Upcoming Events
Hispanic Women Panel
Thursday September 23, from 5pm to 6:15pm PST
Please join us for the next in our series of conversations on how to harness the power of women across Washington to create a just and equal future for all women. For our September event we will discuss the needs and concerns of Hispanic women and how their issues impact us all.
Register today.
Moderator
Sandra Rodarte
Sandra Rodarte graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in
Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology in 2010. She currently works as a paralegal
advocating for injured workers rights. She has served on the executive board for Latino Civic Alliance and for the last 4 years has worked to create and pass laws that supports the Latino community. She is currently a member of the Keep WA Working work group and is an active advocate for the Latino community.
Panelists
Alma Chacón, Wenatchee CAFÉ
Alma Chacón is a co-founder of CAFÉ – Community for the Advancement of Family Education, based in Wenatchee. She graduated with a Masters Degree from the University of Washington. She has 30 plus years of experience in the educational field that includes K-12 teaching, principal and administration. Additional experience includes supervision of statewide. Bilingual and Title III Programs for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and provision of statewide assistance to school districts specifically for program/curriculum reviews, training and coaching.
Maria Iñiguez, Wenatchee School Board
María Iñiguez is a board director for Wenatchee School Board. She was born in California, is a
first generation Mexican-American and an English Language Learner. She is a graduate from
Enumclaw High School in Enumclaw, WA and has resided in Wenatchee since 2006. María
earned a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies and a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Arts
and Sciences, with an emphasis on education, from the University of Washington, Tacoma. Her
master’s thesis is titled “Leaving Hispanic Students Behind: The Effect of the Washington
Assessment of Student Learning on Hispanic Students.” María also works as the Executive Assistant to the President of Wenatchee Valley College. Prior to her position at WVC, she spent over twelve years with the Wenatchee School District working under different capacities. She has served the community through Wenatchee Youth Baseball, as a volunteer scholarship reader for Community Foundation of NCW, WHS Mentor and Washington State’s Latino Civic Alliance. María and her husband, Ricardo have a child that attends Wenatchee Public Schools.
Estela Ortega, El Centro de la Raza
Estela Ortega is one of the founders of El Centro de la Raza and serves as its Executive Director
since 2009. Her social justice work began in the late 60’s protesting the Viet Nam war, picketing
for Farmworker rights, working on political campaigns and registering Chicanos to vote in the
barrios of Houston, Texas. Estela has spent the last 50 years helping build El Centro into a civil rights organization, a hub for all who want to engage in civic action through community empowerment; providing human, educational, housing, economic development, cultural and advocacy programs. Ortega is also responsible for the development of Plaza Roberto Maestas a $45 million community-inspired
affordable housing project next to El Centro de la Raza. Estela’s unwavering commitment to building community and advocating for those most marginalized has earned recognition from the Seattle Seahawks, the National Education Association, the Northwest Progressive Institute, and in 2020 she was named one of the Seattle Times 13 Most Influential People of the Decade.
Maria Siguenza, Washington Commission on Hispanic Affairs
María Sigüenza was born in México and immigrated with her mother as a young child to the state of Washington. She was raised in Burlington, located in the beautiful Skagit Valley. María began her career in non-profit and public service in 2008 as a Spanish-English medical interpreter. She has worked in Skagit Valley Hospital, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, and the Department of Licensing providing expertise in program management, policy changes, community engagement, language access, equity, diversity, and inclusion. María earned a degree in humanities and social sciences from Western Washington University. She was appointed by Governor Inslee as Executive Director at the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs in August 2018.
Reserve your spot by registering today.
If you missed an event, or want to revisit a discussion, you can play recordings of our past events:
CWD Panel: Tearing the Fabric of Generations: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
CWD Panel: Supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander Women April 2021
CWD Panel: Concerns and insights from Women in Rural Washington