Maria Olmedo-Malagon is chief of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Office of Strategic Alliances. 

Olmedo-Malagon has been a federal employee for 17 years, more than a dozen of them at the Census Bureau. Prior to this position, she served as program manager of the 2020 Census Integrated Partnerships and Communications Program, overseeing an over $1 billion campaign that included paid advertising, public relations and events, social media, development of digital platforms and national and local partnerships. 

Previously, Olmedo-Malagon served as assistant division chief for Program Management and Communications in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) Office. In this role, she oversaw all program management, data user education, outreach and promotional efforts related to the ACS.

She also served as director for Food Safety Education at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where she managed an award-winning advertising, digital and social media public relations campaign, national partnerships campaign, and customer service line focused on prevention of foodborne illnesses. Plus, she was executive officer overing seeing communications efforts in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of External Affairs during national disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy.  

Olmedo-Malagon began her career at the U.S. Census Bureau in 2004 as a governmental affairs specialist in the Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office. She was team leader for Stakeholders Relations in the 2010 Census Publicity Office, where she coordinated communication activities and managed messaging and content for Hispanic, Puerto Rican and immigrant populations. 

Olmedo-Malagon graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico, where she majored in political science and minored in communications, and has a master’s degree in public opinion and survey research from the University of Connecticut. She also received a master’s certificate in project management from George Washington University. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Department of Commerce’s Gold Medal; the Census Bureau Director’s Award for Innovation and the Outstanding Mentor of the Year; USDA’s Cultural Transformation Award; and the National Association of Government’s Communicator Blue Pencil Award and Web Health Award. Olmedo-Malagon was a Partnership for Public Service’s Senior Excellence in Government Fellow and was selected Outstanding Alumni of 2021.

Olmedo-Malagon lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband Christian, daughter Sara and son Enrique.