situations such as Superstorm Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Information we translate to our customers can be a real life-saver,” noted Ms. Baranska, who also joined LSU in 2008. “I’m thankful to have dedicated co-workers and honored to receive the Excellence in Customer Service Award.” 

LSU staff respond to a high demand of NYCHA translation and interpretation requests, oftentimes during non-traditional working hours, so it’s particularly fitting that the team was recognized for its commitment to customer service, according to Ms. Molina.  

“They provide essential customer services to not only our customers – public housing residents, Section 8 voucher holders, and applicants – but also the general public to communicate with the inner and outside world. It’s critical,” she said. “They’re very dedicated to deadlines and getting the correct message out there.”  

The team was nominated for its “unyielding dedication to serving the residents of NYCHA and providing around-the-clock support to all divisions of the Authority.”  

As of September, LSU has translated 1,889 documents, equating to 5,318 pages, in 11 different languages and provided interpretation services 282 times this year.  

In a statement during the October 7 virtual ceremony, Mayor’s Office of Operations Acting Director Dan Steinberg noted the awards “recognize employees for a wide range of achievements, all of which make City government more accessible and responsive to the people we serve.”