Pedro Frisneda, associate director of outreach in the New York City Mayor’s Office for Ethnic & Community Media, died suddenly at age 53 on Saturday morning.

A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said, “All we know is that there was no foul play.”

In his most recent role, Frisneda was focused on physical and mental health initiatives. He was previously deputy press secretary in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement on Saturday that Frisneda was an “integral” part of his administration’s team at both City Hall and at the Department of Health, and described him as having an “exuberance and love for this city.”

Adams added that Frisneda “worked tirelessly to connect different communities from across the five boroughs and was always willing to go the extra mile to help his colleagues.”

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan also released a statement about Frisneda’s death.

Vasan said that Frisneda “frequently spent weekends and evenings supporting vaccination clinics and healthcare enrollment programs, while always being at the ready to help his colleagues in the press corps.”

“I and his Health Department family are devastated by this loss, while grateful for the years of friendship and service we shared,” said Vasan. 

On Sunday, the Hispanic PR Association said in a LinkedIn post that Frisneda’s “dedication to connecting communities and sharing vital information has left an indelible mark on New York City and the Spanish-language journalism profession nationwide.”

The association said that Frisneda was a “bridge-builder” and his “tireless efforts to inform and uplift communities, especially during challenging times, were truly admirable.”

Frisneda was a health editor at El Diario from 2005 to 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

He was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He began his career as a news producer for Televen Channel 10, the third-largest TV station in his native country.

After Frisneda moved to the U.S., he worked as associate editor for the weekly newspaper El Latinoamericano U.S.A. He was also New York correspondent for Tiempos Del Mundo, a weekly Spanish-language newspaper, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

This article originally appeared on PRWeek US.