Our mission is to improve health and advance education for the Indiana Latino community through statewide advocacy, research, and culturally responsive programs.
The Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) is a 501(c)3 statewide non profit organization committed to serving Latino communities across Indiana Since 2001, ILI's efforts have focused on education and health programming, and in 2018, launched the Indiana Latino Leadership Circle program to increase the pool of Latino leaders within Indiana represented at the executive level. The Indiana Latino Institute will continue to elevate and empower Latino Hoosiers and work to improve all communities throughout the state.
ILI President & CEO
ILI Board Chair
Seth Morales, President & CEO, Morales Group, Board Chair
Art Vasquez, President, IU Health West Central Region, Board Vice Chair
Matzine Sanchez Gutierrez, Director of Account Management, Circle Logistics, Board Secretary Mike Merkel, Owner, La Rosa & Co., Board Treasurer
Dr Virginia Caine, Director, Marion County Health Department
Carole Casto, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Cummins Inc
Sam Centellas, Executive Director, CDFI Friendly South Bend
Rebecca Espinoza Kubacki, Former State Legislator
Ricardo Garcia De Alba, Global Portfolio Leader, Enlist & Core Herbicides, Corteva Agriscience
Rosemily Geyer, President & CEO, Geyer Fire Protection
Oscar Gutierrez, President & CEO, Bondry Consulting
Jadira Hoptry, Director, Community Lending and Development, First Merchants Corporation
Danny Lopez, Vice President for External Affairs and Corporate at Pacers Sports & Entertainment
Ryan Marques, Attorney, Lewis & Kappes
James McBryant, Hendricks County
Rafael Sanchez, President, Private Banking, Old National Bank Alfonso Vidal, President & CEO, Vidal Plastics
Soon to be the largest population of color in Indiana, the thriving Latino community has a plethora of members who have accomplished feats, are leaders in their fields, and are catalysts in others’ successes. Woven throughout the public and private sectors, these individuals lead community groups, operate businesses, manage institutional services, organize events, excel in media, serve on boards, mentor others, and more. They have helped create an environment conducive to growth a 40% increase in Indiana’s Latino population from 2010 to 2020.
As many successful Latinos deserve to be acknowledged for their accomplishments benefitting Hoosiers and their communities, the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) created a program to identify and commend three classes of Latino leaders those in their 20s and 30s, and those whose contributions span over many years. Those successful and young community members already have distinguished themselves and have promising futures. Identifying them and acknowledging their achievements will propel them to greater heights. The Latino Leadership Legacy recipients are those whose persistent achievements span over many years, made their mark in their respective fields, improved Hoosier outcomes, and have relentlessly addressed systemic barriers to pave the way for more Latinos.
Along with its advisory board of seasoned leaders, distinguished educators, successful entrepreneurs, and others, there is no better state wide Latino organization than ILI to identify and recognize the contributions on Latinos
For longer than a decade, ILI has been recognizing Latino Hoosier leaders at annual events and has trained four cohorts of emerging talented leaders participating in the ILI Leadership Circle program
For generations, Latinos have contributed to the success of Indiana across the state, in their business sectors, in their communities, and more. The Indiana Latino Institute is uniquely positioned to identify and honor those who have achieved significant milestones and worked relentlessly over many years to improve Hoosier lives. The Indiana Latino Institute created the Latino Leadership Legacy to recognize and honor Latinos who have built legacies through decades of service and contributions to Indiana and local communities.
We are looking for Hoosier Latinos whose achievements go beyond expectations and who give back to the community. They are Latinos who have achieved success professionally and excel above others These Latino leaders are role models, staunch advocates for change, and stewards of their local and state communities. We are looking to identify and honor candidates across Indiana in a diverse list of sectors such as:
Dr Alvim Gaston graduated from UFRJ, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil with a BS in Pharmacy in 1988. She continued her education getting an Industrial pharmacy degree in 1989 at the same University and joined the Chemistry Department of UFRJ to obtain her master's degree in organic chemistry, concluding her degree in 1992. Soon after, she was selected by CNPq, a Brazilian governmental institution, to come to the US to work as a visiting scholar for 2 years Maria joined the RIPS at the University of Mississippi in August of 1993 to carry out a research program on the synthesis of antimalarial analogs of Artemisinin At the end of this research program, Maria was invited by the Medicinal Chemistry department of Ole Miss to stay and join their PhD. Program.
Immediately upon receiving her PhD in May of 2000, she joined Eli Lilly & Company where she held various positions in both computational chemistry and discovery operations. Maria worked as a Principal Research Scientist in the External Innovation group providing medicinal/computational chemistry expertise to Lilly’s Open Innovation Drug Discovery program (OIDD) The OIDD was a program that expanded open access for external scientists to the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, Maria is an Senior Director of the Talent Development Academy - Medicines Innovation Hub at Eli Lilly. Maria has published several scientific and computational chemistry papers in peer reviewed journals and was even selected as one of the TOP 100 innovators of Eli Lilly & Company in 2013 Lilly also recognized her with the 2020 LRL President's Diversity and Inclusion Award and the #iamIN 2021 LRL President’s DEI Award. Maria is an Executive board member of the Organization for Latin Americans -OLA ERG within Lilly, and a member at large in the local ACS chapter.
Dr. Maupome is currently the Chief Innovation Officer with the IUPUI ECHO Center, which aims to improve clinical practice in Indiana and the Midwest. The Center is led by Ms Andrea Janota The Project ECHO approach (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a well established framework to improve clinical and public health practices in real life.
Dr. Maupomé is also leading an NIH funded, six year study on the oral health status, dental care use, mental health, and overall well being of Hispanics. The link between access to clinical services and social dynamics among Hispanic immigrants has been a long-standing focus of his work, including well documented presence of health disparities in these communities. Recognizing the importance of culture specific features such as, e.g., familisimo, he continues to characterize the context where health disparities take place.
He was also involved in the IU Simon Cancer Center (IUSCC) funded Indiana Latino Cancer Survey. This Hispanic focused survey aimed to collect state wide data to inform the perspectives that IUSCC has acquired about the state of Hispanic health and cancer throughout Indiana.
Expanding knowledge about the health of vulnerable communities is key to improving health outcomes Dedicated research and the application of its findings can make significant headway in ameliorating health disparities.
Rafael Sanchez is a Murrow and multiple Emmy award winning Investigative Reporter at RTV6. He’s also the co anchor of “Good Morning Indiana” and lead field anchor on breaking news and political coverage
Rafael is also community involved and invested. Every year, he enjoys participating in about 50 charitable events that raise thousands of dollars and awareness for organizations around central Indiana.
As the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, he’s focused on charities that champion education, promote self-empowerment and compassion, and encourage leadership and civic responsibility.
In June 2017, he completed his 2016 2017 responsibilities as Community Engagement Co-Chair for United Way of Central Indiana and assisted in raising millions of dollars to improve education, financial stability, health and basic needs benefiting thousands of families across our region.
Rafael came to the Hoosier State from the Bronx, N.Y. to attend Franklin College of Indiana where he triple majored in Journalism, Political Science, and Spanish. He’s married and is the proud father of two children.
Town Manager
Upland Indiana
Jonathan began and continues his professional career by serving in government, through leadership roles, and community and economic development. Jonathan began his career with the Grant County Commissioners before taking a position with the United States Congress for Representative Dan Burton as Director of Community Relations. At the City of Marion, Jonathan served as Chief of Staff and Director of Development Services for Mayor Wayne Seybold (R), and Director of Development Services for Mayor Jess Alumbaugh (D). Jonathan currently serves as the Town Manager for the Town of Upland. Additionally, Jonathan has served, represented, and advocated for the Hispanic population on countless local, regional, and state boards and committees within the government and nonprofit communities. These include but are not limited to having been appointed by Governors Mtich Daniels and Mike Pence to SERVE Indiana (formerly Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism), President of the Grant County United Way, and a recent appointment by the Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore to the Indiana Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs. In 2021 for his previous work with the United Way of Grant County and other organizations, Jonathan was named Volunteer of the Year for Grant County.
JUAN GUZMANChief Operating Officer
Indiana University Health (IU Health) West Hospital
Juan M Guzman, MHA serves as Chief Operating Officer at Indiana University Health (IU Health) West Hospital where he is responsible for leading, coordinating and executing the facility’s strategy & operations In this role he also oversees the development of IU Health’s strategy in emerging suburban markets Prior to this role, he served as Regional Service Line Director Musculoskeletal & Oncology services for the IU Health Indianapolis Suburban Region and Administrative Director for the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center Juan has held various other roles across IU Health, including Director of Planning at IU Health West Hospital, where he led the strategic planning process for the facility, culminating in an $85 million expansion completed in 2021 Originally, from Fort Wayne (Ind ), he received his Master of Health Administration (MHA) and B S in Health Services Management from IUPUI Juan enjoys traveling, spending time with family & friends, and volunteering with organizations such as Starfish Initiative He serves on various boards across central Indiana, including the Indy Chamber Hispanic Business Council and La Plaza.
Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Leonela is an international lawyer, advocate, and researcher with specialization in International Human Rights. Leonela has worked with a variety of humanitarian organizations, such as the Venezuelan and the International Organization for Migration. Being an asylee herself, Leonela understands the challenges asylees face and she works to help them overcome those obstacles, particularly in the fields of language access and immigration procedures s a Law & Policy Associate for LUNA Language Services, she works with language Access initiatives for limited English speaking populations and members of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. In that role, she leads a program to promote supplier diversity and hosts a “Culture Series” program dedicated to showcasing multilingual diverse stories and perspectives.
Executive Director of the Latino Leadership Initiative Marian University
Born and raised in Colombia, Manuela earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and social communication from the University of Manizales in Colombia. She also holds a master’s degree in leadership development from Saint Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana She began her career in Bogota as a journalist, reporter, and TV Anchor at the international news channel NTN24 After that, she worked for the Colombian government as Digital Editor at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and as the Chief Communication Officer for the Security Advisor of the President of Colombia. In 2014 Manuela moved to Indianapolis, where she worked at the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana as a Manager of the Hispanic Initiative and Director of Community Engagement. Currently, Manuela works at Marian University as the Executive Director of the Latino Leadership Initiative, where she continues doing what she is passionate about, supporting Latino youth In this position, she forms strategic community partnerships, creates intercultural engagement, recruits students, and promotes Latino student success.
Executive Director
Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission
Nikki Quintana is the Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission She is responsible for representing the Commission, directing the staff, and overseeing operations of the civil rights agency to eliminate unlawful discrimination Quintana has played an integral role in reducing case age, improving the investigative process, and promoting the agency through outreach. Quintana is dedicated to promoting an environment of inclusivity and acceptance within the City of Fort Wayne. Quintana has trained and spoken on civil rights and discrimination at the local, state, and national level. She is sought after for advice in case management, employment discrimination, diversity and inclusion, and fair housing.Quintana holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Saint Francis and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She was admitted to practice law in the state of Indiana in 2010 In 2018, Quintana was named Up and Coming Lawyer by Indiana Lawyer In 2020, Quintana was named Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Forty Under 40 Quintana is active in her community and is a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Harassment, The League for the Blind and Disabled, Advancing the Voices of Women, and other organizations that promote equity for all
Prior to her current role Camila worked at WMDT TV in Salisbury, Maryland where she was a reporter and anchored for Latino Flavor, a Spanish language newscast for Azteca America affiliate WGDV LD. During her time in Salisbury, Camila received a Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association award for her stories on dual language education.
Camila was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, but grew up in Miami. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Florida International University where she also minored in French and graduated manga cum laude. Previously, she was News Director for FIU Student Media where she wrote and edited stories for newspaper, radio, and online platforms. For three years, she was also a correspondent for the online TV streaming company Caribe Sano TV.
She helped launch WISH TV’s Latinx and writes and translates all content for the Spanish tab on the TV station's website. Camila manages the WISH TV Latinx Facebook page and hosts a Spanish language podcast called “La Voz Latina en Indiana." She is also a board member of the Indy Chamber Hispanic Business Council. She also enjoys supporting community events that raise money for Latinx organizations. Her grandfather, Abel González Chávez, was an award winning journalist in Colombia. He was her mentor.
Cassandra works on helping community college and university students obtain internships, scholarships, and mentorship Cassandra also works on providing professional development opportunities for graduate students and faculty Cassandra graduated from Purdue University in 2017 Her career began working as a high school Spanish instructor and after graduation, she worked at Ivy Tech as a Dual Credit Coordinator and was later promoted to Assistant Director Cassandra returned to Purdue University to serve as Student Affairs Specialist Diverse Student Organization Liaison
She also serves as Indiana’s Congressional District 4 Representative for the Indiana Latino Legislative Advisory Committee and is a member of the Statewide Diversity, Equity and Belonging Advisory Council for Ivy Tech Community College Cassandra is also a recipient of the Top 10 under 40 Young Professional Award and was also named as Indiana Latino Young Professional Award winner
Francisco is an Industrial Engineer and operational excellence professional accomplished at developing, improving, and implementing manufacturing systems. Francisco is originally from Tampico, Mexico. He moved to the US in 2012 to attend college and then moved to Indiana in 2017 to begin his career. He has 5 years of experience working with Cummins Inc. at their Fuel Systems Plant in Columbus. In 2021, Francisco became the site leader for the plant’s CoBot Rapid Deployment program and Industry 4 0 initiatives, managing the deployment of more than 25 collaborative robot units and industrial mobile robots resulting in the largest CoBot program in Cummins worldwide Now, Francisco is transitioning to a new role in Cummins Global Manufacturing as part of the Additive Manufacturing Team, where he will be part of the development of Cummins’ first industrial production 3D Printing manufacturing cell Francisco holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Juan joined La Casa de Amistad, Inc ’s team in June 2016, entering as the Programming Assistant he transitioned into the role of Development Coordinator in 2017 and Director of Development in 2020, and currently holding the title of Executive Director since September 2021. Previously, he served over a year at Holy Cross College as Advancement Services Assistant and two years as a bilingual migrant student tutor for South Bend Community School Corporation. Juan received his bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross College in Communications and Theology.
RIVERA
Innovation
Eli Lilly & Company
Paula Angarita Rivera is a Senior Scientist Medicines Innovation Hub at Eli Lilly & Company She is part of the Research and Development rotational program that focuses on developing diverse talent in technical roles Paula supports the development of test methods that generate data for the FDA approval of Lilly’s medical devices. Paula was the first female, international, and Latina student in receiving a dual degree in biomedical engineering and mathematics from Marian University and IUPUI in 2019. Paula received her master’s in Mechanical engineering from IUPUI in 2021. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Midwest area for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) where she manages a team that oversees 9 states with 55 chapters including undergraduates, graduates, professionals, and high school students. Paula is a people driven, charismatic, and ambitious professional who is focused on making a positive impact in the community
