Maria del Carmen was born in Corozal and is the third child of seven children born to Pablo Juan and Carmen Elsie Arroyo. She lived in Puerto Rico until the age of seven years old. Between 1964 and 1965, her family moved to the Bronx.  She attended elementary school at P.S. 154 in the South Bronx, Junior High School in Harlem and two years of high school at Washington Irving High School in Manhattan. Maria del Carmen dropped out of high school in her sophomore year and went to work on a full-time basis to assist with her family's financial responsibilities. In 1978 at the age of twenty she obtained her GED.

While working as a receptionist at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Maria del Carmen realized that without a college education, she would not be able to make a difference in the service delivery system she worked in. Her passion to help people guided her to pursue higher education goals. She graduated from Hostos Community College in January 1989 with an Associate in Arts degree, from Lehman College, CUM LAUDE, with a Bachelor's Degree in Health Service Administration in January 1991 and from the New York University, Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, with a Masters of Public Administration in 1994.

Maria del Carmen is an experienced administrator with nearly twenty eight years of progressive managerial and administrative experience. She served as Executive Director at Segundo Ruiz Belvis D & TC, where she began as a receptionist, as Senior Director of Operations for the Narco Freedom, Inc., Division of Health Care Services and as volunteer Executive Director of the South Bronx Community Corporation. The three organizations provide much needed services to residents of the South Bronx community where she was raised. Service with a passion is her motto. "Our people deserve no less".

Maria del Carmen was elected to represent the 17th District on February 15, 2005. Since her election, she has worked with community residents, organizations and leaders to build the partnerships and collaborations needed to bring positive changes to the community she represents.  She has distinguished herself as a hard working representative for her district and has gained the respect of all she has encountered in her work as a Council member.

Maria del Carmen serves as Co-Chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, and is a member of the Education, Health, Juvenile Justice, Land Use, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management committees and the subcommittee for Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses.

Entered City Council: 03/21/2005
Current Term Expires: 12/31/2013

Committees: Aging; General Welfare; Health, Chair; Juvenile Justice; Land Use (Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses); Sanitation & Solid Waste Management