LATINAS Today
Wendy Carrillo Wins Election for
LA-Area Assembly Seat
Former radio host, reporter, producer and labor
activist, Wendy Carrillo has become the newest
member of the California Assembly. Carrillo
beat her opponent, fellow Democrat Luis López,
with a 943-vote margin, leading the race 52.83
percent to 47.17 percent.
Carrillo, born in El Salvador has a distinguished
career as a radio and digital host, writer and
producer. For 10 years, she was host and
executive producer of “Knowledge is Power,”
a community based radio program on Los
Angeles Power 106 fm. Most recently she was
a co-founder of Reported.ly, an award winning
social media start-up covering human rights,
global conflict and social movements.
Carrillo previously served as part of the
communications team that supported
organizing efforts for long term care workers
at SEIU ULTCW (which is now part of SEIU
Local 2015).
She has been recognized as a “Distinguished
Woman” by Congresswoman Judy Chu and
been presented with recognitions for her
community service from the City of Los Angeles
and LAUSD. She currently sits on the advisory
board of Vision to Learn. She is a graduate of
East Los Angeles College and Cal State Los
Angeles, where she earned her BA and USC,
where she earned her Master’s Degree.
for Human Services; Community Memorial Foundation
and the Aetna Medical Advisory Board.
She has been appointed to various City,
State and National Commissions. Her awards
include being honored by MALDEF Excellence
in Community Service; Making A Difference
Award by the Chicago Women and Philanthropy;
Chicago Magazine as one of six Chicagoans of
the Year; the National Organization for Women’s
(NOW) Women Who Dared Award; and the
Crain’s Chicago Business “40 under 40”. A graduate
of the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy
School of Government Executive Program;
University of St. Thomas, Mini-MBA program in
Nonprofit Management; and DePaul University,
B.A. Latin American Studies.
Brigadier General
Irene Zoppi, U.S. Army
Deputy Commanding
General – Support
Brig. Gen. Irene Zoppi is the Deputy
Commanding General – Support
under the 200th Military Police
Command at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Previously, she served as the
SOUTHCOM Army Reserve Elements
Commander/J2 with the 76th
Operational Response Command
based in Miami, Florida working
with partnerships throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean.
Native from Canóvanas, Puerto
Brig. Gen. Irene Zoppi
Rico, she began her military career
as a private first class in 1985 with the Military Police Corps at Ft. McClellan,
Alabama. In 1988, she commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating
from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. Her numerous leadership
assignments include Deputy Commander for Readiness, Mission Support
Element under the 200th Military Police Command; Deputy Commander & Chief of
Staff, 1st Mission Support Command; Group/Brigade Commander, Strategic
Intelligence Group; Battalion Commander, 203rd Military Intelligence
Battalion (Technical Intelligence); Assistant J2, Chief Intelligence Officer, Joint
Task Force, National Command Region, NORTHCOM; Battalion Commander,
11th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 104th Division (Leadership Development) and
other key joint assignments including a deployment with the 3rd Armored
Division during the Gulf War.
Brig. Gen. Zoppi’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal,
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal
(with 6 oak leaf clusters), Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 3 bronze stars),
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal
(Government of Kuwait) and U.S. Army Parachutist Badge. Brig. Gen. Zoppi
also received the Military Intelligence Excellence Knowlton Award in 2013.
As a civilian, Dr. Zoppi serves as a Program Director for the National
Intelligence University under the National Security Agency. She is also a
member of the Maryland State Board of Education.
Maria Socorro Pesqueira
Healthy Communities Foundation President
Maria Socorro Pesqueira is a sought-after speaker
addressing local, national and hemispheric
audiences on a wide variety of prescient topics
ranging from private/nonprofit partnerships, women
and family issues, health disparities, immigration
reform, violence prevention and intervention, and
the future of philanthropy.
Pesqueira has served for 15 years as President
& CEO to Mujeres Latinas en Accion and previously
led The National Museum of Mexican Art’s
Development team —and has held leadership
roles in various national and local boards including,
the National Council of La Raza, Illinois Partners LS
6 www. lat inastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 23, No. 6, 2017