3 minute read
Nueva Esperanza, Inc. hires Cynthia Espinosa Marrero as their new Executive Director
HOYOKE, MA | NUEVA ESPERANZA, INC. | December 13, 2021 - Nueva Esperanza, Inc., is proud to start the New Year with new hope for the organization’s future. As the organization has faced many challenges, from financial to reputational, Nueva Esperanza, Inc has learned from the past and has been able to maintain their assets, staff and signature events. After great work from the Board of Directors and current staff, the Board is ready for a new leader to take on the organization to the next level.
“Nueva Esperanza has faced many challenges and our board members, current staff and community members have been able to internally strategize for what was one of the most dark and challenging times for us. Since our latest public news, we have been able to work together to continue our mission and events for our community. We are extremely grateful to our former board members, our current ones, our staff who have endlessly worked hard to maintain our doors open, Kayla
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Rodriguez, Chloe Soto and Lorna Andujar. We are ready for our next phase and are ready and excited for our new Executive Director to move forward our organization. Es un NUEVO AÑO Y UNA NUEVA
ESPERANZA!” - Juan Sanchez, President of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors has hired Cynthia Espinosa Marrero as the new Executive Director of Nueva Esperanza, Inc. Cynthia will be leaving her role as the Senior Project Manager at the Office of Planning and Economic Development of the City of Holyoke where she manages grants, infrastructure projects and community driven strategies for policy, systems and environmental changes to improve active living and healthy eating. She has over 10 years of experience in non-profit program, project and fundraising management. Her initial professional work started in the food systems sector with scholarly work and activism through education, growing and building leadership around a racial and equitable food systems.
“I have always connected with my Puerto Rican culture through the environment and food, and it led me to learn the patterns of nature and how we use them in our professional world which many call it “design
and systems”. I found a way to be able to translate the nature patterns into the non-profit design, systems and policies to advance the mission, encourage leadership in others and celebrate the victories along the way” Cynthia has served as a Program Manager for Nueva Esperanza in 2019 in which she co-created internal financial systems and policies and procedures for programming which are still successfully used in the organization. She hopes to bring into Nueva Esperanza, Inc more financial opportunities, strategic planning, Board and donor recruitments, signature events of Nueva Esperanza and project and program management such as El Corazon/Heart of Holyoke Project. “I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, new board members to join, staff, volunteers, interns, partners, community and others to move forward our Puerto Rican/Latinx city to be vibrant, sustainable and powerful!” Cynthia Espinosa Marrero has been featured in Latina Magazine as a Latinx Changemaker in 2018, received Permaculture Design Certifications, holds a B.A. in Sustainable Food Management (BDIC) from UMass Amherst and a M.S. in Environmental Science focusing in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England. Her proudest accomplishment is being a mother of a 3 year old and 8 month old! Her hobbies include dancing, gardening, cooking, yoga, soccer, writing, reading, nature activities, herb medicine making, and stand up comedy. You can reach her at cynthia@ nuevaofholyoke.org starting January 2022. Cynthia Espinosa Marrero
Martín Espada: Poetry as Protest and Political Activism continued from page 4
