Liz Levy-Navarro and How She Continues to Break Board Barriers
“2.6 percent of board members are Latinos, it’s very small. African-Americans are like 8 percent, so Latinos have been particularly underrepresented,” CEO and Public Board Director Liz Levy-Navarro said.
Liz Levy-Navarro represents just a small percent of the Latino population who continues to express their voice and represent people of color as a board member. Her ability to be on a board is what motivates her to continue fighting for the diversity and inclusion of people worldwide.
“I feel like the most satisfying aspect is to feel like I’m making an impact, having a voice and I can see that the governances, quality governances can translate to improve decision making by management being translated into new thinking into ways they hadn’t before,” Levy-Navarro said.
One way that she can connect with people of all ranges, is her understanding of personal struggles and the ability to be persistent in the most difficult situations. While she may have a tremendous amount of success, not of without would have been possible without the aspect of rejection.
“I faced a lot of rejection along the path, so while you may see I’ve served on four Corporate Boards. This did not come without a lot of rejection of boards that choose not to select me,” Levy-Navarro said.
“If we want to serve on boards, most of us have to be comfortable with rejection as part of success, and I think we have to be patient because the interview process can take nine months to twelve months in length and the first board can take two to three years.”
The current CEO, Public Board Director and Value Creation Expert first began her role on an advisory board when she was able to connect with an old mentor/coach, who propelled to get onto one of her boards.
“She actually introduced me to the alpha servicing board that she severed on because they needed another board member to replace another retired board member and that’s how I got onto the first board,” she said.
Some of her resume experience includes being the Chairman for the Board Directors for Alper Services, operating as the Board Advisor for Golden Eagle Company and being a board of director for Burke Distributor Holdings Company.
“About five years ago I decided I want to get back on a board, after a 20-year hiatus, and as part of that, I was not only involved in nonprofit boards, but I started getting involved in board associations”
Since her transition back into the role as a board director and advisor, she has continued to express her vision towards the future and her understanding of what is most important for companies.
Her vision is simple: ensure everyone has a voice within the business spectrum and allow others to play on an equal playing field. Basically, she entrusts in the idea that no person, no matter what their title, is above anyone else.
“The role of a board is to govern and manage, not oversee,” she said. “Clearly it’s important they pick board members that articulate, well thoughtful, but can give a perspective without either trying to dominate the conversation or trying to tell the executive what to do, but rather to be that strong wise adviser who can collaborate with his or her board members.”
One thing she has learned over time, is that you must be ready for anything. Pandemic or no pandemic she hopes that businesses and markets can grow from the pandemic and use that towards their advantage.
“Here I was on four different boards during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis and each one had different challenges and so you had to be able to be versatile and work as a team, but still have a voice and help them through that.”
Post-pandemic, she hopes that Latinos are not afraid to take risks and join her on the board of committees. She goes on to say that “Latinos looking to be on board can share their voice” and that “You can be different and still fit in today.”