“It was my first marathon, and I was initially dreading it,” said Low, “but the feeling of camaraderie, excitement, and energy from all the people in line, from across the world, coming together for this event, was amazing.”

Now, Low plays a crucial part in creating that energy. In 2019, after serving for several years in-house as general counsel of a restaurant hospitality company, she took on the role of vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at the Javits Center. In her first year, in addition to her regular duties, she dedicated time to walking the event floor and observing the employees and activities as part of learning the day-to-day business of the Javits Center. She also participated, and continues to participate, in the legal aspects of its massive expansion project, which was already underway and set to be completed in May 2021.

In March 2020, as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the city, the Javits Center was activated by the New York State government. Fulfilling its role as a public benefit corporation, it converted into a medical station to help relieve the building pressure on the city’s hospital system.

“In terms of the work that we perform, all of this was very different yet familiar,” said Low. “The Javits Center is known as the destination to be and where you can load an event, in and out, very quickly, and be able to get the next show in. In some ways, this was one of our largest shows, and we were happy to play a significant role.”

After the first wave of infections subsided in New York, the Javits Center moved on to its next challenge: reimagining the role of New York’s premier event space during a time of social distancing. As the medical station beds and ventilators were put into storage, Low worked on agreements to transform one of the special exhibit halls into a live broadcast studio, allowing clients to hold remote events with top-notch production values.

“The broadcast studio was an opportunity for us to go in different directions and really think outside the box about how to expand the services we provide,” said Low. “All companies need to reevaluate their business model from time to time, particularly due to changes in technology. As a public benefit corporation, the Javits Center has a mission to serve the citizens of the State and City of New York by generating new business and employment opportunities and catalyzing the continued redevelopment of the local community.”

A lifelong New Yorker, Low received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University. She worked as a paralegal in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and for criminal defense attorneys before attending Brooklyn Law School on a merit scholarship. She quickly embraced all of the opportunities available, including serving as an editor of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, taking internships with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in both the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and participating in a clerkship with Hon. Ronald Ellis of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“Brooklyn Law School equipped me to embrace new challenges, and to not be afraid to go outside of my comfort zone and jump in when I need to take on challenges that come my way,” Low said.

In January, Low had to pivot once again to help transform the Javits Center into the state’s largest vaccination site. At the time this issue went to press in May, over 500,000 New Yorkers had been inoculated at the site. While still in the midst of a historic crisis, Low finds the energy in the space palpably different.

“There’s a sense of optimism for the future we didn’t have last spring,” said Low. “We are helping New Yorkers to come out again. The city is always changing and evolving. You have to work at it to keep up with it, but that work is what creates our sense of community, unity, and resilience. Whether it is 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, or any of the other tragedies we’ve experienced as a city and a state, New York always comes together, and it always bounces back stronger.”