Community Leadership Institute

Maria Alejandro

Maria Alejandro, originally from Eagle Pass, TX, began her studies at San Antonio College and has earned a Bachelors of Arts in Native American Studies and Political Science at the University of the Incarnate Word.  More recently, she was awarded the Hispanic Leadership Program in Agriculture and Natural Resources fellowship at the UTSA and completed her coursework for a Masters of Arts in Political Science with concentrations in International Relations, American Politics and Institutions.  She is currently working on her thesis in the area of culture and participative policy design.  Her interests include issues of social justice, cultural studies, civic engagement, inclusive democracy and identity politics. Her work experience includes working in academia, municipal government and currently serves as the Program Director for CLI. Maria is trained in ToP Group Facilitation Methods. She is the proud mother of Ramón Darío.

Don Arispe

Don D. Arispe, CFAR Consulting, is currently a private Community Development Consultant and full-time PhD student in Transformative Studes at the California Institute for Integral Studies.  In May 2003, Don was appointed the Community Leadership Facilitator of the 21st Century Leadership Center at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX. While at the center, he was primarily responsible for developing and initiating popular education based  Community Leadership Relfection Circles and Barrio Academies and is the founder of the Community Leadership Development Collaborative leading a variety of Servant Leadership based training efforts including the Casey Family Programs-San Antonio Division where he served as a Community Development Specialist. 

Elaine Ayala

Elaine Ayala has been in the newspaper business for 30 years.  She has worked as a news reporter, editorial writer, features writer, features editor and editorial page editor and has worked for six metropolitan dailies - the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, the Arizona Daily Star, the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, the Austin American-Statesman, the El Paso Times and the San Antonio Express-News.

Today, she writes obituaries and news features for the Express-News and writes a blog called Latino Life for mysanantonio.com, in which she covers immigration, race, culture and politics.

The San Antonio native graduated from Memorial High School and the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, she was inducted into the Edgewood Independent School District's Hall of Fame. She received the Philip True Award for writing in 2009, an honor given by her peers at the Express-News. The Martinez Street Women's Center honored her as a role model for girls in 2009.

Elaine has been involved in several journalism organizations throughout her career, most focused on increasing the number of minorities and women in the U.S. newsroom and raising money for scholarships for minority students. She has had a two-decade association with the Maynard Institute, one of the nation's leading educational institutions devoted to newsroom diversity.

She was on the boards of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the American Association of Sunday & Feature Editors. She served as president of the Austin Area Association of Hispanic Journalists and the El Paso Association of Hispanic Journalists. She is currently president of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists, which is holding its 12th annual scholarship gala July 22 at the Grand Hyatt. Tables are $100.

Elaine speaks in area schools and community organizations. In addition to her newspaper work, she has written for various publications, including Latino magazine, Latino Future magazine, the National Catholic Reporter and a couple of now-defunct magazines.

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Andrea Barrett

Andrea leads the Community Leadership Institute's Executive Director Leadership Series.

Andrea Barrett is an Organizational Consultant offering a different approach to Management and Consulting. Originally trained as an Occupational Therapist, achieving Distinctions in Mental Health and applied psychology majors, Andrea developed an interest in how adults can change their behavior to maximize their creativity and realize their potential in their careers and business. For ten years Andrea has trained within the schools of Sociodrama, psychodrama, role training and sociometry in an effort to become fluent in the facilitating of personal and professional growth on an individual basis and with groups. It is this training and skill in human transition processes that enables Andrea to be an effective leader with work and community groups. Current projects include thesis writing in leadership development using a pioneering approach that yields effective and practical results; development of leadership and advanced leadership role training; effective networking skills training, group dynamics skill training to name a few.Leadership training: Andrea specializes in leadership development in her training, coaching and organizational consulting. Leadership training is offered using an academic framework of Role theory and Sociometry. Leadership training is individualized, action-oriented, experiential and results-focused. Participants of this training are exuberant in their integration of new skills and demonstrated leadership development as a result of participation in this exciting, and novel leadership development. Leadership presence and vitality, network development, expanded leadership role repertoire and peer group development are among the tangible outcomes of leadership training.  Strategic business planning processes and innovative workplace initiatives have formed a strong basis for this consultancy in the business arena. A Barrett Consulting has pioneered innovative approaches to both leadership and transitions (of individuals/teams/groups/organizations). Systemic Analysis coupled with business development modeling and process expertise ensures a client centered approach and process in each contract.  Executive Coaching is one on one coaching with managers and leaders to assist them overcome their personal and professional barriers as business and organizational leaders. All individuals have the capacity to live more spontaneously and productively benefiting all spheres of life. With expert coaching, individuals can become conscious of their barriers to success and commence implementation of new insights and behaviors. Coaching involves an analysis of current leadership or managerial role development, troubleshooting and development of new leadership skills to move the work forward. This service is confidential, contractual and goal orientated.

Affiliations:  International Federation of Coaches (IFC), American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP), Australia New Zealand Psychodrama Association (ANZPA) 

Visit Andrea's blog at andreabarrett.wordpress.com

Visit Andrea's website

Martha Castilla

Martha Castilla, (CLI 2001) is the Executive Director of the Edgewood Family Network, a resident-led organization which provideds education, training, leadership development, youth programs and support services.  She has over 25 years experience in conducting outreach and education in multicultural communities to address women's health and chronic disease maintenance and prevention.

Ms. Castilla has developed the "Promotoras(es) de Buena Vida, a culturally competent training program through which she has trained over 200 promotoras(es) (male and femaile grassroots community health workers) to address health issues such as fetal alcohol syndrome, child development, family violence prevention, cancer prevention, chronic illness prevention and advocacy training for the special education and mental health needs of children.

Teenagers have been included in the Edgewood Family Network's activities and programs to ensure including our future leaders in the vision for a better tomorrow.  Through asset-based community development efforts the teenagers have been included as trainers highlighting their technological skills.  Through the Tekkies program, they have been the first in the organization to teach computer and communications skills.  The Tekkies train the promotoras(es) on Microsoft Office: Powever Point for their use in presentations, spread sheet design and email communications.  The Tekkies are a great asset to EFN and the community they serve.

Romelia Escamilla

Romelia Escamilla, RE Consulting, has been involved with CLI since its inception as a steering committee member, trainer, project mentor, and in 2008 as a staff member.  She is a certified trainer and practitioner of the Technology of Participation (ToP), a time-tested facilitation methodology developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs.  In 1991, Ms. Escamilla became executive director of the Funding Information Center of Texas (dba Non Profit Resource Center).  In 1998, she launched her consulting practice providing nonprofit program evaluation, writing proposals, conducting community needs assessments, and designing and facilitating participatory planning and consensus-building activities.

Joanne Ford-Robertson, M.S.

Joanne is Project Coordinator for Round Top Consulting Associates since January 2003.  Additionally, she is an instructor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  She is the coordinator of the Sociology Undergraduate Internship Program and has specialties in the area of social stratification, inter-group relations, and organizational change.

Victor Alejandro Landa

I'm a native South Texan; born in San Antonio and raised on the border in both Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. My formal education, through High School, was split between two countries, two cultures and two educational systems. I am completely at home and at ease in both The United States and Mexico, as well as in both cultures and both languages.
Immediately after High School I enrolled in a merchant marine academy and spent two summers at sea where I traveled extensively and learned basic navigation, ship operations and seamanship. I later returned home to begin my studies in Latin American Literature. It was in this interim, 1981, that I began working as a news photographer for a CBS affiliate in Laredo, Texas. I have been a journalist ever since. While beginning my career as a journalist I studied and worked full-time and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from UTSA in 1986.
My career has spanned 29 years in which I have worked as a photographer, editor, reporter, producer, assignments editor, columnist, teacher, consultant, anchor and news director. My work, which began in an English language station, crossed into Spanish television in the early 1980's when I took a job at KWEX-TV, in San Antonio. KWEX was then part of the SIN Network which later became Univision. After nine years, in 1993, I became News Director at KVDA-TV, of the Telemundo Network. In the mid 1990's the KVDA news department pioneered an internet based community correspondent project, funded in part by the Pew foundation, where citizens reported LIVE, from their homes, via the internet about issues concerning their neighborhood.
Since1992 I have been a contributing columnist for the San Antonio-Express News as well as a syndicated writer for the Hispanic Link News Service. In May of 2003 I began writing a Spanish language weekly column for Conexion, the San Antonio Express-News's bi-cultural publication. I have written more than 1200 Editorial columns which have been published across the country, including the Boston Globe, the Virginia Pilot, the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the El Paso Times as well as many weekly and daily publications is throughout the country.
After ten years at KVDA I left television news to begin work as the Central Region Director for the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. My area of responsibility included the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado where in 2004, with a team of 750 staff and volunteers, we registered 40,000 new voters for that year's presidential election. SVREP's total registration for that year was close to 100,000 across the United States. From there, in 2005, I moved to SVREPS's sister organization, the William C. Velasquez Institute where I worked as Policy Director in charge of specific issues such as Election Reform and Agriculture Policy Reform. My job was to act as WCVI's liaison with a large number of national and international non-profit organizations that had come together to work on common issues. I have moderated congressional panels and served as a panelist for Congressional Hispanic Caucus and DNC conferences.
From October of 2007 to June of 2010 I worked as President of the Community Development Division of Phase Five Management Group. As part of my work there I designed and developed an internet based newsletter publishing platform for non-profits and community organizations called Community News Publisher.
Presently I am co-coordinator of NOWCastSA, a community journalism website funded by the Knight Fundation and the San Antonio Area Foundation. I'm also a communications consultant and mass communications and news gathering instructor at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio.
I have been married for 27 years and have two children, both in college.

Richard Lewis, Jr., PhD

Dr. Richard Lewis is president of Round Top Consulting and an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  His academic specialities include the areas of diversity management, strategic planning, public administration, and social science research.  Dr. Lewis served as Associate Dean for the College of Liberal and Fine Arts from 1997 to 2002.  He was Special Assistant to the President from 2002-2007.  He founded Round Top Consulting Associates in 1990 providing social science research and seminar facilitation.  Among his numerous publications dealing with issues of social inequality he also co-authored along with George Yancey of "Interracial Families:  Current Concepts and Controversies".  His forthcoming book due in January 2010 addresses the changing demographics in America.  He received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and his Master's and Doctoral degrees in Sociology from Texas A&M University.

Sharon A. Navarro, PhD

Dr. Sharon Navarro is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  She is the co-editor of Latino Americans and Political Participation (2004), and co-author of Politicas:  Latina Trailblazers in the Texas Political Arena (2008).  She is currently completing an edited volume with Dr. Rodolfo Rosales, UTSA, titled Latino Urban Agency and is writing her second single authored book Latinas Rising:  Latinas and Texas Judicial Positions.  She teaches courses in Texas politics, race, ethnicity, culture, and public policy, US/Mexico politics and women in politics.

Margaret Oser

Margaret is a graduate of the Univeristy of Texas at Austin.  she began her career with the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast in Houston, Texas.  Throughout her eight years with that organization, she held professional and management positions in the campaign department and completed her tenure as the Director of Major Gifts and Foundation Relations.  She served as executive director of the Alzheimer's Association in Houston, Tx, an organization with an annual budget of $1 million and oovers 18 counties in South Texas. 

Currently, she is serving as the Vice President of Neighborhood Initiatives and the Strengthening Families Issue Council for the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County.  She completed a two-year UW of America/Annie E. Casey foudnation Family Strengthening Fellowship in conjunction with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.  In her role as Director of Neighborhood Initiatives, she has developed and implemented several initiatives regarding community building for the United Way.  These include policies guiding United Way's involvment in Community building and the formation of the Community Building Committee, the Neighborhood Mini Grants Program, and the Community Building Learning Institute.  In her role as Director of the Strengthening Families Issue Council, she works with a team of volunteers implementing two integrated initiatives targeting Family Financial Stability and Security.  These initiatives are targeting families at or below 200% of poverty in specific geographic areas.  Through a neighborhood and a system approach, the goal is to increase families' financial stability through a broad range of asset building programs and services.

Lorraine Pulido

President and CEO of LPR Strategic Marketing and Public Relations 

Lorraine Pulido is a bilingual marketing and public relations expert with more than 16 years of combined experience in the marketing, corporate, and non-profit industries.
She serves as director of marketing and public relations for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. She is also a PR consultant and her current clients include the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and ¡Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund. Her past clients include: Mexican-American/Hispanic Physicians Association (MAHPA), Murillo Design, The St. Anthony Hotel, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, S.A. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and several ad agencies.
She was previously director of marketing for CityView - a national company led by former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Henry G. Cisneros. She created and implemented the company's national image, brand development, PR, advertising, and promotions strategies.
Previous to CityView, she was director of communications for the Edgewood School District where she served as the spokesperson. Before joining EISD, she worked on corporate public relations at the Cartel Group, Garcia360, and Creative Civilization. She supervised accounts ranging from the U.S. Army to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. She also worked as director of public affairs at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and in corporate communications at the University Health System. She was a producer for San Antonio TV stations KSAT and KVDA, and a reporter for La Prensa. In addition, she has taught communications at UT- San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake University, and Palo Alto College.
She is a member of the S.A. Association of Hispanic Journalists; the American Marketing Association; the March of Dimes Communications Committee; and SA Public Relations Society of America. She served on the Boards of SAY Si; S. A. Women's Chamber At-Large Board of Directors; and S.A. Hispanic Chamber Leadership Selection Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership San Antonio Class of 2005. She has served as SAAHJ Gala Chair; Ford Salute to Education Scholarship Judge; and McDonalds HACER Scholarship Committee Judge.
She's earned two PRSA Merit Awards and two PRSA El Bronce Awards, and was selected 2006 PR Professional of the Year by the San Antonio Chapter. In addition, her logo won a 2008 Gold Addy from the SA Ad Federation. She'll be earning a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in August 2010. She is Ivy-League educated with a master's degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She's a proud graduate of Harlandale High School in San Antonio, Texas

Carol Rodriguez

Carol Rodríguez has twenty-two years experience providing training and technical assistance for community development corporations, nonprofit organizations, public entities, private foundations and community groups. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Community Leadership Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to providing community leadership development, training and mentorship. Her professional work experience includes program development, grants management and contract compliance for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, as well as administration of a lending program at The Enterprise Foundation San Antonio Office.  An independent consultant from 2001-2007, Ms. Rodriguez focused on board training and leadership development, consensus building, project planning and nonprofit management consulting. She is a trained ToP facilitator.

Anna Weaver