Valle del Sol is excited to announce the 2022 class of its Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) for its Phoenix program. The class is comprised of 16 Hispanic professionals from the public, nonprofit and private sectors, who will gain the knowledge and tools to have a positive impact as leaders within their respective organizations and in the communities they serve. 

“After postponing the HLI program for over a year due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to be receiving the newest class of leaders,” said Carmen Heredia, CEO for Valle del Sol. “This class represents a variety of communities and comes from different walks of life. They will each bring unique, lived experiences that will help make the experience more dynamic. We hope each participant will take away many lessons to help them become stronger leaders for the communities they represent.”

HLI promotes the individual development of Latinos for increased participation in leadership roles and serves as a principal education and networking resource for expertise and advocacy on leadership issues affecting Latino communities. Participants are given the opportunity to engage Arizona’s foremost business, education, and government policy experts in a dialogue about leadership and their role in creating a thriving economy. The curriculum builds from participants’ experiences, emphasizing personal and professional development with sessions focusing on cultural and personal identity, serving on a board, ethics, and media training. HLI is a statewide network of leadership development programs, in urban and rural communities alike.

The 2022 HLI Phoenix Class includes:

Nicole Garcia – Superior Court in Maricopa County

Rachel Jimenez – Raza Development Fund

Jonathan Yamasaki – Be A Leader Foundation

Salvador Macias – Macias Law PLC

Miguel Solorio – Orcutt Winslow Partnership

Flavio Bravo – Arizona Advocacy Foundation

Valerie Martinez – Sonoran Prevention Works

Christina Barnes – State of Arizona

Sandra Carranza – NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises

Ignacio Mercado, Jr. – Washington Elementary School District

Maria Valenzuela – Esperanca, Inc.

Clarissa Felix Ortega – Mountain Park Health Center

Jessica Guzmán – Valle del Sol

Mathew Nevarez – State of Arizona

Stefanie Vezzetti – Choice Hotels International

Maria Victoria Nelson – Salt River Project

Learn more about Valle del Sol’s leadership program by visiting our HLI page online.