Several mayors from PR to present municipal projects at roundtable in NYC.

Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez will be among the presenters at this year’s Fifth Community Roundtable Discussion (“Conversatorio”) in New York City. (Facebook via Marlese Sifre)

By THE STAR STAFF

As part of the upcoming Puerto Rican Week activities in New York, the organizers of the Fifth Community Roundtable Discussion (“Conversatorio”), whose theme this year will be the presentation of municipal development projects in Puerto Rico, confirmed that the mayors of Jayuya, Aguada, Ponce, Vega Baja and Peñuelas will exclusively present several initiatives and projects that each municipal administration is developing in their respective towns.

The event will be held at the iconic Puerto Rican Cultural Heritage House, located in the famous El Barrio’s Artspace PS 109 -- a remodeled public school, converted into a center for fine arts activities -- at 215 East 99th Street in New York.

“Traditionally, mayors, legislators, and business and trade leaders from Puerto Rico gather for a day of in-person discussions on current topics of great relevance to those traveling to New York to participate in the events of Puerto Rican Week and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade,” said Maj. Gen. Dr. Lester Martínez López, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Army in the Department of Defense appointed by former President Joe Biden, and presidential delegate in charge of the Puerto Rico delegation traveling to New York. “This forum was created at the suggestion of former Puerto Rico Comptroller Manuel Díaz Saldaña as a way to take advantage of the trip government officials make to New York to attend events hosted by various entities.”

Martínez López noted further that “[t]his year, the forum will feature a group of mayors presenting their projects, including: Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre, Aguada Mayor Christian E. Cortés Feliciano, Vega Baja Mayor Marcos Cruz Molina, Peñuelas Mayor Josean González Febres, and Jayuya Mayor Jorge González.”

“To broaden the discussion, the panel also includes CUD [United Retailers Center] President Dr. Ramón Barquín and [Puerto Rico Health Secretary] Dr. Víctor Ramos, Ms. María del Pilar Vélez, secretary of the Department of Labor and Human Resources, Senator José Luis Dalmau Santiago, Representative Edgardo Feliciano Sánchez, and Resident Commissioner in Washington Pablo José Hernández,” he added.

In addition to the officials and leaders traveling from the island, joining the Conversatorio will be a significant group of leaders, senators, assembly members, councilors, businessmen and community leaders from the “diaspora,” all residents of New York City.

Previous Conversatorios have focused on small & midsize enterprises and commerce, health in Puerto Rico, the state of the island’s economy and, last year, on municipal tourism on the island, noted María Vann Reyes, owner of Tienda Sesto and a member of the Conversatorio’s co-founding group.

“As the owner of Tienda Sesto in Aguadilla, a business dedicated to selling handicrafts […] I can assure you that these conversations, where many people with decision-making power in Puerto Rico participate, help entrepreneurs in their efforts to grow or keep their businesses active in an economy as volatile as ours,” she said.