Maria Socorro Pesqueira
Maria Socorro Pesqueira is the President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Accion (Mujeres). Founded in 1973, Mujeres is one of the longest standing Latina nonprofit organizations in the nation. Over the years, Mujeres has developed a comprehensive array of social services and advocacy initiatives that promote nonviolence and leadership development. Under Maria’s leadership Mujeres received the prestigious ORBA Award for Nonprofit Financial Management Excellence; moved Mujeres’ main office to a newly renovated 14,000 square foot facility and opened a satellite office in Cicero, Illinois.
Previous to Mujeres, Maria was the Director of Development for the National Museum of Mexican Art (previously known as the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum) where she started and grew the Museum’s resource development office, and completed its $7.5 million capital and endowment campaign. Ms. Pesqueira was also the Director for the Future Professionals’ Program at H.A.C.E. (Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement).
Ms. Pesqueira has a BA in Latin American Studies from DePaul University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard University JFK School of Government Executive Program, the Center for Creative Leadership and St. Thomas University Mini MBA program in Nonprofit Management. Ms. Pesqueira was a 2004 Fellow for the National Hispana Leadership Institute and 2008 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.
Chicago Magazine has named Ms. Pesqueira one of six Chicagoans of the Year 2006. The Illinois Latino Caucus Foundation presented Pesqueira with the 2006 Award for Outstanding Leadership. Pesqueira received the 2005 National Organization for Women's Women Who Dared Award for advocacy work done on behalf of women and girls. She was the recipient of the 2003 Thomas Jefferson Award, an award established in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as the American Institute for Public Service. Accento Magazine selected her as “Woman of the Year” for 2002. She was also selected by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of “40 under 40” for the year 2000.
Pesqueira is a board member of the Community Memorial Foundation, a private independent foundation whose initiatives target community health improvement in 27 communities of western Cook and southeastern DuPage Counties. Pesqueira was appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Domestic Violence and appointed to the Mayor of Chicago’s Advisory Council on Domestic Violence.
Ms. Pesqueira is co-founder of Latinos in Development (LID); a professional association and network of Latinos whose careers involve resource development and other fund raising activities. Pesqueira is a member of The Chicago Network.
Nationally, Ms. Pesqueira is an Executive committee member of the Board of Directors for the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization based in Washington DC. Maria is a National Advisory Committee member of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Bi-nationally, as an appointed member of the consultative board to Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (Institute of Mexicans in the Exterior), Maria joins delegates across the United States to create an analysis that will support justice for Mexicans in the United States and Mexico.
Maria and her husband David are the proud parents of son David Ollin.
Yolanda J. Gaspar
Yolanda Gaspar began her career with State Farm in 1995 as an Auto Claim Representative in the Chicagoland area. In December 2000, she joined State Farm's Illinois “Emerging Markets Marketing Department” which eventually was re-named the “Great Lakes Zone Multicultural Markets Department” in 2005. This department specifically creates marketing and branding opportunities for State Farm and its Agents in IL, IN, & MI in the Hispanic, African American, and Asian American markets and other micro-markets with large immigration populations such as the Polish market in Chicago and the Middle Eastern market in Detroit.
Through her work with State Farm, Yolanda has also formed close relationships with many community organizations in the Chicagoland area such as Mujeres Latinas en Acción (and is their current Board Chair), Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, March of Dimes - IL Chapter, the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. She truly enjoys her work outside of State Farm with these organizations and is passionate about women’s, children’s and young adults’ causes.
In addition, Yolanda has been a lifelong resident of Chicago's Little Village neighborhood and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She is also a member of Alpha Psi Lambda Co-ed Fraternity. In her downtime, Yolanda enjoys spending time with her family and doting on 5 nieces and nephews. Last, but certainly not least, Yolanda is engaged to Daniel Hernandez, a Master’s Degree candidate at John Marshall Law School.
Maria Pesqueira
President and CEO
Mujeres Latinas en Accion
Yolanda J. Gaspar
Chair
Multicultural Markets Specialist
State Farm Insurance Companies
Susana Gonzalez
Vice Chair
Director of Maternal / Child Health
MacNeal Hospital
Esther Zurita
Treasurer
Sr. Product Marketing Manager
AT&T
Lisa Montez
Associate General Counsel
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Celia Chavez
Telemundo
Luisa Echevarria
Community Relations
Univision & Telefutura Chicago
Yolanda Gamboa
Attorney
Bank of America
Sunny Chico
President
SPC Consulting
Roberta Rakove
Senior Vice President
Government and Public Affairs
Sinai Health System
Pedro De Jesus
Senior Vice President
Tampico Beverages
Carolyn Schamberger
Public Relations Director
Mid West
Verizon Wireless
Hilario Gonzalez
Managing Examiner
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Leticia Velez-Hudson
President/CEO
Chicago Mini Bus Travel, Inc.
Zandra Zuno
Senior Vice President and
Practice Leader
Golin Harris
Janet Padilla
PAS Manager
Ford Motor Company
Jennifer Creed
Human Resource Director
Heartland Alliance
