La Rocca’s hire cements BFC’s commitment to unparalleled expertise in mixed-use and mixed-income community-driven developments
BFC Partners announces that Melanie E. La Rocca, a seasoned executive with experience leading large and diverse teams, has joined the full-service development firm as Chief Operating Officer. Collaborating with the executive team, La Rocca will guide the firm’s workflow,
Strategy and organization of all essential business processes. Her duties include reviewing the efficiency of current business functions, planning changes and updates to day-to-day operations, while collaborating with other executive staff to set and meet business objectives. She will be based at BFC’s Brooklyn office and will work alongside principals Don Capoccia, Joseph Ferrara, Win Wharton, and Brandon Baron.
“We are thrilled to bring Melanie on board and add her expertise and leadership to our team,” said Don Capoccia, Managing Principal for BFC Partners. “With her strong background in construction, operations, efficiency, development, and externals affairs, we are confident that she is going to be a great addition to the BFC family.”
Prior to joining BFC Partners, La Rocca was named by Mayor Eric Adams, founding Chief Efficiency Officer for the City of New York, and served in that role since January of 2022. Previously, Melanie served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, where she regulated and promoted the safe and lawful use of nearly 1.1 million buildings and more than 45,000 active construction sites.
Before becoming DOB Commissioner, La Rocca was Vice President of Development and External Affairs at the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA), where she oversaw the Authority’s Real Estate Group and worked with communities throughout the city to create new schools for the city’s children. As part of this work, Melanie played a key role in implementing Mayor de Blasio’s Universal Pre-K program. And prior to joining the SCA, she served as District Chief of Staff to Christine C. Quinn, former Speaker of the New York City Council, and was a member of Queens Community Board 1. She received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University.
“What a thrill and privilege it is to join the team at BFC where affordable housing, diverse retail, and engaging community take center stage,” said La Rocca. “I’m looking forward to adding to the legacy of BFC and am proud to be aligned with such an inspiring company, Together, we will continue to grow and thrive with structure, building teams, and solving problems, for the betterment of our City and beyond.”
La Rocca is a native New Yorker and a lifelong Queens resident.
About BFC Partners
BFC Partners is a full-service, real estate development firm that creates community-first, urban development solutions. Since 1984, BFC has been at the forefront of developing high quality affordable, mixed-income, and market rate housing. We are dedicated to revitalizing communities and improving the lives of our residents and neighbors. As leaders in the field, our government, financial, and community partners seek us out to help start new programs and undertake complicated projects. For more information, please visit: https://www.bfcnyc.com/.
