Victoria Benitez, AVP Communications and Community Affairs

Victoria joined Columbia University’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs in 2007, after more than 25 years of media management experience working with national and international not-for-profit organizations, corporations, and New York City community-based institutions.

Before arriving at Columbia, Victoria held multiple directorships at several cultural institutions, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Museum for African Art, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. During her extensive career in public relations and marketing, Victoria has also represented prestigious institutions such as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Romare Bearden Foundation, El Museo del Barrio, and the Smithsonian Institution. She also worked internationally with governmental projects in Austria, Germany, and the Dominican Republic.

Victoria is currently an Associate Vice President for Communications and Community Affairs at Columbia, where she serves as the lead in promoting the University’s community-based programs.

Victoria Benitez is a native New Yorker who grew up and continues to live in West Harlem. She is a Hunter College High School graduate and attended the University of Buffalo. She currently serves on her local Community Board (CB9) and is on the Arts and Culture Committee, as well as Landmarks and Parks.   She is one of the founding board members of a new organization, the West Harlem Artist Alliance. Also serving on the board of the Riverside Park Conservancy, for many years, she has volunteered in her local community counseling at-risk youth. In addition, Victoria is a founding member of the Riverside Valley Community Garden (aka Jenny’s Garden) which her parents started over 40 years ago.