Board Member Testimonials

The LCSV board, volunteers and friends are passionate about our mission to prepare Latinas in civic engagement and leadership. Read the testimonials about what inspires us below.

Elisa Marina Orona, LCSV President Elect

Supporting Latinas as leaders is critical! I joined the LCSV Board because I recognize the importance of having Latina mentors and being a mentor to other Latinas. LCSV gives me an opportunity for both experiences and I'm better a leader because of my participation.

Georgina Belmonte, Past LCSV Board Member

Before joining the board, I was on the ELLA committee and was so motivated by the ELLA program and all the wonderful women I was working with to be a larger part of the organization. I joined to contribute to the mission of LCSV in developing a pipeline for Latina leaders. The ELLA program provided me with confidence, professionalism, and a hunger to empower Latina women the same way I felt empowered by LCSV.

Being on the board, I have learned about the hard work and woman power it takes to run a non-profit with a big heart and big aspirations.There is nothing more gratifying than seeing and meeting the strong, fearless, and ambitious Latinas that attend our events. It is inspiring to see Latinas come together for a common cause; to help one another grow and to grow as a unit.

I have had the privilege of meeting many resilient and thriving Latinas. The speakers have been so diverse, just like LCSV members; I have learned not only about what it means to be a professional, but what it means to be a woman, and more importantly a Latina professional and the role one represents as such. Participating on the board, I have been able to discover who I am as a leader, and the different profiles of leadership. Working with Latinas from a variety of professional backgrounds has been very motivating and encouraging for my own career journey as a young professional.

Patricia Castorena, LCSV Board Member

Sandra Cisneros writes, “They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out.” I am a member of the Latina Coalition because the women I have the honor of serving with inspire me and the young Latinas I have had the opportunity to meet through our ELLA Program continually remind me of the passionate commitment that first fueled my desire to be an advocate for my community.

Without a doubt, LCSV is an organization that has engaged me and allowed me to develop and strengthen my leadership skills. I joined the Board of Directors of the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley in October 2008 to empower young Latinas to achieve educational success and leadership excellence, and most importantly, to remind these future leaders of the importance of remembering where they came from and the need to give back to the communities that nurtured them.