Cynthia López, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, To Step Down After A Year in Office

Cynthia López.

Cynthia López is resigning as head of New York City’s film office.

Lopez, who was named commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in April 2014, plans to leave that post in October to return to the private sector. She was the first Latin@ ever named to the post.

Before being named commissioner, she worked at from American Documentary | POV, where she served as executive vice president and co-executive producer of the award-winning “POV” (Point of View) documentary series. She has received many prestigious awards including the 2013 Industry Award from Chicken & Egg Pictures, Prism Award, and many others. In 2013, the Imagen Foundation cited her as one of the top 20 most influential Latinos in entertainment. She is the recipient of eight News and Documentary Emmys. López received an HOLA Advocacy Award from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors in 2014. 

During her tenure, New York saw a 56 percent growth in episodic television shows filming in the city in the 2014-15 season. López also developed strategic partnerships with the Producers Guild, Editors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, and the Teamsters to expand opportunities that provide a pathway to union membership, and worked with the Department of Education to increase educational opportunities. When she officially steps down in October, First Deputy Commissioner Luis Castro will serve as acting commissioner.

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