Speakers

Since 2005, Murguía has sought to strengthen UnidosUS’s work and enhance its record of impact as a vital American institution. Murguía has also worked to amplify the Latino voice on issues affecting the Hispanic community such as education, health care, immigration, civil rights, and the economy. Murguía has been recognized on numerous occasions for her work. She has been selected twice as one of Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington” and as one of the NonProfit Times’ “Power and Influence Top 50” leaders. Prior to UnidosUS, she worked at the White House, ultimately serving as deputy assistant to President Clinton, and as executive vice chancellor for university relations at the University of Kansas (KU). Janet Murguía grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. She received three degrees from KU: a B.S. degree in journalism, a B.A. degree in Spanish, and a J.D. degree from the School of Law. She also received an honorary degree—Doctor of Humane Letters—from California State University, Dominguez Hills and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Wake Forest University.

Irene has dedicated 23 years of service in UnidosUS, and has been leading the Affiliate Engagement since 2020.

Lot oversees the development and implementation of UnidosUS’s community development programs, provides technical assistance coordination to UnidosUS Affiliates in developing and financing real estate projects and developing homeownership programs, and develops single family real estate development and alternative financial services programs nationally. He is sought after for his expertise in community development, real estate financing and development, consumer financial services and mortgage lending and servicing. He is also known for his strengths in public/private partnerships for homeownership programs, housing counseling program management and training, structure and operations of community development corporations, and technical assistance provision for local housing nonprofits.

Pedro D. Martinez co-leads the CDC funded cooperative agreement aimed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in adult immunizations among Latino populations, currently focusing on COVID-19. Mr. Martinez has over eleven years of experience delivering technical assistance, capacity building, scientific guidance, and program development and implementation expertise within communities, including county, state, and federal level. As a trained epidemiologist and practice-driven program manager, Mr. Martinez has gained expertise in the following public health topic areas: maternal and child health, injury and violence prevention including drug overdose and suicide prevention, and public health epidemiology/surveillance.

Zandra Zuno Baermann is Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing for UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza), responsible for the organization’s overall communications, marketing, and branding strategies. Prior to UnidosUS, Zandra was executive director at Golin, a leading global marketing communications firm. She served as lead of multicultural marketing, responsible for strategies targeting African American, Latino, and LGBT segments. Over the years, she counseled clients like Kaiser Permanente, Nintendo of America, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (for the 2015 U.S. papal visit), Walmart, and Wells Fargo.

Veronica Isabel Dahlberg is the Founding Executive Director of HOLA Ohio, a 501c3, nonprofit organization based in Painesville, Ohio, with a mission to improve quality-of-life opportunities and empower Latinos, immigrants, farm workers and their families. She has been an advocate in Northeast Ohio for more than 20 years. Under her direction, HOLA Ohio is developing a Hispanic Community Center and Commercial Kitchen Incubator in Painesville, a $2 million project to open in spring 2022.

Petra Falcon is a veteran organizer, activist and community leader with a long record of developing powerful grassroots strategies. She has devoted her life to ensuring and expanding access to opportunities for the under served, having achieved significant victories over her 25 years organizing within faith, Latino, and immigrant communities in Arizona and the Southwest.

Maricela Garcia has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management leading organizations through start-up, turnaround, and expansion. Maricela came to the United States in the early 1980s as a result of the civil war in Guatemala. Since her arrival in the U.S., she has founded or led numerous various Chicago community based organizations. Maricela has also served on various boards and councils including the National Immigration Forum, the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Northwestern University Human Rights Center, the Chicago Community Renewal Society, Illinois Partners for Human Services, and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

Roger A. Gonzales is an experienced professional in various legislative, educational and executive management roles with over twenty years of proven experience and success. In February 2017, Mr. Gonzales was appointed President of CPLC New Mexico, Inc., formerly Siete Del Norte CDC, a Community Development Corporation, with over 45 years to improving the economic wellbeing of residents through northern New Mexico while seeking to preserve the area’s unique cultural, historical and social traditions and ways of life. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Gonzales served as the Vice President of Business Development, and works alongside government and elected officials and has been successful in leveraging over $5M in new funding opportunities to support the organization’s mission.

Ms. Lutz serves as the Executive Director for The Health Collaborative. She has been with the organization since 2007, serving in multiple roles throughout her tenure. Her primary role has been to support and manage the organization’s finance and operations while also providing administrative and management support for all of the organization’s programs and community initiatives.

In this capacity, Ms. Lutz works diligently to foster an atmosphere of continued growth and professional development for her staff, motivating and empowering the staff and others to embrace their role in the health of our community. She asserts her passion for community health, equality in service, and collaborative vision to construct sustainable and resilient processes that will directly impact the health status of the community. Ms. Lutz assiduously works in tandem with the Board of Directors and the staff to provide the highest standards of collaboration, sharing of resources and best practices to increase the impact of services for the community they are privileged to serve.

Robert Monzon has been providing leadership for the past 19 years overseeing capacity building and program development. Under his leadership MHDC has received various awards including the Annie E. Casey Family Strengthening Award, the UnidosUS Affiliate of the year Award, and the Panther Advocacy Award. MHDC has assisted over 500 families purchase their first home and has been instrumental in assisting individuals avoid foreclosure during 25 years of service to the communities in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

As the Director of Operations for La Paz Chattanooga where he supports the mission of empowering and engaging Chattanooga's Latinx population. This aligns with his purpose driven mission to see Chattanooga become a city that is welcoming to all, just as he felt welcome. He is also the most recent member of the Hamilton County Schools Board.

Through his prior work at LAUNCH CHA and his independent work as a consultant through Relife Strategies, LLC, he has supported dozens of

entrepreneurs and seen many of those grow and achieve tremendous results.

Laura Ponce is the Executive Director for Project BRAVO, a Community Action Agency serving the County of El Paso, Texas. Project BRAVO manages $8 to $12 million in federal funds from multiple federal departments on an annual basis. Laura has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso. Laura is the President for the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies, and she is the Texas Female Representative and Executive Committee Secretary for the UnidosUS Affiliate Council. In 2020, Project BRAVO received the UnidosUS Capital Award for Public Service for the organization’s response to the 2018/2019 migrant crisis and their service to families affected by the 2019 mass shooting at a local Wal-Mart that killed 23 people. Laura strives, through her professional and volunteer endeavors, to co-create a healthy, empowered, and equitable community in her Borderland region.

A native of San Antonio, Gabriel Quintero Velasquez received his BS in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has a long career history in various architectural offices including Killis P. Almond, FAIA, Preservation Architect. Trained in activism by Albert A. Pena, Jr., Velasquez served as Director of the Inner City Advocates at the Mexican American Unity Council and was the first march event coordinator of the San Antonio Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice, serving for over 20 years. He is recognized bi-nationally as an immigration rights activist and served as a delegate to the United Mexican States – Primer Parlamento De Lideres Mexicanos Que Viven En El Extranjero. Velasquez trained as a capacity builder for the Annie E. Casey Foundation Initiative – Making Connections San Antonio. Nominated by the San Antonio Museum of Art’s Education Committee, Velasquez was awarded the City of San Antonio Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission Award for Leadership in the Cultural Arts. He is a founding member of Luminaria San Antonio and founded “Una Noche de La Gloria – Contemporary Art in the Cultural Zone”. Velasquez served on City’s Cultural Arts Board, the Higher Education Authority, the Board of Adjustment, and currently serves on the San Antonio Housing Commission and the Westside Creeks Restoration Oversight Committee (San Antonio River Authority) charged with community oversight of the 14-mile ecosystem restoration of the Alazan, Apache, Martinez, and San Pedro Creeks.

Since 2012, James Rudyk has led the growth of the NWSHC from a team of eight to 27 and increased the NWSHC’s annual operating budget by over 400 percent. In 2017, James was elected to the UnidosUS Affiliate Council representing Chicago nationally. James also serves on Ocwen Financial Corporation’s Community Advisory Council, Mr. Cooper’s Community Advisory Group, and 5/3 Bank’s Community Advisory Board. He is a graduate of the Latino Policy Forum’s Academy as well as an inaugural fellow in the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy. James is an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University, teaching courses on race, housing, and politics in the DePaul's Public Policy School.

During his finance career, Daniel Flanagan has worked extensively with mission driven organizations. In this capacity, he has been working for 14+ years performing strategic consulting, financial transaction structuring and execution and other engagements for a range of faith-based, membership, community and national organizations, and mission driven for-profit entities and real estate developers.

Dan obtained his M.B.A. from the University of Michigan in 2015 with high distinction and earned membership into Beta Gamma Sigma. He also holds University of Michigan B.S. in Economics (2007).

Raul is a former Unidos affiliate CEO and currently principal of Santa Fe Advisors a consulting firm assisting non profits and schools In optimizing their organizational capacity in service of their mission.

Since earning his Bachelor of Science Degree from Union College (NY). Eric spent much of his career helping nonprofits develop unique program models and strengthening their service delivery platforms through process innovation, technology enhancements, and performance evaluation that allowed them access to diverse funding streams.

As Director of Affiliate Investments at Raza Development Fund (RDF), he is establishing an outreach and technical assistance support program that will help RDF educate, inspire and activate nonprofit organizations to develop earned income strategies, explore social enterprise opportunities, and seek CDFI investments along a path of transformational growth and impact in their communities.