Alumna Spotlight: Maria Pesqueira

Maria Pesqueira

L E A D E R | S P E A K E R We were honored to have Maria Pesqueira, a graduate of DePaul's Latin American and Latino Studies program and current President of the Healthy Communities Foundation, serve as the 2021 Latinx Graduation speaker.

Maria has over two decades of leadership experience in the human services area, bringing an expert perspective to strategic planning and management, program development, communications, fundraising and public health. She also is a sought-after speaker, addressing national and local audiences on issues ranging from private/nonprofit partnerships to women’s issues, health disparities, and the future of philanthropy.

Her awards and recognitions include being named a Chicago Community Trust Fellow, 1 of 50 Women of Influence by Chicago Business Journal, the Excellence in Community Service award by MALDEF, & the Making a Difference Award by Chicago Women in Philanthropy. She was selected for the AJC Project Israel Interchange for National Latino Opinion and Policy Leaders, and named one of “Forty under Forty” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Maria is the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants and a graduate of Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program; St. Thomas University, MiniMBA in Nonprofit Management; and DePaul University, B.A. Latin American Studies. She, along with her husband and son, reside in the HCF region, a few blocks from where she grew up.