Ischia Bravo

Ischia Bravo serves as District Manager for Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), which includes the communities of Bedford Park, Fordham, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Mosholu Parkway, Norwood and University Heights. As the only Latina and woman of color serving as District Manager among the
12 Community Boards in the Bronx, one of her main priorities is to ensure that underrepresented and underserved groups in her community are informed of, and have access to, vital resources and services provided by local government and community-based organizations.

Through Ms. Bravo’s partnership with CB7 leadership, the Board serves as a unique vehicle to organize and amplify the voice of community residents to weigh in on important issues impacting their neighborhoods, such as affordable housing, economic development, workforce investment, and City
services.

Prior to her role as District Manager, Ms. Bravo served as Executive Director of the Bronx Democratic Party. Under the leadership of then - Chairman and now New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, she was charged with carrying out the organization’s mission and managing the day-to-day operations of the office. Ms. Bravo led the organization for seven years, fulfilling its mission of doubling down on its commitment to Democratic values: increasing Bronxites’ access to resources by connecting them to legal, financial, and other public services; participating in political activism initiatives; and serving as an inclusive facilitator between local community residents and party leaders.

Ms. Bravo was born and raised in the Bronx, growing up in public housing in the Kingsbridge neighborhood. She received a public education, earning a GED while working multiple jobs to help her grandmother meet the gaps that public assistance could not fill for her family. She continued her education at Hostos Community College, where she fought for increased investment in student resources and assistance, and was eventually elected as President of the Student Government. She went on to John Jay College, and remains committed to the advocacy and community organizing work that she fostered
throughout her education and personal experience.

Among all of these roles and experiences, Ms. Bravo considers her most important role as that of the mother of two young boys. In addition to crediting her upbringing as the inspiration for her passion to serve others, she is also deeply moved to ensure that the neighborhood she calls home has good
schools, clean parks, safe streets, and adequate access to quality healthcare – for her children and for generations to come.