Commissioner of the
Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit
For Nazli Parvizi, work has always been about building bridges. At her new post as Commissioner of the mayor’s Community Assistance Unit (CAU), that will not change.
“[CAU’s] job is to find practical solutions to neighborhood issues,” said Parvizi, who was recently appointed to the position by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “The power we have is to bring all the right people to the table.”
Before her appointment to CAU, Parvizi was the Executive Director of the mayor’s Volunteer Center. She described her responsibilities as “bringing together” and providing resources for corporations, citizens and organizations who want to help their communities.
CAU is a division of the mayor’s office charged with acting as a liaison between the mayor and the community. That means getting to know every religious and civic group, community board, and non-profit organization in New York City.
“We’re sort of the mayor’s eyes and ears,” said Parvizi. “We bring community concerns back to the mayor so they can be addressed.” In addition, CAU acts as the face of the mayor, said Parvizi. “Oftentimes, we’re the ones going out there and representing the mayor’s office,” she said.
Parvizi’s main goal as CAU Commissioner is to be “more proactive.” “People ask, ‘What can I do to get involved in the community?’” she said. “We want to give people those resources…volunteerism is a great way of engaging a community, especially youth.”
For Parvizi, the decision to devote her life to volunteerism came when she owned a catering company that served food to workers cleaning up the site of the 9/11 attacks. “I realized the ways in which a skill I had could be used to make a difference,” she said of the experience. “It made me think about the city.” Parvizi acknowledges that her job will be a challenge, but overall, believes it will be a “phenomenal” opportunity.
