Onida Coward Mayers
“A Woman of Firsts”
Onida Coward Mayers is a nationally respected government affairs strategist whose distinguished career
spans the public and private sectors, with deep expertise at the intersection of arts, media, technology,
electoral politics, and public policy.
An Afro-Latina born in Panama, Ms. Coward Mayers is the founder and principal of Comadre
Communications LLC, a government affairs firm operating domestically and globally, known for
delivering client-centered, results-driven advocacy. A leading registered lobbyist in New York State, she
regularly interfaces with state and local elected officials, legislative leadership, agency commissioners,
and senior policymakers to advance complex policy and funding agendas.
Ms. Coward Mayers manages an impressive portfolio of clients and is widely recognized for her ability to
navigate hard-to-access political and regulatory environments. Her work includes state-level advocacy,
coalition building, budget negotiations, and strategic counsel to elected officials and candidates,
including managing and advising electoral campaigns aligned with policy and civic priorities.
Most recently, she was credited as the architect behind BRIC Arts Media’s successful designation as a
Cultural Institution Group (CIG) which was achieved in under one year, demonstrating her effectiveness
in this breakthrough designation of redefining this moment to include technology and media along with
the arts as key qualifiers of culture as she advanced BRIC in the process.
Affectionately called “CoMadre,” she brings a rare combination of strategic insight, trusted
relationships, and political acumen. Her career includes significant leadership roles in New York City’s
media and cultural infrastructure, including managing Manhattan’s community television channels and
studios and building and launching the Brooklyn Community Access Television Center.
At the invitation of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Ms. Coward Mayers served as Agency head of the New
York City Voter Assistance Commission, where she led citywide voter education and outreach. She
executive produced the nation’s first municipal Video Voter Guide, highlighting candidates across all five
boroughs building an innovative platform connecting government, technology, and civic participation.
Her visionary initiatives include creating a voter-themed poetry contest that named the world’s first-
ever Youth Poet Laureate, a program that later elevated Amanda Gorman as the first National Youth
Poet Laureate. She also created and launched NYC Votes, New York City’s voter education arm, leading
the city to rank first nationally for voter registrations on National Voter Registration Day from 2015 to
2017.
In 2022, Ms. Coward Mayers served as lead consultant for the New York State Racial Justice
Commission’s historic ballot reform campaign, overseeing statewide outreach, education, and
stakeholder engagement. The effort resulted in the highest vote totals of all proposed reforms on the
ballot. She served as government relation strategist and registered lobbyist for several NYC non for
profits including the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, Destination Tomorrow, BRIC Arts Media and Panama 507
Roundtable Group where she passed in the Assembly and Senate New York States first-ever Panamanian
Cultural District covering over 26 blocks in Brooklyn, New York.
Ms. Coward Mayers resides in Bedford-Stuyvesant with her husband, Gregorio. They are the proud
parents of two young adult children and their dog, Ginger. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., and Cornerstone Baptist Church where she serves as a deaconess.