I have an undergraduate degree from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Chicano Studies, and a master's in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I have been with CMAP for the past five years, where I have worked with diverse communities on a wide range of planning projects, including housing, transportation, and community development. I have also been an active member of the APA. As a Latinos and Planning Division (LAP) member, I sat on the planning committee for LAP's inaugural annual conference, Latinidad, Unity, Gente, Advocacy, Resiliencia, Equity, Spaces (L.U.G.A.R.E.S.) in 2020.
I have embedded my passion for equity into my approach to planning, and it reflects in my work and the way I connect with communities that have been historically disinvested. Because of my commitment to DEI, I have chaired CMAP’s diversity and inclusion working group in order to internally improve the organization’s ability to tackle issues of equity. Additionally, I have helped the agency brainstorm a road map to apply an equity lens.