HLI Bio Book Class VII

HLI CLASS VII Sponsored by:

HISPANIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE CLASS VII

The Hispanic Leadership Institute is a skills-based leadership training program whose main goal is to develop the next generation of Hispanic leaders for the St. Louis business community. HLI consists of nine training sessions conducted once a month. Each session will focus on a particular skill set for the developing leader.

The institute will train this group of Hispanic professionals on for-profit and non-profit management skills and network development within the St. Louis business community. In addition to leadership training, participants will be encouraged to give back to the St. Louis region through community involvement.

The three essential competencies to be acquired in this class are leading an organization, leading oneself and leading others in the organization.

The participants of Class VII are as follows:

Alicia Hernandez Alicia Hernandez, Office Manager for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, is committed to the betterment of her neighborhood and community.

A native of Tyler, Texas, Alicia is currently attending UMSL seeking a bachelor’s in Public Policy & Administration. While at UMSL, she is also involved with the university’s Hispanic Latino Association.

As the Office Manager for the Hispanic Chamber, Alicia’s responsibilities include overseeing office accounting, operations, and procedures, assisting in the HCC’s events and programming, and strengthening relationships with members.

She has always had a passion for community development and advocacy. Alicia is on the Social Committee for the Better Bevo Now neighborhood organization where she assists in planning community events and programming.

Her current initiative with the organization is to engage and empower the growing Hispanic population in the Bevo neighborhood. She is also on the Dutchtown South Community Corporation’s Planning Committee for the Common Sound Festival. In her free time, Alicia volunteers as a Citizenship Tutor for the International Institute of St. Louis.

Alicia is an active member of the St. Louis Young Democrats and also volunteers with various campaigns and advocacy initiatives in St. Louis City.

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Amaya Carrasco Amaya is part of the “Apprenticeship Program” at EarthDance Organic Farm School, the “Leadership in Urban Agriculture Program” at the Urban Harvest STL, and serves as interpreter for All Access.

Amaya is from Ecuador. She has a BA in Law and a Layer Degree from Universidad International SEK, a MA in International Cooperation for Development with a Specialization in Strategic Planning for Local Development from Universidad de Valencia and a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from the Australian National University. Currently, Amaya is pursuing an Urban Agriculture Certificate in HarrisStowe University.

Amaya has experience working as development practitioner in India, Spain, Australia, and the United States, and in Ecuador at the local and central governments. These experiences have provided her with wide perspectives of people’s needs and different approaches to community problems.

Since Amaya is living in St. Louis, she has contributed with key organizations in the areas of her interest: UCity and Bloom, Beyond Housing, Operation Food Search and MICA Project.

She also belongs to the young professional committee at Gateway Greening. Derived from these services, Amaya won two awards: “Volunteer Rookie of the Year 2017” (Beyond Housing), and a Scholarship Award (Les Dames d’Escoffier International).

In her free time, Amaya enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, reading, and photography.

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Ana Maria Viera Ana Maria is the Crop Placement Manager for Large Seeds (sweet corn, bean and pea) in Monsanto Company, as part of the Vegetable Seed Business.

Ana Maria was born in Lima, Peru where she earned her Agronomy Engineer degree from Agraria La Molina University.

She started working with Monsanto in April 2011 in Ica, Peru. She held different roles in Seed Production, Quality Assurance, and Project Management. At the same time, she was the Community Outreach Champion in charge of leading initiatives to being able to give back to the communities where we work. She could secure a grant of almost 50,000 USD to improve education level in a Fe y Alegria School for underprivileged kids.

In September 2015, Ana Maria relocated to St. Louis and transitioned into her current role inside Monsanto. Being in St. Louis gave her the opportunity to become a member of the Monsanto Latin Network – Leadership Team, and now will be supporting the Community committee where she can continue supporting charitable organizations.

Ana Maria is married to Carlos, together they enjoy outdoors activities like kayaking and hiking. She also enjoys solving Sudoku puzzles and trying new food.

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Arielle Edwards Arielle Edwards is a Bank Trainee in the ASCEND Career Acceleration Program at Commerce Bank. Commerce is an industry leader in its class, managing a total of $70 billion in assets between the bank and Trust company with key markets in nine states across the Midwest. Commerce provides sophisticated and innovative financial products to individuals and businesses while maintaining a focus on conservative lending practices and strong customer relationships.

Arielle grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

She immigrated to the United States in 2010 and has lived in St. Louis for the past seven years. Arielle attended St. Louis Community College where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Business Administration in 2014 and was awarded the President’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor at the college. She transferred to the University of Missouri-St. Louis and graduated summa cum laude in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree as Valid Victorian.

As a Bank Trainee, Arielle performs financial analysis on new and existing customers, prepares commercial loan request packets, and attends committee meetings with senior management. Trainees undergo extensive training and complete rotations in several areas of the bank before being placed in permanent positions.

In her spare time, Arielle enjoys visiting local parks, gardening, attending concerts, volunteering, and going to the gym.

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Carlos Suarez Carlos Suarez serves as Chief Operations Awesomizer at EVNTUR and is Founder of Ardor Fashion Collective.

At EVNTUR, Carlos manages operations of all aspects of events, coordinating with production teams, vendors, media partners and more. From client assessment and conceptualization to coordination and execution, he works with clients throughout the entire event process.

He also founded Ardor Fashion Collective, a media company in the fashion space that highlights stories of independent fashion designers and the fashion supply chain. Additionally, he has been a professional DJ for 16 years – playing at local establishments and chic events.

Carlos graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, with emphasis in Finance and International Business. He was born in Saint Louis to Cuban and Lebanese-American parents. He also leads the United Nations Association of Saint Louis as President, advocating for and creating awareness of the UN system.

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Carolina Holtmeyer Carolina Holtmeyer was born in Brazil and immigrated to United States in 1994. Carolina has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Sao Paulo, Brazil and a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Webster University in St. Louis.

Carolina works at NestlĂŠ Purina Petcare and recently celebrated her 20th year with the company. Her career started in the Pet Products International Department, she then moved to the Web Development team and she currently works in the IT Research and Development group as a Sr. Consultant and Business Analyst.

Carolina is the co-founder of the Viva Brasil Association – STL, a non-profit 501-c(3) association focused on maintaining the Brazilian Culture in the St. Louis region though arts and education. Carolina started Viva Brasil in 2012 and is currently the President.

Carolina is married with 2 children, and she enjoys volunteering for their school activities, sports, and the color guard. Other personal interests are travel, photography, and artistic glass work.

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Helen Mero Helen Mero was born and raised in a coastal town in Ecuador, country she departed to start her Bachelors degree in Honduras at Escuela AgrĂ­cola Panamericana, El Zamorano, in 1990. She kept moving north in the continent to continue her post graduate studies at Iowa State University where she obtained her MS in Crop Production and Physiology in 2000.

Helen is currently in the Regulatory Affairs organization of Monsanto where she is the Global Seed Regulatory Program Strategy Lead driving strategies and program implementation to enable and improve global movement of crop seeds as well as addressing regulatory hurdles challenging it. She is also a member of the Monsanto Latin Network Leadership Team where she enjoys the multiple opportunities for professional development as well as external community engagement and support through volunteering.

Helen has lived in the St. Louis area since 2007, she is an avid volleyball player always trying to improve her game. She also devotes spare time to hiking and exploring nearby places with her German Shepherd by her side.

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Ivonne Zamora Ivonne is a senior leader committed to developing people, to delivering value added experiences to customers and to actively contributing to exceeding the enterprise goals.

As the North America Customer Care IT lead for Monsanto, Ivonne secures the enablement of the Buy to Pay business strategies through IT solutions and digital connectivity.

Ivonne has led IT teams in Supply Chain areas including Purchasing, Manufacturing, Logistics and Customer Care, among others. She has also led Marketing and Finance functional teams. Ivonne has collaborated with teams in multiple countries during her assignments in the North America and the Latin America North regions.

Ivonne is currently serving as the president of the Monsanto Latin Network, which focuses on leadership development, and supports the Latin community and business efforts centered on Latin customers. The Monsanto Latin Network actively exercises inclusion and leverages diversity.

Ivonne holds an executive MBA from Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresa, in Mexico City, and a Computer Systems Engineering degree. Ivonne is originally from Mexico City. She enjoys taking long walks along the trails in the St. Louis area, and cherishes the time she spends with her ten nephews and nieces during the summer and the winter time.

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Junior Lara Junior Lara was born in the Dominican Republic. He moved to the US along with his mother and three brothers in 1994. He grew up in the Bronx, NY and moved to St Louis, MO in 2003. Junior is married and a father of three beautiful girls.

Junior is passionate about making human connections and has had the opportunity to coach and mentor several people to improve the quality of their lives. Junior is the president for Enterprise Fleet Management’s Toastmaster club, Toast of The Fleet. As president he has the opportunity to work alongside a group of talented individuals who want to improve their communication and leadership skills. Currently, Junior holds a Competent Communicator Certification from Toastmasters International. Junior is also fluent in English, Spanish and French.

In his current role as Customer Support Advisor for Enterprise Fleet Management, Junior provides training to new hires as well as partner with sales groups in the Southeast region to help manage customer’s fleet needs with the focus to allow companies to grow their business.

Junior is currently working on a Bachelor’s in Management and looks forward to the opportunity continue to learn leadership skills which will allow him to continue to grow and develop while also serving our community and the people who live in it.

In his spare time, Junior enjoys riding on the Katy trail. Last year, he took a 50 mile bike trip in which he found a Buddhist Temple in the middle of Augusta, MO. There he gained a whole new appreciation for the Buddhist religion and the dedication of the volunteer monks who give their lives to their cause.

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Karinna Lozano Karinna Lozano was born in Lima, Peru where she graduated as an Agronomist from La Molina University. She started working for Monsanto in 2005 in Peru and relocated to the US in 2007. She graduated from her Master in Supply Chain Management from Saint Louis University in 2012.

Currently, Karinna is a Corn Product Planner for Corn States LLC (A Licensing division of Monsanto Company) where she oversees production forecast for more than 110 licensees in the US and Canada, distribute and control supply of corn seed and work with customers on improving their portfolio of products. Karinna has more than 10 years of experience in field production, logistics, international trade and operations.

Karinna is a member of the Community committee for the Monsanto Latin Network where she organize events and support funding non-profits that are local and help the Hispanic communities.

She was elected to participate on the Local Leadership Exchange program (8 months) in Monsanto in 2016 and recently won Civil Award of the year 2017. Karinna has a true passion on helping all living things. She volunteers her time supporting different organizations like Wildlife Rescue Center, Gateway Pet Guardians, Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments among others.

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Lus Haberberger Lusnail (Lus) Rondon Haberberger, a Venezuelan-American, moved to the United States to pursue an education and career in electrical engineering. For more than a decade, Lus gained experience as a professional electrical engineer and seasoned project manager for large-scale infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, she dreamed of starting her own firm combining her electrical engineering background with her experience in project management. She envisioned a results-oriented workplace that valued diversity and balance. Lus knew bringing together a team with varied experiences and skill sets would give her clients the deep well of knowledge they deserve. In 2017, LUZCO Technologies was launched.

Ms. Haberberger is an experienced project manager with a broad diversity of skills and project assignments in the utility field. She has a verifiable track record of bringing together cross-functional teams by significantly improving communications between different stakeholders – engineering, applications support, legal and field crew.

Her projects have included managing and overseeing the execution of a $250 million utility program, as well as several multi-million electrical reliability projects. Her ability to work on multiple projects in parallel by prioritizing and multitasking make her versatile and results oriented leader to any management team.

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Maribel Psara Maribel Psara moved to St. Louis, MO from Puebla, Mexico 12 years ago. She studied Law at Universidad IberoamericanaMexico and proceeded to work in the prestigious law firm of Deveraux, Stokes, Nolan, & Fernandez in Downtown St. Louis mainly supporting the firm in Immigration matters.

Passionate about International Affairs and Business, Maribel started her Master’s in Business Administration at Webster University in St. Louis. With the encouragement from friends and colleagues, Maribel expanded her professional career and started to work as International Sales Specialist at American Recreation Products, a leader company in the outdoor recreation industry back in 2009. Maribel rapidly became a Manager of the International Sales Department having then an opportunity to conduct business and create new market penetration strategies in LATAM, Europe, and Asia.

International Business have been in the core of Maribel’s professional life for over 8 years prior to joining Nestle Purina Pet Care in the Inter-Market Department managing the Business Development strategies for the AOA Region. Maribel crossedover to the Domestic side of the business and is currently serving in the role in the Market Development Organization as Dog Food Portfolio Manager.

In her free time, Maribel loves to play sports with her children Santiago and Isabel, hiking in the company of her husband Tom, and taking Rocco the family dog for long walks. She is extremely passionate regarding pet welfare and supports the Humane Society of St. Louis among other causes.

Grateful for an amazing group of family, friends, and her beloved Purina family, Maribel ensures new employees and all people are welcomed in the Purina Community.

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Mayda Paredes Mayda was born and raised in Perú. When she finished high school, she and her family moved to Spain (Catalunya).

There she had to learn another language, Catalan.

She studied Social Education and attained a Master in Psychomotor and Education. During her time in the university she participated in a project called “Proyecto Rossinyol” for two years, which helped the children of new immigrants learn more about culture, language, and the city. Mayda also volunteered with an animal shelter for horses and dogs, in a hospital for people with cancer, and tutoring low income kids.

Mayda decided to come to the U.S. to do her Master in Human Services at Webster University. She completed her practicum with St. Louis Crisis Nursery in the Latino Outreach Program where she saw the importance of helping the Latino Community in St. Louis. She received an award for the best practicum student. Upon graduation, Mayda began her career as a Financial Social Worker for Kingdom House, coaching clients-most of whom are immigrants-to save money, eliminate debt, and build credit.

Mayda loves animals, has two cats and three dogs (in Spain).

She also loves to dance salsa, bachata and merengue.

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Nathalia Shaw Natalia was born and raised in Zipaquira, Colombia. In 2003, she came to the United States under political asylum with her parents and older brother, and in 2005 moved to St. Louis to learn English and finish her degree. She completed her B.S. in Business Administration Finance from UMSL in 2011, having begun her studies in Finance and International Commerce in Bogota, prior to leaving Colombia.

Natalia has worked for Edward Jones since 2011 as a service specialist, assisting financial advisors. She serves as a coach to both new and existing associates, and has volunteered on a number of different committees within her division. She is a member of the Hispanic Business Research Group whose mission includes “engaging with the local Hispanic community and creating opportunities for Hispanic associates to build relationships across the firm.�

Natalia became a U.S. citizen in 2016, and lives with her husband John and son Mateo (2). She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and teaching Mateo about his Colombian heritage and culture. In addition to her career and family goals, Natalia also wants to help young adults who immigrate to the U.S., knowing her personal story can positively impact others who face similar challenges.

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Rachel Sennett Rachel Sennett grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois—a suburb outside of Chicago. As a child, she spent many of her summers in Venezuela visiting her mother’s family, which nurtured her interest in international affairs. She moved to St. Louis to pursue a degree in International Business and Marketing at Saint Louis University. After graduating, she decided to stay in St. Louis because of her love for the city.

Rachel is the Marketing Coordinator for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. She handles all community outreach and events, connecting people in the community to the orchestra. Rachel’s goal is to portray the music as an art that is accessible to everyone. She coordinates the marketing needs for the student ticket program, the Youth Orchestra, Choruses and External Affairs department.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and friends, practicing yoga, exploring St. Louis, hiking throughout the United States and traveling to new places.

She loves learning new recipes and is always eager to eat at new restaurants.

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René Vences Jr. René Vences Jr. is an Assistant Vice President Home Loan Officer with Carrollton Bank, where he has worked for the past three years. René enjoys helping the Hispanic Community with their banking and lending needs and volunteering his time and expertise through organizations such as Kingdom House, Youth in Need and the United Way. René graduated from Lindenwood University with a degree in Business Administration in 2009.

A native of Mexico City, René moved to the US with his family when he was 17 years old. The family first settled in Austin Texas but relocated to St. Louis MO a few years later to be closer to family. In 1999, he opened his first business, a Mexican restaurant, on Cherokee Street. In 2000, he opened Tequila’s Mexican restaurant downtown.

René opened El Mundo Latino Spanish Newspaper in 2007 and served as its editor until 2009.

After his time in the restaurant business, René’s financial career began with Wells Fargo in 2003. Since that time he has worked for several financial institutions before finding his home with Carrollton Bank.

René and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons, Carlos and Samuel. As a family, they enjoy hiking, riding bikes and being outdoors.

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Sandra Arango-Caro Sandra Arango-Caro is an Education Programs Facilitator in Education and Outreach at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. She designs and implements K-12 learning modules and professional workshops for science educators, develops public STEM events and coordinates a citizenscience project at the state level.

Sandra grew up in Colombia where she studied Biology at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. She moved to St. Louis where she earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation Biology from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Her research includes studies on bird ecology, ethnobotany, forest regeneration, and soil health. Sandra has taught at local universities and overseas and mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students.

Sandra enjoys spending time with her husband, a world history high school teacher, and their teen daughter. They love to travel and enjoy music in all forms. With her daughter, they volunteer at the World Pediatric Project supporting Latin families and dance Colombian folkloric dances. Sandra is also a handcrafter currently focus on quilting.

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Stephanie Sanchez Stephanie Sanchez is an Assistant Branch Manager at Enterprise Bank & Trust. She assists with the daily management of the Brentwood location. Her primary responsibilities include supervising the activities of branch personnel and providing leadership and guidance throughout the organization to ensure conformance with bank policy and procedures.

While working full time, she is also in the process of obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Giving back to and being a part of the community in which she lives and works helps to keep her focused and rejuvenated. However, spending time with her family is where she finds her greatest joy.

Stephanie is a first generation El Salvadorian-American.

She is also the first in her family to graduate high school and to enroll in college. She has learned that education is a valuable gift to give to oneself. Having the ability to complete the eighth grade in El Salvador was a treasured experience. Immersing herself in her culture as well as the Spanish language has helped embrace her heritage and grow into the woman she is today. This is also a prime motivation for her to strive to be a pillar of the Hispanic community.

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Susan Gobbo Susan Gobbo was born and raised in Brazil. She has a bachelor degree in Physical Therapy and a graduate degree in Respiratory Physical Therapy. She has 16 years of vast experience in working as a Physical Therapist in a cutting edge Hospital in Brazil.

In 2005, Susan moved with her family to USA through a corporate move (spouse). She was under her husband’s visa, with no permission to work, so she dedicated her first years to study the new language-culture and to raise their little daughter.

In 2008, Susan and her family moved to St. Louis. In a couple years she became a resident citizen. Because she encountered many obstacles to restarting her career, she started looking for new opportunities to be involved with the community.

Susan has been working as a volunteer in many projects related to Brazilians and also to immigrants in general. She has been participating in strategic planning meetings for nonprofit and organizations and leading different initiatives to help retain international people here in St Louis. She leads a Meetup Group of International Spouses and a Portuguese Meetup Group. She is part of the board of directors of Viva Brasil STL organization where is also a Coordinator of the Portuguese Program and a Portuguese instructor.

Susan is passionate for learning cross-cultural subjects and getting to know people from different cultures. Susan is eager to share the Brazilian culture contributing to expand the diversity in St. Louis community.

She was recently recognized as “St. Louis Mosaic Ambassador Award” for outstanding dedication in growing the St. Louis region by the St. Louis Mosaic Project.

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Suzanne Lino Camacho Suzanne Lino Camacho was born in Chicago and was raised in a Bolivian immigrant household. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She moved to St. Louis in 2011 to pursue her Masters in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.

Suzanne is currently the Community Referral Coordinator at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital with the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN). The IHN strives for quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare services and focuses on working with the medically underserved.

At Cardinal Glennon, Suzanne ensures that emergency department patients receive needed follow-up care and helps to remove their barriers to healthcare.

Proud of her Bolivian-American heritage, Suzanne has worked professionally and personally as an educational advocate for the Latinx community. While working in rural Illinois, Suzanne worked with migrant farmworker students and families to ensure access to education, health and social services. She was the co-founder of Latino Graduate Student Alliance at Washington University and is currently an Education and Scholarship Committee Member with the Hispanic Leader’s Group of Greater St. Louis.

In her free time, Suzanne loves to explore St. Louis and attend the many food festivals and music shows the city has to offer.

She is an avid “Zumbista”, which melds her love of exercise and dancing.

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Program Dates:

October 13, 2017 November 10, 2017 December 8, 2017 January 12, 2018 February 9, 2018 March 9, 2018 April 13, 2018 May 11, 2018 June 8, 2018: GRADUATION

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