Somos creadores, convocantes, y líderes de la filantropía latina.

Maria del Socorro Pesqueira

Chair

President, Healthy Communities Foundation

Maria del Socorro Pesqueira was appointed President of the Healthy Communities Foundation in May 2017. The Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities in over 20 communities in western Cook County by promoting health equity, quality and access. As an award-winning visionary leader, she is a sought-after speaker addressing local, national, and hemispheric audiences on a wide variety of topics ranging from private/nonprofit partnerships, health disparities, immigration reform, women and family issues, violence prevention, and the future of philanthropy.

Prior to joining the Healthy Communities Foundation, Maria served as President to Mujeres Latinas en Acción. Preceding her time at Mujeres, Maria led The National Museum of Mexican Art’s Development and Marketing team.

Her civic and community involvement includes appointments to the United States Congressional Commission for a National Women’s History Museum, Illinois Children and Family Services Advisory Commission, Illinois Partners for Human Services, Community Memorial Foundation, Aetna Medical Advisory Board, and The Chicago Network. Her awards consist of being named a Chicago Community Trust Fellow in 2015, 1 of 50 Women of Influence by Chicago Business Journal in 2016, the Excellence in Community Service award by MALDEF in 2015, the Making a Difference Award by Chicago Women in Philanthropy in 2013, selected to AJC Project Israel Interchange for National Latino Opinion and Policy Leaders in 2016, and named one of “Forty under Forty” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Maria is the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants and a graduate of the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program; St. Thomas University, Mini-MBA in Nonprofit Management; and DePaul University, B.A. Latin American Studies. Maria and her husband David are proud parents of their son David Ollin.

Marco Davis

Vice Chair

Marco A. Davis joined CHCI as President and CEO of the institution with more than 20 years of experience in leadership development, academic achievement, community advocacy, and civic engagement. Davis joined CHCI after being a partner at New Profit, a national nonprofit venture philanthropy, where he led Capitalizing Diverse Leaders and Organizations—an effort to create a more equitable social sector, and served as organizational lead on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Davis served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and as the Director of Public Engagement for the Corporation for National and Community Service. Previously, he was Director of Global Fellowship and Regional Manager for Latin America at Ashoka’s Youth Venture and led leadership development for UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), creating the Líderes Initiative.

Davis serves on the boards of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) and Independent Sector, and represents CHCI on the boards of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). He was a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and Hispanics in Philanthropy NGen Lideres Fellow, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and an alumnus of Yale University. A New York native, Davis, now lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and daughter.

Maribel Cifuentes

Secretary

Portfolio Director, The Colorado Health Foundation

Maribel Cifuentes is a health philanthropy leader with 25+ years’ experience leading teams in fast-changing organizations, tackling complex adaptive problems and developing multifaceted programs and strategies to improve health. Over the last two decades, she has worked in clinical settings, academic medicine, health services research, evaluation and learning, and in the field of philanthropy to discover solutions, remove barriers and create the necessary conditions to achieve health equity in partnership with communities who have less power and privilege. She has conducted and published original research and holds content expertise in the areas of integrated primary care and behavioral health, healthcare delivery system and payment reform, affordable housing and food access and security. Maribel is a Portfolio Director at The Colorado Health Foundation, where she directs a $25M portfolio of social determinants of health investments and a team of program officers working to bring health in reach for all Coloradans. Maribel holds a nursing degree from the University of Colorado. She is from Guatemala City and brings her full and colorful lived experience as an immigrant, indigenous woman, wife and mother to all her professional and personal endeavors.

Jonathan Jayes Green

At-Large Officer

Democracy Fellow, Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance & Innovation; Founder & Principal, Transcendent Futures

Jonathan is committed to the effective and innovative deployment of capital for the public good. Jonathan brings over a decade of nonprofit, philanthropy, and political experience in senior leadership roles.

Jonathan earned a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. Jonathan is a Democracy Visting Fellow at Harvard's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Jonathan is also the Founder and Principal of Transcendent Future, a social change consulting practice working with private, public and civil society leaders.

Previously, Jonathan served as a Gleitsman Fellow at the Harvard Center for Public Leadership and as a Rappaport Institute Public Finance Fellow at the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance.
Jonathan serves on the boards of eBay Foundation, Funders of LGBTQ Issues, and Hispanics in Philanthropy. Jonathan’s profile and contributions to social justice movements are featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Pilar Paras

At-Large Officer

Board Chair of CEMEFI

Licenciada en Administración de Empresas por el ITAM, Institución que le otorgó el premio al Mérito Profesional 2014 en la categoría social. Actualmente cursa la maestría en Políticas Públicas en la IBERO.

Presidente del consejo del Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía CEMEFI, consejera de IXIM A.C., Centro Comunitario Santa Fe A.C., ConcienTe A.C.  y miembro del comité coordinador de Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza.

Miembro de la asamblea y del comité de administración de Fundación Merced A.C., ha sido consejera por más de 20 años, fungió como presidente del consejo durante 6 años y fue vicepresidente del consejo de  RedEAmerica internacional.  Co-fundadora de Proeducación IAP, de la cual fue Directora, 10 años presidente y actualmente es consejera.
Fue 6 años Consejera de la Junta de Asistencia Privada, representando al Rubro de Educación y Desarrollo Comunitario.

Participó en movimientos ciudadanos como Juntos por la Educación, 10 por la Educación y Muévete por la Educación.

Aileen Rosa Sánchez

Líderes Alumni Representative

Chief Development Officer, The Funders Network

Aileen leads TFN’s comprehensive development strategy, working closely with senior leadership and the board to ensure the network’s long-term sustainability and growth. In this inaugural role, she is advancing a bold, equity-centered fundraising vision at a pivotal moment in TFN’s 25-year history.

Her experience includes designing and implementing philanthropic initiatives, robust donor engagement strategies, and comprehensive development programs that mobilize resources and empower community-led solutions. Aileen is a CFRE-certified fundraiser and has been recognized through fellowships from Oberlin College, LISC Twin Cities, and Hispanics in Philanthropy. She has worked with NEO Philanthropy, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, various Minnesota nonprofits, and in both political and foundation engagement.

She earned her BA from Oberlin College and her MBA from Augsburg University. Aileen has served as a founding board member of the Latino Economic Development Center and the New World School of the Arts Alumni Foundation.

Originally from Miami, she lives in North Minneapolis, where she enjoys gig singing and taking in her daughter’s creative projects.

Saul Valdez

Treasurer

Senior Program Officer, ECMC Foundation

Saúl Valdez oversees grants that increase college persistence, two-year transfer and bachelor degree completion for students from underserved backgrounds. Prior to joining ECMC Foundation, Saúl worked with Seattle Foundation's philanthropic advising team where he advised a portfolio of donors and philanthropic partners and managed a youth grantmaking board. Previously, Saúl worked at the Seattle Region Partnership and served as the program manager for the Latin American Association in the state of Georgia. He is an alumnus of Coro’s LEAD LA fellowship program and Hispanics in Philanthropy’s (HIP) lideres fellowship program. Outside of ECMC Foundation, Saúl serves on the steering committee for HIP’s lideres alumni network and the Los Angeles chapter of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP). Saúl holds an MA in public administration with a nonprofit management certificate from the University of Washington and a BS in international business and BA in Spanish from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Cecilia Garza

Board Member

Director Donor Initiatives & President's Fund, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

Cecilia Garza directs the Donor Initiatives & President's Fund at Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, where she has worked since 2009.  She supports Wellspring’s donors, next gen donors, and President with the incubation and launch of new philanthropic initiatives and supports multi-issue philanthropic interests.  With over 20 years of experience in human rights, including 13 years in philanthropy, Cecilia has a track record with strategic planning and implementation, grantmaking experience in the U.S. and internationally, and across various operational functions in philanthropy, etc.  Cecilia served as the Chief Operating Officer at Perspective Fund, a grantmaking initiative that funds and partners with impact-oriented media makers and held several positions with international organizations and nonprofits in New York, including Human Rights Watch, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations. Prior to moving to the U.S., Cecilia worked at the Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Aguascalientes in her home-country -- México. Cecilia is a 2018 alumna of Hispanics in Philanthropy's Líderes Fellowship.  

Cielo V. Castro

Board Member

Chief Officer of Policy & Programs, California Community Foundation

Cielo V. Castro is a public policy leader focused on cultivating a thriving multiracial democracy in Los Angeles County. She serves as Chief Officer of Policy and Programs for the California Community Foundation. At the Foundation, Castro is responsible for CCF’s programmatic strategies, overseeing grantmaking, and fostering collaboration across nonprofit, public, and private sectors to tackle community challenges. She also guides the policy advocacy agenda across the Foundation’s grantmaking portfolio.

With extensive experience in government and public-private partnerships, including at Fairplex in Pomona, the City and County of Los Angeles, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in DC, Castro brings a wealth of strategic insight to her oversight of CCF’s programmatic investments and policy advocacy agenda.
Castro received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is an appointed commissioner to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and currently serves as Chair of its board, providing oversight to all public housing developments across the City.

Don Chen

Board Member

President, Surdna Foundation

Don Chen is the President of the Surdna Foundation where he leads the 100-year old foundation’s efforts to strengthen and further leverage its commitment to social justice.

Prior to his appointment, Don was the Director of the Cities & States program at the Ford Foundation, where his work supported urban development initiatives to make housing more affordable, promote more equitable land use practices, and empower communities to have a powerful decision-making voice in American cities and in developing countries. He also led a multi-program team to support the strengthening of social justice organizations and networks in targeted U.S. states.

Previously, Don was the Founder and CEO of Smart Growth America, where he led efforts to create the National Vacant Properties Campaign (which later became the Center for Community Progress) and Transportation for America and managed a merger with the Growth Management Leadership Alliance.
He has authored many pieces on land use, transportation, social equity, and environmental policy. Don currently serves as Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Impact Investing and on the boards of Living Cities, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, and Philanthropy New York. He holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of the Environment and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Yale University.

Icela Pelayo

Board Member

Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI

Icela Pelayo is a Program Officer for racial equity and community engagement at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation working on the foundation’s efforts to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities. She supports local community leaders of multi-sector collaborations implementing Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation efforts.

Previously, Icela served in various roles at the New Mexico Public Education Department, including Acting Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Teaching and Learning. She also served as Director of Bilingual Multicultural Education, having led comprehensive state policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation in support of culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and emerging bilingual students. Icela currently serves as a board member of Hispanics in Philanthropy and is also an alum of HIP’s Líderes program. She is also part of the Aspen Global Leaders Network.

She earned her PhD from the University of Southern California in K-12 Education Policy, focusing on the intersection of policy, teaching, and learning of emerging multilingual students. She earned an MA in elementary education at Loyola Marymount University while working as a public school teacher in South Los Angeles, and a BA from University of California, Berkeley. Icela is a first-generation college graduate, bilingual, and a daughter of Mexican immigrants.

Manuel J. Santamaria

Board Member

Director, Gilead Foundation

Manuel Santamaria brings over two decades of expertise in high-impact philanthropy and strategic development. He currently is a Director at the Gilead Foundation, where he leads the grants portfolio across the Foundation's strategic initiatives including the Creating Possible Fund, the Healthcare Education Access and Leadership (HEAL) initiative and other projects. Most recently worked at Silicon Valley Community Foundation where he led numerous programs that provided vital support to nonprofits and service provider collaboratives. While at SVCF he led investment opportunities and special initiatives, including the Bay Area Rapid Response Network, the California Dignity for Families Fund, Census 2020, the Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund, and technology platforms like CitizenshipWorks.Prior to joining Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Manuel worked for Peninsula Community Foundation serving in a variety of roles at the Foundation in the First Five Years, Education & Community Building Portfolios. Manuel is currently on the Board of Directors for Hispanics In Philanthropy and Mission Economic Development Agency. In June 2022, Manuel was appointed as a San Mateo County Health Commissioner.

Stephanie Valencia

Board Member

Co-Founder Latino Media Group & Equis Research

Stephanie Valencia is a national leader and innovator at the nexus of Latino civic engagement, media and technology, and leadership development.

She is the co-founder of Equis, a set of organizations working to create a better understanding of Latinos, innovate new approaches to reach and engage them, and invest in the leadership and infrastructure for long-term change and increased engagement.

As Latinos are driving growth of the population and the electorate, Latinos still have a “guest complex”, a lack of a sense of belonging in the country that we believe is the root of lower levels of civic participation.

Already known as the gold standard of Latino polling, in the last two years Equis has expanded its innovative work to include a one of its kind Moonshots program. “Equis’ Moonshots” are a series of audacious, multimillion, multi-year projects spanning democracy, media, culture, and talent to building new, stronger, year around infrastructure to shift the way Latinos and Hispanics see their own sense of belonging, power and influence in this country. From owning and operating radio stations and YouTube channels with authentic messengers and content, to leveraging critical moments for cultural mobilization to claiming our part of the governing coalition with policies and policy makers that meet Latino voters needs - these investments in critical infrastructure will support increased engagement of Latinos in democracy and all aspects of civic life.

Stephanie is also Co-Founder and co-owner of the media company Latino Media Network, an audio focused multimedia company inspiring, informing, and celebrating Latinos, owned and operated by members of the community. They currently own stations in eight of the ten top Latino DMA’s, with the ability to reach over two thirds of Latinos in the United States.

She has spent her career working in Congress, the White House, the Commerce Department, Google, and advised entrepreneurs like Reid Hoffman and Penny Pritzker.

She serves on the boards of Latino Media Network, Community Change Action, and is a founding member of Poderistas, with Eva Longoria & America Ferrera.

She grew up in a family of public servants in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a small town near the U.S. Mexico border.

Antonio Tijerino

Board Member

President & CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation

Antonio Tijerino is president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), a national nonprofit focused on education, workforce, societal impact and leadership, which he describes as a “malleable mission.” Under Tijerino, HHF has been honored by The White House, US Congress, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, media outlets, and even the Government of Mexico. Tijerino is also executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center, which are broadcast on PBS. Prior, he was an executive at Fannie Mae Foundation, Nike, Burson Marsteller, and Cohn & Wolfe.

Tijerino was honored with the “Ohtli Award” by the government of Mexico, which is the highest honor outside of Mexico; “Lifetime Achievement Award” by National PTA; Hispanics in Philanthropy “Giver Award;” “Vision Award” by Silicon Valley Latino Leadership; MALDEF “Human Rights Award;” Telemundo’s “Community Service Award;” “Civilian Impact Award” by US Army; “Brillante Award” by NSHMBA; “Estrella Award” by SHPE; “Digital Hero Award” by MMTC; “Cesar Chavez Award” by NHLI; multiple BRAVO Awards including “Pioneer Award,” and in the Greater Washington Hispanic Business Hall of Fame; among others.

Tijerino has served and serves on various boards and advisory committees inlcuding Harvard’s Latino Leadership Initiative at the Kennedy School; University System of Maryland Foundation; HHTP (Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership); Independent Sector; National Girls Collaborative; America’s Promise Alliance; Games for Change; Ayuda; CSforAll; KID Museum; Notre Dame’s Exoneration Justice Clinic; Nielsen’s Latino Advisory Counsel; Coca-Cola’s Equity and Accountability Council; Independent Sector; WhiteBoard Advisors; and FCC’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC); among others.

As a proud immigrant from Nicaragua, Tijerino was recognized by FWD.US for his work with migrant families on the border through the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, TX, and on the Mexico side. He also co-founded the American Project; #WeDreamAmerica campaign; #Masks4Farmworkers, which provided more than 2 million masks for farmworkers during the pandemic; DREAM LEAD for DACA recipients; and supported Imagination Stage’s Theatre For Change featuring the Oyeme! Project portraying the plight migrants; among other efforts.

Tijerino co-produced the first Latinx-themed game with Minecraft and featured as a Minecraft character; produced an anti-hate tool kit with Nickelodeon; co-founded the Code as a Second Language (CSL) initiative, which has introduced 100,000 youth to coding; founded the LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) Network which consists of 300,000 vetted 15-40-year-olds; co-founded the LOFT Institute; co-found the Hispanic Leaders Alliance (HLA) with the NFL; and an educator’s “Maker Academy” with the KID Museum to attract minority students into STEM.

As host of the Fritanga Podcast, Tijerino presents Latino culture, unity, perspective, information, and inspiration with influential guests. He is designated as an “Influencer” on LinkedIn and was selected as “Top Voices on Equity” on the platform. His blogs and media presence have made him a national voice on various issues.

Tijerino earned a BS degree from the University of Maryland’s school of journalism, and honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from The Chicago School. He is a Salinas Fellow at the Aspen Institute and lives in Washington, DC, with his family.

Melvin Galloway

Board Member

Chief Operating Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 

Melvin J. Galloway joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2020, bringing with him a distinguished career marked by executive leadership in operations, administration, policy, and program management. His leadership philosophy emphasizes aligning operations and shared services with an organization’s mission and strategic objectives. He fosters a culture of innovation and continuous learning, encouraging experimentation to drive organizational growth. Central to his approach is a deep and enduring commitment to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into all business processes.

Melvin was drawn to RWJF by its mission to ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health. He attributes his passion for public service to his mother’s long-standing career in social work at a Cincinnati food bank, where he spent his formative years helping to provide nutritious food to those in need. He views RWJF’s vision for a Culture of Health as a powerful framework for addressing the systemic inequities he witnessed in his own community.

As a senior strategic leader at the Foundation, Melvin is responsible for developing and executing plans to oversee Human Resources and Administration—including facilities and business services—Information Technology, and Finance. He also leads operational crisis management and ensures continuity of operations, including cybersecurity preparedness.

Melvin brings over 20 years of experience in operations, business management, and security. Prior to joining RWJF, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. In this role, he led the organization’s operational, business, and security functions, ensuring alignment with its strategic goals.

Previously, he was Chief Operations Officer for the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, where he managed operations for a complex, federally funded disaster recovery program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). His experience in disaster recovery also includes his tenure as Assistant Vice President at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, where he oversaw HUD-funded programs for affordable housing, business, and infrastructure following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Earlier in his career, Melvin served as Associate Director of Operations at The Rockefeller Foundation, acting as deputy to the Chief Operating Officer and managing shared services across domestic and international offices.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies from Miami University of Ohio and a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Finance from New York University. A former Fulbright Scholar, Melvin worked with various civil society organizations in Venezuela.

Originally from Cincinnati, Melvin now resides in New Jersey.

Diana Campoamor

Emeritus Member

Founder of Nuestra America Fund (NAF)

Diana is the Founder of Nuestra America Fund (NAF), an initiative focused on documenting Latino leadership and best practices in philanthropy. NAF also supports individual and institutional donors that have an interest in strengthening Latino influence in US policy towards their countries of origin.

Prior to NAF, Diana served as President of Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) for nearly 27 years. At HIP, she grew a small network of funders, from a volunteer group of advocates into a transnational philanthropic network. HIP, under her leadership, invested over $40 million in small Latino nonprofits and leaders.

Under Diana’s tenure, HIP was recognized with the Kellogg Foundation’s National Leadership in Action Award in 2007 and received the prestigious Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking in 2008 for its groundbreaking Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities.

Her book of essays, Nuevos Senderos: Hispanics and Philanthropy, published by Arte Publico Press in 1999, remains one of the few anthologies to portray Latinos as givers and leaders in philanthropy. Her editorials focusing on policy issues have been published by the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.

Diana has served as a trustee of the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, the Inter University Project for Latino Research, BRAVA for Women in the Arts and Horizons Foundation, and Planned Parenthood for the Western Hemisphere. She has been listed as one of the 100 most influential Latinos by Latino Leaders Magazine, who also awarded her their prestigious Maestro Award for Philanthropy. She’s also received honors from the New America Alliance, The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the Latino Economic Development Corporation, the Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA), and Procura in Mexico. She received a BA from the University of Florida and an MA from the University of Miami.

Elisa Arévalo

Emeritus Member

Vice President, Latino Remittance Marketing Manager
Wells Fargo Bank

Elisa Arévalo is currently the Latino Remittance Marketing Manager for Wells Fargo’s Regional Banking Partnership team. She has over twenty-five years of banking experience with special emphasis in ethnic segment marketing. Elisa joined Wells Fargo in 1977 after completing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from U.C. Berkeley.

In 1981, she was the first Vice President and manager of the Wells Fargo Foundation. During her ten year tenure with the Wells Fargo Foundation, she along with Luz Vega and Herman Gallegos founded Hispanics in Philanthropy in 1982, in response to the lack of Hispanics in the field of philanthropy and the need to create awareness of Hispanic issues to the philanthropic community.

She has been a board member of New Economics for Women, the only Latina founded community development corporation in Los Angeles since 1991. In 2003, she joined the board of directors of the Pan American Health and Education Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Elisa was born in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, and resides in Oakland, California.

Herman E. Gallegos

Emeritus Member

Retired Corporate & Foundation Director

For over fifty years, Herman Gallegos has successfully undertaken important and challenging work seeking the betterment of Hispanics and other minorities ranging from community-based organizing in the Mexican American barrios of the Southwest to pioneering work with nonprofits, philanthropy and the boardrooms of corporate America.

As a civil rights activist in the early 1950’s with Cesar Chavez, Gallegos was active in the formation of the Community Service Organization (CSO), a self-help group organized to promote citizenship and naturalization classes, non-partisan voter registration campaigns, programs aimed at improving neighborhoods, and advocacy to end unwarranted actions by police and immigration officials.

In 1965, with Dr. Ernesto Galarza and Dr. Julian Samora, Gallegos served as an Urban Affairs Consultant with The Ford Foundation for purposes of assessing and recommending ways the Foundation might initiate philanthropic support for vital Hispanic concerns. As a result of this work, in 1968, The Ford Foundation made significant grants to establish what are now the National Council of La Raza and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund/ Gallegos went on to serve as the Council’s first Executive Director.

In 1969, Gallegos co-authored, with Dr. Samora and Dr. Galarza, a book entitled, Mexican Americans in the Southwest. In 1975, he produced the seminal study, U.S. Foundations and Minority Group Interests, which advocated greater philanthropic support for Hispanics and other minorities. In 1991, he co-edited with Dr. Michael O’Neill, Hispanics in the Non Profit Sector.

Since 1974, Gallegos has served as one of the first Hispanics elected to serve on various corporate and philanthropic boards including: Pacific Bell; Pacific Telesis Group; SBC Communications Inc.; UnionBanCal Corporation; Transmetrics Inc. and, by presidential appointment, The Student Loan Marketing Association.

Past philanthropic boards include The Rockefeller Foundation; The Rosenberg Foundation; The California Endowment; The San Francisco Foundation; The Hogg Foundation; The Poverello Fund; the National Campaign for Human Development.

Gallegos is a Trustee Emeritus of the University of San Francisco; Emeritus, Board of Overseers, The University of California, San Francisco; Hispanics in Philanthropy and The National Council of La Raza.

Gallegos is a graduate of San Jose State University and The University of California, Berkeley.

Luz A. Vega-Marquis

Emeritus Member

President & CEO
Marguerite Casey Foundation

Luz A. Vega-Marquis has led Marguerite Casey Foundation since December 2001. As president, she manages the Foundation’s investment portfolio, leads its effort to disburse approximately $30 million in grants annually and spearheads the organization’s focus to positively impact families, youth and children.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Vega-Marquis served as executive director of the Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC), a community foundation based in San Francisco. She was instrumental in developing the strategic framework of CTFC’s grants program as well as energizing the CTFC vision of bringing information technology to under-served communities throughout California. Ms. Vega-Marquis’ nonprofit experience includes four years as vice president and chief operating officer at the National Economic Development and Law Center, an organization committed to providing technical, law and business expertise to distressed communities nationwide. Her career also encompasses 17 years at the James Irvine Foundation, where she served as director of grants programs, senior program officer in charge of northern California office and program officer.

A leader in her field, Ms. Vega-Marquis has contributed widely to the philanthropic community. A founder of Hispanics in Philanthropy, she has served on numerous boards including the Council of Foundations, Northern California Grantmakers, The Women’s Foundation and Katalysis Foundation. She currently serves on The California Wellness Foundation board of directors. A graduate of the University of San Francisco, Ms. Vega-Marquis received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages and earned a Masters degree in Latin American Studies from Stanford University.

Miguel Bustos

Emeritus Member

Senior Director, Center for Social Justice
Glide Foundation

Miguel was born and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco. He attended St. Peter’s Elementary School on 24th and Florida Streets and Archbishop Riordan High School. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science for Holy Names University and a Masters in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the School of International Service at the America University in Washington, DC.Most of Miguel’s career has been as an appointed official to local and national elected officials: first as Policy Advisor for President Clinton and Vice President Gore at the White House; Deputy District Director for Congresswoman Barbara Lee; Director of Boards and Commissions for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom; and most recently Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Mayor Ronald V. Dellums.His nonprofit and philanthropic career highlights include: serving as Executive Director of the California Latino Civil Rights Network (Latino Network). The only statewide organization that focuses on the threats to civil rights aimed at the Latino community in California; serving as Program Officer for the Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF). As a member of the MCF team his responsibilities included researching and evaluating potential grantees, working with Latino, Native American, Asian, African-American and LGBT communities and organizations, and analyzing and educating grantees on public policy. His regions included California, the Southwest, US/Mexico Border and Native American reservations and communities; and working as Community Relations Advisor at the California Community Technology Foundation of California (Now known as Zerodivide).Previously, Miguel was Senior Vice President, Community Relations and Outreach Regional Director at Wells Fargo in San Francisco, California. He also served as the Senior Program Manager for the Americas for the Levi Strauss Foundation. He managed grantmaking in the Foundation’s global giving areas of HIV/AIDS, asset building and workers’ rights in the regions of Latin America and Canada. He was also responsible for HIV/AIDS grantmaking domestically in the United States and LS&Co.’s Community Involvement Teams in Latin America and Canada.Miguel loves his city and still lives in his childhood home in the Mission District of San Francisco.