BRINGING AWARENESS TO LCDA’S MISSION
Meet Monique Navarro, Director of Marketing and Communications at Latino Corporate Directors Association
Tell us a little bit about your background, where are you from? I’m a proud fronteriza from El Paso, Texas. My journey growing up on the border shaped me in profound ways. From the beautiful Mexican culture that runs through my veins to the unique struggles that are faced in a low-income, predominantly Hispanic county—these experiences drove my passion to expand opportunities for Latino/a/ xs by creating narratives that build us up, surface our rich stories, and expand our reach.
What are some of the first memories you have from your career? Where do you start? From the onset, I’ve strived to build my professional capacity while uplifting fellow Latinas and mentoring others as much as possible. I’ve been successful by never shying away from demanding space, especially because all too often, Latinas are silenced or left out completely.
Throughout my professional career, I’ve utilized my communications and advocacy skills to focus attention on gender-equity, political engagement, and ensuring that the Latino community is included in conversations around diversity at all levels. This has guided my professional ambitions from work in grassroots advocacy, to political campaigns, and now to centering Latinos in discussions around corporate board diversity.
What is your role in LCDA and what is some of the work you are currently doing? As Director of Marketing and Communications for the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), I have the unique privilege of engaging with and sharing the stories of US Latinos at the highest levels of corporate leadership. Through LCDA, I am helping transform the ways in which mainstream media reports stories about Latinos by making sure we’re a part of conversations that impact us.
Why LCDA? What keeps you inspired today to keep doing what you’re doing? Although Latinos comprise nearly 20% of the US population—on TV and in movies, in textbooks, in the media, and in corporate America, Latinos are invisible. It is my job to play a part in changing that. As a leader in Latino-specific boardroom research, LCDA is driving unprecedented impact with a jaw-dropping 331% increase in Q1 2021 public company board appointments as compared to Q1 2020. As part of the solution, my work to inform, educate, and engage the public regarding the woefully low representation of Latinos in boardrooms across the US, is incredibly valuable. Through this exposure, LCDA is helping drive this upward progress to change the boardroom landscape and pave a path of opportunity for the Latino community.
How do you see your work today creating impact in maybe 10 years? I have dedicated my career to uplifting the Latino community by sharing our stories, struggles, and success through a “Latino lens." The conversations we’re having today and LCDA’s push for corporate board diversity that includes Latinos is invaluable, it’s a game changer for future generations of young Latinos like my own two children, Matix, 12, and Mia,10. I am striving to increase Latino representation now to create a future of increased opportunity later.
Favorite quote to live by? “La mujer que adelante no mira, atrás se queda”- Proverbio