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.
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
