Meet The LCDA Team
Oswaldo "Ozzie" Gromada Meza
Acting President and CEO
Ozzie Gromada Meza currently serves as the Acting President and CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). In this capacity, he leads a distinguished membership organization comprising accomplished executives at the pinnacle of corporate governance. His mission is to propel diversity within the boardroom, with a firm commitment to amplifying the presence of Hispanic/Latino individuals on corporate boards.
Prior to assuming his present role, he held the position of Vice President of Member and Talent Services at LCDA. During this tenure, he collaborated closely with boards of directors, C-Suite executives, search firms, and influential board advocates. His influence extended to shaping the board talent pipeline for numerous prominent organizations.
As a talent intelligence expert, Ozzie led a diverse career spanning search firms, consulting, and Fortune 1000 corporations. Preceding his tenure at LCDA, he served as a Talent Intelligence Lead at JamesDruryPartners, a premier board advisory services firm. In the earlier stages of his career, he played an instrumental role in establishing the executive recruiting function at Allstate Insurance. Notably, he spearheaded the development of one of the first comprehensive competitive intelligence divisions within talent acquisition.
Ozzie has garnered recognition as a trailblazer in the realms of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) by being honored as a recipient of the Modern Governance 100 Award by Diligent and has received the Business & Finance Impact Award from the Special Libraries Association. Additionally, he serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors.
Ozzie Gromada Meza holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He and his husband take pride in their roles as parents to twins and consider Reno, Nevada, home.
Carmen Joge
Vice President, Programs and Operations
Carmen joined LCDA in 2017 to support the board governance work of the association and help design and launch the LCDEF BoardReady Institute (BRI) program. She brings over 25-years of experience in board governance, leadership and organizational development experience to LCDA. Carmen also has extensive program design, strategic planning and public policy experience. Prior to LCDA, she was with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) for over 17 years and served as their VP of Executive Affairs. Before that, she was Senior Policy Analyst with UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) overseeing their civil rights portfolio. Carmen is an alumnae of CHCIs premiere public policy fellowship and served as a past Chair of the Center for New Communities (C4NC) board, a nonprofit organization in San Antonio that runs Early Head Start programs. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics and attended American University for her M.A. in Public Administration.
Monique Navarro
Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Monique brings awareness of the mission of LCDA and its members to the forefront of conversations around diversity in board governance and the C-suite. She is recognized as a leader in communications, having worked in corporate, political, and nonprofit communications across the nation. She brings a 19-year record of success executing comprehensive communications plans to amplify brand awareness and create measurable growth and impact. Previous roles included leading marketing, public relations, and media strategy for large-scale campaigns. She also has led successful campaigns for bond initiatives, voter engagement, voter protection, and has extensive experience with legislative research, tracking and analysis, and public education efforts. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies: Mass Communications/Media Studies; Political Science; Social Sciences and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and attended UTEP for her M.A. in Strategic Communications: Rhetoric and Writing Studies.
Wendy Sturley
Associate Vice President, Engagement and Events
Wendy brings more than 20 years of association executive experience to LCDA. She has a wide range of experience with organizational management, event management, membership, publications, marketing, and communications in associations that range in size from 10,000 to more than 100,000 members. Wendy most recently served as the Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Membership at the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and, prior to that, Senior Director of Marketing at the Endocrine Society. Previous positions included roles as the Director of Membership and Marketing at the Society for Neuroscience and Associate Director for International Marketing at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) which publishes Science magazine. Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Taylor University. While working for Science magazine, Wendy lived in the United Kingdom for seven years and traveled extensively, a pursuit she continues to enjoy with her husband and son.
Elizabeth Bille
Director, Demand and Advocacy
Elizabeth is an experienced leader in government affairs and civic engagement with a demonstrated history of working in the health wellness and advocacy industry. Skilled in nonprofit capacity building, language access, advocacy, civic engagement, government, congress, and immigration. Strong professional focused on policy, legislation and community engagement. Previously served as Texas Director of Civic Engagement at NALEO Educational Fund and prior to that, as Director of Government Affairs at AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles. She’s a seasoned nonprofit executive with over 18+ years of management experience.
Tracy Michelle León
Director of Talent Services
Tracy Michelle León has centered her career on amplifying representation and leadership. Prior to joining LCDA, she worked with senior leaders at Koya Partners - Diversified Search Group to identify and recruit top talent; notable clients include Color Of Change, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Tracy Michelle loves to foster meaningful and consistent conversations, online and offline. At Russell Reynolds, she partnered on corporate thought leadership, internal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, and their Inaugural Hispanic+ Corporate Directors Conference. Earlier in her career, Tracy Michelle worked for the U.S. Department of State and Latin Grammy winners Flor De Toloache.
Luis Barragán
Coordinator of Talent Services
Luis is a proven professional in talent acquisition and executive assistance. He has an organized and skillful approach to finding talent and is adept at discovering clever ways to attract attention. Following his graduation from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a master’s degree in accounting, he became an Associate Professional in Human Resources, certified by the HR Certification Institute. Luis has worked with both a Series A start-up and well-established companies, but his passion lies in connecting talent with meaningful opportunities and ensuring continued success. He looks forward to contributing to LCDA's growth.
Juan Ortega
Director, LCDEF BoardReady Institute
Juan is a seasoned professional skilled in solving complex organizational problems that has led him to create meaningful experiences in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. He has a deep expertise in large scale, delivery system architecture bridging people, processes, and technology. Prior to LCDA, Juan was a healthcare executive with experience in outpatient/inpatient operations, occupational health operations as well as healthcare investments. Juan is an analytical, entrepreneurial, and highly adaptable executive with extensive experience leading through ambiguity, accelerating company success, and making impactful connections for organizations. He distinctively demonstrates both creative and technical acumen. Juan received his BA from Stanford University and MBA from University of California Irvine. He also holds FINRA Series 82 and 63 licenses.
Lisa Hodges
Manager, LCDEF BoardReady Institute
Lisa is a seasoned executive who started her career as an Associate at Cabrera Capital Markets, an investment banking firm in Houston, TX. Lisa then went on to serve over 13 years at the New America Alliance (NAA), a national Latino organization committed to building on American Latino success to forge a stronger America. During her time at NAA, Lisa took on key roles in corporate relations, fundraising, event programming, business development, and operations. Most recently, Lisa served in HR management roles with Allen Independent School District in Allen, Texas. She has a BA in Mass Communications from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
Justin Bradley Reyes
Manager, Member Engagement
Justin is an allocentric association management professional bringing more than seven years of experience within trade associations and over 200 public speaking engagements. He most recently served as the President of The Young Latino Professionals of Kansas City and prior to that, as Director of Business Development for the ABC Heart of America association. He has been a member and volunteer of non-profits and associations for over 17+ years.
Dante Tuexi
Manager, Graphic Design
Dante a growth-driven and results-oriented leader with over 20 years of experience, brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning, graphic and web design, and digital marketing management to his role at LCDA. With a strong background in graphic design, he has successfully led the development and execution of innovative designs for websites, logos, print materials, and multimedia campaigns. Demonstrating a proven ability to align business objectives with digital marketing strategies, he has a track record of maximizing operational impacts with minimum resource expenditure. Throughout his career, Dante has overseen key marketing operations while showcasing exceptional UI/UX design and video production skills. Holding a degree in Mass Communication & Media Science from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon (U.A.N.L.) and certifications in Google Analytics, Digital Marketing, Google UX/UI, and SEO, he is an exceptionally dedicated professional with strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
Larell Rodriguez
Coordinator of Events
Larell is a seasoned event coordinator with five (5) years of experience in the event industry and four (4) in nonprofit event production. Skilled in speaker management, vendor relations, stage management, logistical planning, and creative direction. Production experience includes national shows, conferences, galas, and virtual events for some of America's largest Hispanic business organizations and non-profit Leaders. Her goal is to make everything colorful with her exciting skillset and determination to elevate experiences.
Chelsea Paniagua
Coordinator, Social Media and Marketing
Chelsea is a driven and passionate marketing professional. She is an experienced social media content creator, with demonstrated work across various social media platforms and email marketing campaigns. Prior to joining LCDA, she served small businesses to build and grow their digital presence and community. She earned a BS in Communication, with an emphasis in Public Relations, from Brigham Young University. She hails from Bakersfield, CA.
Bianca Hampel
Coordinator, Accounting and Operations
Bianca joined the LCDA team in July 2017 to support its accounting needs. Today she serves as Executive Assistant to the President & CEO and coordinates office and accounting functions, while also coordinating its sponsor and donor fulfillment. Prior to joining LCDA, Bianca was in client relations for a major car dealership in Washington, D.C. and previously for a medium-sized title company. She enjoys supporting the mission and vision of this growing organization and is committed to impacting diversity on corporate boards. Bianca attended Northern Virginia Community College.
Nicole Doyle
Executive Assistant to CEO
Nicole has extensive customer service experience, lead generation, and relationship management skills. Prior to joining LCDA, she served as Patient Access Specialist at a large regional healthcare provider and Customer Service Agent for Delta Airlines prior to that. Nicole also has real estate broker experience, having worked with Baird & Warner supporting their Spanish-speaking client base. She hails from Plano, IL.