Maryland Latinos Unidos Names Dr. Gabriela Lemus As First Executive Director
Baltimore, Maryland / December 9, 2020 — Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU), a new statewide organization with the goal of addressing issues of special concern to Maryland’s Latino and immigrant communities, has hired its first executive director, Dr. Gabriela Lemus.
Dr. Lemus is a passionate advocate for justice with a career spanning more than 15 years in senior strategic leadership roles in congressional and government affairs, nonprofit management, policy advocacy and community engagement. She has built and managed nonprofits and has a wide range of experience in building multi-racial coalitions and advocacy campaigns. Dr. Lemus is also an innovator in voter engagement and civic participation for the Latino community.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Lemus spearheading Maryland Latinos Unidos, since many of these issues are a matter of urgency and basic human decency to help those in need,” said Veronica Cool, one of the founders of Maryland Latinos Unidos. “Especially since Latinos and immigrants comprise a large portion of our workforce and don’t have facility in navigating all of the systems, if resources were available. The ramifications of abandoning this segment of the population are dire – with generational implications. Meaning, you, me, WE will have a challenging time sourcing qualified candidates as employees, or even viable consumers to buy our products.” MLU addresses these issues by “pulling together myriad resources across the state and mobilizing them within individual communities.”
In response to the Coronavirus emergency and its disparate impact on Maryland’s Latino community, Maryland Latinos Unidos was established in 2020 to unify efforts across the state to support all Latino and immigrant populations. Lemus’ hiring comes as Maryland Latinos Unidos has entered into an agreement with the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations (dba Maryland Nonprofits) to operate as one of the association’s programs.
“Maryland Nonprofits is proud to be the organizational home for Maryland Latinos Unidos,” said Maryland Nonprofits president & CEO, Heather Iliff. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lemus in this important leadership role. Maryland must urgently respond to the needs of the Latino and broader immigrant communities.”
As executive director of Maryland Latinos Unidos, Dr. Lemus will be responsible for developing the strategy, goals, and tactics for the organization as it becomes a strong statewide advocacy network and support structure for organizations serving the Latino community and allies.
“I appreciate Maryland Latinos Unidos and Maryland Nonprofit’s Steering Committee’s confidence in me and am honored to have the opportunity to help guide this critically needed organization to service Maryland’s growing Latino community. Even though this organization has been created during a moment of crisis, it is an essential part of the support infrastructure necessary for the health and welfare of the rapidly growing Latino community in the state of Maryland.” Lemus said. “I am excited to be part of this indispensable work and look forward to building strong relationships with our partners in Maryland State government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and Latino leaders across the state.”
Dr. Gabriela Lemus has a PhD from the University of Miami, where she studied international political economy and political theory. She serves on numerous boards including the Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (MFVEF), American Family Voices (AFV), Netroots Nation, and the National Institute for Reproductive Health. Dr. Lemus is the Founding Partner and CEO of Revolution Strategy, a management and communications strategy consultancy.
Maryland Latinos Unidos is supported by Cool & Associates LLC, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, and MedStar Health.
About Maryland Latinos Unidos
Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU) was established in mid-2020, in response to COVID-19, with the goal of unifying resources that address urgent basic needs for the Latino community which has been impacted at a much higher rate than the general population by job loss, food insecurity and risk of eviction in addition to lack of healthcare and insurance. MLU seeks to identify and amplify the existing efforts that are operating to meet needs in localized areas and to scale these up to statewide efforts.
The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations (Maryland Nonprofits) is the organizational umbrella for Maryland Latinos Unidos. Maryland Nonprofits is one of the largest and most successful state associations of nonprofits in the country.
Press Contact: Heather Iliff, President & CEO, Maryland Nonprofits, (410) 727-6367, hiliff@mdnonprofit.org,