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Executive Director
Escalera / PC Program Manager
L.U.N.A. Program Manager
Communications & Outreach
Padres Comprometidos Facilitator
Padres Comprometidos Facilitator
Ramon, a Cuban-American who emigrated to the U.S. when he was eight, has a distinguished career in engineering, retiring from Shell Oil after 38 years. He holds degrees from M.I.T. and Cornell University. Now living in New Orleans, Ramon serves in various community roles, including VP of the Cuban Club. He joined the Puentes board because he himself, as a young Latino immigrant, was a recipient of support from various organizations like Puentes and greatly benefited from their assistance and guidance. Ramon sees it as an obligation and privilege to be able to give back by providing support to the current Latinx youth.
Ramon, a Cuban-American who emigrated to the U.S. when he was eight, has a distinguished career in engineering, retiring from Shell Oil after 38 years. He holds degrees from M.I.T. and Cornell University. Now living in New Orleans, Ramon serves in various community roles, including VP of the Cuban Club. He joined the Puentes board because he himself, as a young Latino immigrant, was a recipient of support from various organizations like Puentes and greatly benefited from their assistance and guidance. Ramon sees it as an obligation and privilege to be able to give back by providing support to the current Latinx youth.
Ana emigrated to the United States in 1966 from Argentina, and has lived in New Orleans since 1979. She has a Master's degree in Education and was a columnist for The Times Picayune for 29 years. Ana has served on the Boards of numerous organizations, pioneered community projects and received many awards. Her work in the Puentes' Board is very important for her because as a Latino immigrant, she understands the challenges that immigrants face and she is committed to help young Latinos adapt to their new environment, reach their dreams and become leaders in the community.
Dr. Maria Calzada joined the Loyola University New Orleans mathematics faculty in the fall of 1991, holding degrees from Boston College and Tulane University. Maria’s experience includes serving as professor, dean, and chief academic officer at Loyola. She was born in Panama and lives in Metairie, Louisiana. Dr. Calzada joined the Puentes Board because she is inspired to help develop the next generation of Latine leaders in our community.
Anamaría was born in Colombia and arrived in the United States when she was 12. She majored in Psychology at Williams College and received her Master’s in Social Work Tulane. Early in her career, Anamaría practiced social work in service of immigrant and newcomer youth. She’s currently the Deputy Director in the Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families whose mission is to improve child well-being by increasing coordination between agencies, expanding resources, ensuring equitable policymaking, engaging youth and community input. Anamaría joined Puentes’ board to support the creation of opportunities for systemic changes that promote equity and inclusion.
Peggy is an entrepreneur and 1st generation American of Honduran heritage. Peggy’s career is defined by her civic and professional leadership in service and guided by her beliefs in the power of diversity, inclusion and community. She is a result-driven chief executive with over 30 years of consistent and proven success with deep experience in all aspects of organizational leadership including finance, human resources, board management, marketing, fundraising and business management nationally and internationally. Peggy believes by amplifying the mission, we can inspire individuals, businesses, and other organizations to get involved, creating a larger network of advocates and supporters committed to improving the lives of Latine youth.
Marla, a Colombian native and long-time Kenner resident, is a Loyola University New Orleans alumna and former president of its Alumni Board. She has received distinguished alumna awards from both Loyola and Delgado Community College and the Order of St. Louis King of France by the Hispanic Apostolate. Marla’s community involvement includes leadership roles with the March of Dimes, Botanical Garden, YMCA, and Casa Argentina. She is currently the VP of Colombian Volunteers of NOLA and the Board Secretary of El Centro. Marla retired as Audit Administrator of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in New Orleans after 40 years in banking. She joined Puentes board to create equal opportunities for Latinx youth.
Monica brings over 20 years of experience in leadership development, training, and change management and brings a passion for community service to the Puentes board. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Northwestern University, and her doctorate from the University of Southern California. Monica is committed to advancing the mission of serving Latinx youth and families and is passionate about empowering marginalized communities. She believes in the transformative power of education, mentorship, and community support.
A native of Colombia, Fred completed medical training at Tulane and Ochsner, where he served as a Staff Physician in the Department of Medicine and Section on Nephrology. He has served on several boards like the National Kidney Foundation, Universidad del Valle Alumni Association, Latino Health Access Network, and New Orleans Photo Alliance. He was a faculty member of the Bayer Institute and for the Baxter Peritoneal Dialysis Consultant Group. In retirement, he has pursued travel and photography, with multiple photo exhibits in recent years. He joined Puentes’ board because he would love to see more Latinx students pursuing STEM careers.
Andre, a Puerto Rican, was born and raised here in New Orleans. He graduated from Jesuit High School and MIT before serving as an Officer in the US Navy. He then worked at a couple of tech startups in Austin, Texas before returning home to retire. He knows the value of opportunity and education, and thinks it's vitally important to empower today's Latino youth the way he was empowered.
Richard is a partner and a board member at Jones Walker Law Firm. As the firm's chief diversity officer, he is very intentional about increasing awareness of the importance of diversity within the firm; fostering mutual respect and appreciation for different perspectives and experiences; and developing and implementing strategies to recruit, retain, and advance lawyers and staff from diverse backgrounds. He joined the Puentes board because as the son of Cuban immigrants, he has always understood the value of giving back to the next generation of leaders, ensuring they have the resources necessary to be valuable and contributing members of society.
Gus Murillo is the Head of Brand Marketing at Gannett | USA Today Network. He leads the brand marketing efforts for USA TODAY and for over 200 local news brands across the country. He previously founded the creative agency, ThreeSixtyEIght. He has developed marketing and communications strategies for brands such as Unilever, USA TODAY, Miami Dolphins, CenturyLink, Rakuten, Wellness Pet Food, and GE. He joined the Puentes board to support Latinx youth with the same passion he was given as a young student.
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Luz is a graduate of Tulane School of Law and a law professor at the Loyola College of Law. She directs the Workplace Justice Project, which is grounded in social justice issues. She is an active member of the Louisiana Bar Association where she works to improve vulnerable citizen’s access to the courts, notably those marginalized by a lack of legal resources, inability to pay, and/or limited English proficiency. She is excited to join Puentes to advocate and bring attention to broader social justice issues affecting Latine and immigrant communities, and create opportunities that promote equity and inclusion.