Director of Market DevelopmenT for the
New York Mets
BY VICTOR G. MIMONI
The New York Mets named Fernando Aquino, 39, as Director of Market Development at the end of March.
Aquino joined the Mets organization after leaving the Office of the New York State Senate Democratic Conference, where he served for five years as Press Secretary of downstate press operations for the State Senate Minority Leader, currently Malcolm Smith.
In a statement, Smith called Aquino “a trusted friend and colleague to the Conference,” saying “The New York Mets are truly fortunate to have such a talented individual joining their team.”
While wishing Aquino “an abundance of success and happiness in his new endeavor,” Smith admitted he was “sad to lose a gifted writer and professional.”
Smith added, “I am fully confident Aquino will bring his invaluable talents to the organization.”
Aquino’s position is responsible for “building and enhancing the image of the club in the multicultural market as well as elevating the profile of the Mets and their players beyond the sports pages - focusing on off-field, business, entertainment, community and lifestyle media coverage,” according to the team.
“I’m not breaking any new ground,” Aquino said, adding “The Mets are already doing a lot in the schools and for health causes.”
Before moving into government communications in 2003 as Deputy Press Secretary for then State Senate Democratic Leader David Paterson, Aquino spent four years as political and community reporter for El Diario/La Prensa, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S.
He previously served as Chief of Information for Listin USA, the stateside arm of the largest newspaper in his native Dominican Republic, Listin Diario, and reported from New York as a foreign correspondent for El Siglo, a major Dominican news outlet at the time.
A 2006 graduate of The City College of New York in Manhattan, Aquino has been married for “sixteen wonderful years.” He currently resides in the Bronx with his wife, Melissa Coss and their two sons, Gabriel, 15 and Antonio, 12.
