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Maria Socorro Pesqueira
Maria Socorro Pesqueira is the President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Accion. 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.
Previous to Mujeres, Ms. Pesqueira was the Director of Development for the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum where she started and grew the Museums 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 MiniMBA program in Nonprofit Management. Ms. Pesqueira is a 2004 Fellow for the National Hispana Leadership Institute.
Ms. Pesqueira was selected by Crains Chicago Business as one of 40 under 40 for the year 2000. Accento Magazine selected her as Woman of the Year for 2002. Most recently, 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.
Ms. Pesqueira is a board member of the Jesus Guadalupe Foundation, a public charity whose purpose is to provide scholarships and retention support to Latino college students. Ms. Pesqueira is also a board member of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence Foundation, and public policy committee member for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA).
Ms. Pesqueira is co-founder of Latinos in Development (LID). LID is a professional association and network of Latinos whose careers involve resource development and other fund raising activities. LID organizes professional development and educational activities for its members; serves as a conduit for technicalassistance for professional development resources to its members; and provides advocacy for increased philanthropic support of Latino communities.
Nationally, Ms. Pesqueira is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights organization based in Washington DC.
Maria and her husband David are the proud parents of their nine-year old son David Ollin.
Diana Palomar Scott
Diana Palomar Scott is Vice President of Community Affairs for ABC 7 Chicago responsible for guiding its public service efforts and on-air PSA campaigns. She works with numerous non-profits to help them enhance their media/marketing efforts, resource development and advocacy; and brings stories important to the community back to the newsroom. She also works with station management and staff to elevate awareness of community issues/concerns in order to better serve viewers with a broad informed scope of stories and programming. Speaking to community groups on how to access media, navigate newsrooms and invite media sponsorships is also a priority.
Discovering her passion for community relations during the 1990’s while in Community Affairs for Prime Cable (now Comcast Cable) she developed, among other things, an on-air community calendar unique to cable at that time and hosted the company’s quarterly on-air infomercial.
Diana is currently on the board of: YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, National Museum of Mexican Art, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, Casa Central and Metropolitan Family Services. She has been recognized for her work by Clear Channel Radio Chicago and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as well as United Way, American Cancer Society, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council and Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy. In 1998 she was recognized by Today’s Chicago Woman as one of “Chicago’s 100 Women”.
Maria Pesqueira
President and CEO
Mujeres Latinas en Accion
Diana Palomar Scott
Chair
Vice President, Community Service
ABC 7 Chicago
Yolanda Gaspar
Vice Chair
Multicultural Markets Specialist
State Farm Insurance Companies
Susana Gonzalez
Secretary
Director Maternal / Child
MacNeal Hospital
Maria Perez
Treasurer
Internal Audit Manager
Sara Lee Corporation
Gladys Arroyo
Local Sales Manager
Univision & Telefutura Chicago
Maria Capoccia
Luisa Echevarria
Community Relatinos
Univision & Telefutura Chicago
Yolanda Gamboa
Attorney
Bank of America
Elva Gonzalez
Roberta Rakove
Senior Vice President
Government and Public Affairs
Sinai Health System
Elizabeth Sandoval
Vice President
Citibank
Carolyn Schamberger
Public Relatinos Director – Mid West
Verizon Wireless
