Executive Leadership
Murad Awawdeh
President and CEO
Murad is a strategist, organizer, and advocacy expert currently serving as the President and CEO at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC). The son of Palestinian immigrants, Murad has dedicated over two decades of his life fighting for low-income communities of color across the State of New York. He grew up organizing to stop dangerous and hazardous developments in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and engaging community residents to build power and bring transformational change to their neighborhoods. As the NYIC's Executive Vice President of Advocacy & Strategy he successfully led electoral, legislative, and policy campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, and mobilized hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at demonstrations against anti-immigrant policies. As the Executive Vice President of NYIC Action, the NYIC’s sister 501(c)4 political advocacy and action organization, he has successfully led grassroots electoral campaigns to elect progressive candidates. Murad has been featured in VICE and the Huffington Post, and was honored with a U.S Congressional Recognition, and Public Service Awards from the NYS Senate and Assembly. He serves as a Trustee of the New York University Family Health Centers Board, as a member of the Justice 2020 Committee, and as Commissioner of the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.
Mario Bruzzone
Vice President of Policy
Mario Bruzzone is the Vice President of Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition. He guides a policy team whose mission is to help immigrants find security, opportunity, and community support in New York state. Previously Mario was the Senior Policy Advisor at the Women’s Refugee Commission, covering a federal policy portfolio on vulnerable populations, including unaccompanied children, LGBTQ+ migration, the prevention of child labor, trafficking prevention, and reparative justice for family separation. He has been a key figure in federal appropriations advocacy leading to billions of dollars to support unaccompanied children's welfare and millions in refugee assistance. Mario also has extensive experience with horizontally organized community nonprofits and organizations. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Suvasini Patel
Vice President of Communications and Strategy
Suvasini Patel is the Vice President of Communications and Strategy at NYIC. In this role, she oversees the communications team and works to optimize processes and opportunities to ensure that organizational issues and concerns remain in the public eye. Previously, she led communications efforts at a poverty research center at New York University and at WITNESS, the international human rights group. She also served as the Deputy Director of Special Projects at journalist Bill Moyers' Public Affairs Television and as the High Impact TV Director at the PBS series, P.O.V., where she developed dozens of online and community-based campaigns with scores of national and local partners and public television stations in support of some of the most pressing social causes of our times.
Erin Hawkins
Vice President of Development
Erin Hawkins serves as the Vice President of Development at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), where she leads the organization’s fundraising strategy to advance policy, advocacy, and organizing work across the state. In this role, Erin collaborates with philanthropic partners to build the long-term sustainability needed to support immigrant justice.
Before joining the NYIC, Erin served as Senior Development Manager at the National Employment Law Project (NELP), where she oversaw institutional giving and strategic fundraising initiatives. Her efforts supported NELP's mission of building a just and inclusive economy and advancing the rights of Black and immigrant workers.
Erin holds a B.A. in Global Studies from Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus. She is passionate about advancing equity, investing in grassroots power, and reimagining philanthropy as a tool for solidarity and long-term change.
Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar
Vice President of Advocacy
Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar is Vice President of Advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition. She guides the advocacy team who drives the NYIC’s organizing, political engagement, community and civic engagement work. Prior to this role Meghan has had many roles at the NYIC building powerful state, local and federal campaigns. She led the Green Light NY Campaign to victory in 2019 for the NYIC and has played a central role in building NYIC’s presence outside of NYC. Prior to working at the NYIC Meghan was a climate justice organizer with PUSH Buffalo, helped to found Justice for Migrant Families of WNY, and worked for Center for Exchange and Solidarity in El Salvador, among others roles. Meghan is a passionate organizer, a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan and holds a BA from Hampshire College in Central American Studies and Popular Education.
Emily Patka
Chief Operating Officer
Emily Patka is Chief Operating Officer at the New York Immigration Coalition. She first got involved in social change work when she was 15, and over time found her niche in helping mission-driven organizations build and maintain efficient operations so they can maximize their effectiveness. She is dedicated to fostering a strong and supportive organizational culture, and to ensuring all necessary systems and resources are in place and operating smoothly so that the amazing staff and coalition members of the NYIC can focus their energy where it belongs: uniting immigrants, members, and allies so all New Yorkers can thrive. Emily has a decade of professional nonprofit experience in a variety of direct service, advocacy, administrative, and leadership roles, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from SUNY Albany, and a Master of Science in Organizational Change Management from The New School. She is also a proud Upstate New York native, avid knitter, cross stitcher, and weightlifter, self-described cat lady, and reptile enthusiast.
Lovelie Tejada
Chief of Staff
Lovelie Tejada is the Chief of Staff at the New York Immigration Coalition where she successfully executes key initiatives, helps coordinate interdepartmental projects, and provides strong judgment and strategic vision to help guide the organization forward. Most recently, she was the Director of Community Engagement, overseeing the NYIC's community outreach efforts in New York City and Western New York. Previously, Ms. Tejada served as Congresswoman Yvette Clarke's Director of Outreach, helping integrate residents' suggestions into the office's policy priorities and event schedule. Her passion for empowering marginalized communities has been an overarching theme throughout her career tied to her commitment to social justice. Ms. Tejada earned her BA in Political Science and Film Studies from Trinity College.