With his election to represent the 39^th Assembly District in 2010, Assemblyman Francisco Moya became the first Ecuadorian -American ever elected to public office in the United States.  “It was very humbling,” Moya reflected. “The outpouring of support was overwhelming.  During the campaign, so many people were coming to our office—and they were all Ecuadorian—saying they were there to vote for Francisco Moya. People were coming from far corners of the borough.  We had to tell them 'I'm sorry, you can't vote.  It's a local election.'  And they were very upset.   We won 70-30.  It was the highest voter turnout in the entire city.   And now, when someone recognizes me walking down the streets of my neighborhood, not in a suit but just on a regular Saturday with a Mets cap on, hearing something like ‘Hey, I'm so happy I voted for you,’ is very, very humbling.”

The streets of his Queens district are ones that Moya knows well.  He was born there, grew up there and still makes his home there.  And it was on one of those streets that his cousin was mugged one day when she was coming home from work, setting the then-15 year-old Moya on the path of public service.  “It was unheard of, to be mugged in broad daylight.  So my cousins and I started organizing a simple block association.  We started out with 7 people, doing block patrols. We would meet in the basement of my parents' home.”  It was the beginning of what became the Corona Gardens Neighborhood Association that is today over a hundred members strong.  And it was the beginning of Francisco Moya's political career.  “At that same time, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez was running for Congress, against maybe 6 other people in the race.  I sent out invitations to all the candidates to come and talk to my group and she was the only one that showed up.” 

And it was Congresswoman Velazquez' office who called the day he graduated from St. John's University, offering him a job.  “Classes ended on a Thursday.  And they said 'You want a job?  Be here in Washington on Monday.’ I didn't even own a suit.  My dad gave me his blazer and bought me one-way Greyhound ticket to D.C.”  Moya lived in Velazquez' office until he could find a place to live. “She's like my adopted mother in politics.”

At Congresswoman Velazquez' urging, Moya pursued the National Urban Fellows Masters in Public Adminstration Fellowship.  “She encouraged me to get a higher education, and kept saying, ‘This is a great opportunity for you.'”  His NUF mentorship assignment brought him back to his native Queens to work at Elmhurst Hospital, leading to his role as the Associate Director of Business Development, where Moya created the first clinic in Queens solely dedicated to women's health.

“My mentor there ran the hospital—Pete Velez—and he had this great ability to connect with people. He made it his business to know the maintenance workers and the cleaning ladies by name.  He knew the names of their children.  He would walk the hospital at one o'clock in the morning, at all hours of the day, making sure that it was functioning.  He really knew how to utilize everyone’s unique talent.  And he was great at getting people to buy into his way of thinking.”

Moya's description of his mentor's talents would seem to describe the very skills the Assemblyman draws on today in representing his district.  “I have a mobile office that I run—we do it twice a month—where we go out into the district, bringing constituent services to the community. I think that it's important to have real accessibility to your local leaders.  I go door-knocking still, even though it's not even campaign season.  I purposely went out two months ago and I walked up and down this big building.  And I said, 'I don't want anybody to say that you only see me during campaign season.  I'm here.  Let me talk to you about the budget process.  Do you have questions before we vote on this in Albany? And it is about accessibility, and the commitment to never stop serving your community.  I've maintained my roots here.  I like to tell the story—I was born in Elmhurst Hospital, I worked at Elmhurst Hospital, and now I represent Elmhurst Hospital here in the district.” 

TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE...

Like I always say, 'Money doesn't buy you happiness.'  I think if you're committed to doing something and you have a goal to achieve and you want to do it for the right reasons, you go into a profession not because of the salary lines but because of what you can do for your community.

MY NUF MENTORSHIP HELPED ME...

If it wasn't for the opportunity to be a National Urban Fellow, I wouldn’t have landed at Elmhurst Hospital and have met a really great mentor who gave me a job there.  And that led me to other things, opening many doors.  Especially for Latinos who need access to a high-quality higher education, this is one of the best fellowships that are out there.  And I truly am grateful for that.

THE FUTURE...     

I think we're seeing a change in politics where the Latino community has been predominantly dominated by Puerto Rican trailblazers that really brought forth the movement to bring attention to the leadership of Latinos.  And this election really brought forth what's going to happen in the future—with Latinos from Central and South America. 

IF I WASN'T WORKING IN PUBLIC SERVICE...

That's easy.  I'd be playing midfield for the greatest soccer club in the entire world, Barcelona. 

TITLE OF MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY...

From Corona to Congress.Because one day when I go back to D.C. it will not be as a staff member, it will be as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.