Beyond Bureaucracy: Grace Bonilla on Building Policy Around People

In this episode of The NYC Workforce Drop, host Gregory J. Morris, CEO of NYCETC, sits down with Grace Bonilla, President and CEO of United Way of New York City, for a powerful conversation about equity, leadership, and resilience in New York City’s social safety net.Grace reflects on her journey as the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants in Queens, where early experiences interpreting for her parents shaped her pursuit of law and public service. She takes us inside her years at the Human Resources Administration (HRA), where she rose from staff attorney to agency leader, navigating moments of crisis like Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic. Grace shares candid stories about fighting for immigrant families, implementing emergency food supports like D-SNAP, and the human toll of leading a workforce during unprecedented times.Now at the helm of United Way of New York City, Grace speaks to the urgent challenges facing New Yorkers as federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid loom. She underscores the pressure on local nonprofits and food pantries, and the collective responsibility to ensure that families remain fed, healthy, and supported. Greg and Grace close by looking ahead to the city’s political future, where she offers clear advice for the next mayor: hire people who know what they’re doing, keep ideology in check, and focus on the basics of health and food security.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: immigrant experience, law and public service, HRA and DHS leadership, emergency response (Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19), food insecurity and SNAP, nonprofit resilience, equity in government systems, immigrant rights, United Way’s role in NYC, leadership in times of crisis, lessons for the next mayor