Editor’s Note: The Peekskill Herald’s “10 questions …”, column is for readers to know more about those who work in city government, own businesses, and support our city’s development. Today’s column features Amy Vele, founder of Vele Management and a trustee of the Peekskill School Board.

Tell us about how and when your family came to Peekskill.
Both of my parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1994. My father, Cesar, already had family in Peekskill who had migrated before him. My mother, Luz, also left Ecuador around the same time and was living in the city [New York] for a few months before moving to Peekskill to be with my father. Like many other stories, both my parents risked their lives and well-being in hopes of starting a new life by crossing the border. One that gave them the chance to move forward in life, in a way that wasn’t financially possible back in Ecuador.

How has Peekskill changed since your family came to the city?
Peekskill has changed a lot. They both remember a very different Peekskill at the time. Most of those changes relate to the addition of new buildings, investments made into the city’s parks, and additional businesses brought in a more diverse community, and it made a huge difference. My mother recalls there being only a handful of Latino-owned businesses at the time.

You’ve lived elsewhere, for both school and work. Yet, you’ve chosen to come back and make Peekskill your home. Tell us what brought you back and what keeps you rooted in Peekskill.
Like many of my peers, I had hopes of moving from Peekskill after I graduated high school but once I finished college in 2018, I found myself moving back to Peekskill to try and find a way to give back to the community that had nurtured me.

After graduating from the University at Albany, I had hopes of staying in the Albany area to land a full-time job as a journalist but I wasn’t able to find a job after my internship at The Daily Gazette- Schenectady. In many ways, I’m grateful things didn’t unfold how I had wanted them to at the time. I wonder what my life could have looked like if everything had played out how I wanted it but looking back now, it wasn’t part of my destiny. Peekskill was.

The years after graduating high school were pivotal for me. I was so much more aware of who I was and starting wondering about my purpose in life. I was learning to embrace my indigenous roots more than ever and the knowledge and wisdom I acquired between post-high school and post-undergrad would become the foundation and the reason for pursuing the work I would do later on. The path of self-discovery became central to me at this time.

You graduated from Peekskill High School about a decade ago, and now you’re a Trustee of the School Board. Tell us how you decided to run for the School Board and how your perspective as a relatively recent graduate informs your work on the Board.
I give many thanks to our current Vice President, Allen Jenkins, for thinking of me for this position. I had met Allen when I ran for city council [in 2021]. When the [School Board] seat was up, he called me and asked if I would be interested in running. To be honest, I was nervous. I didn’t know where it would take me, what it would take, or if I was even ready. I admit I ended up waiting a couple of days before signatures were due to start collecting them because I was so unsure, but it was the best decision I could have ever made.

333 people voted for me and it means a lot to me knowing that people I knew from high school and others who I haven’t met, felt I was ready to lead their community in this way. Being the youngest board member, I find myself in a unique position to advocate for our youth but also uplifting their voices and the vision they have for the future. I see this position as one I don’t do alone. When I speak, I remember who I’m building a future for and what’s at stake.

As the first Ecuadorian-American to be part of the board, it’s incredibly special for me. I know how hard it was for me in my early life to appreciate what made me different and to appreciate my family and our roots. I’m focused on curating a sense of pride amongst all students, but especially in the Ecuadorian community. I hope to continue working on building a space that allows students to embrace who they are without shame and explore their purpose and passions.

You’ve recently launched a business, Vele Management. Tell us the story of how you came to be an entrepreneur.
Vele Management came to life after my time working with County Legislator Colin Smith. I knew I was ready to take the next step in my career, but I wanted to make sure I was calling the shots. I felt I was ready even though I was worried, but I knew my passions were leading me in this direction. Being a journalist, I learned to be a one-woman band, so fortunately, I learned to handle pressure and acquire various skills.

I launched my business in 2022 and have worked on various political campaigns since then, focusing on general campaign management, social media marketing, or working in more specific roles such as Field Director.

You were the campaign manager for former Mayor Andre Rainey, you were a legislative aide to County Legislator Colin Smith, and you even campaigned to be on the Peekskill Common Council yourself. Given your knowledge of local government, what are two key policies that the city should implement to support Peekskill’s development and economic growth?
One of the most important things any community should have is spaces where people can congregate. I’d love to see more community spaces that reflect the community, similar to Esther Place. One of the main issues I have with development is that it attracts people outside of the community. Yes, we want more people to come, but it’s important city officials remember to center those who have lived in the city for years. People should feel welcomed in these spaces, and I’ve noticed that doesn’t always happen. If we’re going to focus on the “beautification” of the city, let the spaces we create look and feel like a place where all people can join. We can solve that through art and any other materials used to create its ambiance.

Another key issue we desperately need to resolve is housing. While it’s not necessarily a specific issue to Peekskill, it is an incredibly important one facing our community. I see more buildings but not enough truly affordable housing. When I hear affordable housing, my first thought is always: affordable for who? Residents across the county are struggling to find housing, but If people were given the chance to be able to spend less on housing, they would spend more time in the community. This, with the addition of more community spaces, benches, etc. could make a big difference for our city. Small changes have big impacts.

How do you think the city’s development plans (e.g. the recent DRI funding) will affect your business? How do you think it will affect the city as a whole?
Luckily, I don’t think it will impact the work I do, but I do think that we need to be careful about how the city changes and who it’s changing for. At one of the first DRI forums, I mentioned that the rest of North Division Street (near the monument and predominantly Latino- owned businesses) were being left out of the opportunity to expand and grow. It felt very much “othered, and that’s a big problem I see still happening. It’s the reason why I believe being mindful of how we create new spaces is important to me. Whether we realize it or not, it creates a dynamic of “us and them” when it doesn’t have to be that way.

Where is your favorite place to go in Peekskill, and why?
I’m a big nature lover, so I love spending time on the trails at Depew Park, Blue Mountain, or by the river, specifically Annsville Creek! It’s one of the reasons why I want to continue living in Peekskill; we have so much beauty around us. It reminds me a lot of Ecuador.

What would you like to say to the Peekskill community?
I love Peekskill and it’s people with all my heart and there’s a lot to celebrate and to be proud of. I think for those who are newer to the town, it might seem like there’s still a lot of work left to do but a lot has already changed. I don’t think we need to keep changing things to attract people or to become the next big city. I think we need to learn to appreciate what we do have and appreciate the people who make Peekskill what it is.

I want us to change in ways that make the existing community feel even closer. I want people to see themselves in the art we create; I want them to lead conversations that they’re often left out of, and I want people to feel like this is their home. We need to focus on building bridges between communities, not just uplifting one and not the other, because they might not have the same education or work experience. I hope to continue working and building towards these goals and finding ways to bring the community together.

Amy Vele is the founder of Vele Management, which supports political campaign management and conducts social media marketing campaigns.