Meet Pilar
Pilar Ortiz is passionate about making a difference through public service and community work. With over 10 years of experience, She has led impactful projects in both the public and private sectors, always focusing on building strong relationships and creating inclusive solutions. She is skilled in strategic planning, budget management, and team leadership and loves using data to drive smart decisions.
For the last three-plus years working for the City, Pilar has fostered collaboration, ensured project completion, and streamlined operations. She advised on departmental operational policies and oversaw their execution, including HR strategies, professional development, budget management, and strategic improvements. Previously, she served on Mayor Wu's transition team, tackling complex city challenges across departments.
Pilar is a long-time Girl Scout volunteer, taking on various leadership roles with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. She is a Troop Leader and has served on the GSEMA Board's DEIB and Membership committees, helping shape the future of the organization. She has also served on the Volunteer Conference Committee, helping put together their annual conference, and has been a panel speaker alongside Girl Scouts of America’s CEO. Her commitment has been recognized with the GSUSA Appreciation Pin (2020), and she was part of the "Lift Your Voice" committee that won the President's Award (2021) for their important work on anti-racism. Beyond Girl Scouts, Pilar also serves on the Friends of the Faneuil Library board and, formerly, the Presentation School Foundation board in Oak Square.
Before diving into public service, Pilar honed her skills in the marketing world. She worked her way up to a director role, guiding teams to create successful campaigns with ethical strategies, building strong client relationships, and managing performance. She is experienced in everything from user acquisition and digital media management to paid search.
Born in El Paso, TX to Mexican immigrants from Puebla, Pilar's journey has taken her from San Diego and San Antonio to Boston, where she's made her home. She learned the value of hard work early by starting her first job at age 11, helping her dad set up his own small insurance business. In high school, she explored her creative side as a soundboard operator at a community theater. While in college, she worked for a rental van company for touring musicians, which immersed her in the local music scene—and even led to meeting her husband. (Thank you to Brighton Music Hall, the Middle East, Great Scott, and the Sinclair!)
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Pilar earned a B.S. in Management, focusing on Marketing, with an Italian minor from Boston College (class of 2012). She found her home in Allston-Brighton during college, finding community in the summers and eventually deciding to make the neighborhood her permanent home. She lives in North Brighton, on the Allston line, as a renter with her husband and two cats.
