Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, is the celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities and the positive impact those communities have had on our society.
We want to recognize our Leadership Foundation Latinx and Hispanic alumni who are making a difference in our community. Today, I’d like to introduce you to alums Nathan Cadena, Kayla Garcia, Tariana Navas-Nieves, Rick Padilla and Marisol Solarte- Erlacher.
Nathan Cadena, an alum of Leadership Denver (LD) 2019 and chief operating officer for the Denver Scholarship Foundation, is passionate about access to higher education especially for those who are historically under-represented. Nathan shows that passion through his board involvement and commitment to giving back to the Latino community. He’s the board chair of Ednium, serves on the CUBE High School board, Denver Education Attainment Network leadership board and is a member Latinos Impacting our Future Together Giving Circle, as well as the co-chair for the Denver Metro Chamber’s education and workforce committee. Nathan has been drawn to serving the Latino community, because “it’s a population that represents who I am and has a rich heritage in Denver. We need to honor that culture and provide opportunities to support that community,” he said.
Kayla Garcia, an alum of Impact Denver 2017, Alumni Advisory Council co-chair and Leadership Foundation board member, loves her home state and is committed to provide opportunities to youth in order to build an inclusive and diverse Colorado. As the community affairs director for Molson Coors Beverage Company, Kayla is advancing Latinx and Hispanic communities through their Hispanic Partnership Initiative. And, she’s supporting organizations whose mission is to bring more people along. She also serves on the boards of B:CIVIC, Girls Inc., Wonderbound, Colorado Succeeds and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. Kayla wants to show Latino youth that they can access leadership opportunities in our community and let them know that “they can do anything and be at the table.”
Tariana Navas-Nieves, an alum of Colorado Experience and LD 2015, believes that arts and culture are vital to a thriving city. Her work as Director of Cultural Affairs for Denver Arts & Venues (City & County of Denver) focuses on cultural investments throughout Denver. As member of Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s Equity Leadership Team, she’s implementing a citywide equity plan, and through the Denver Latino Commission, she recommends and influences policies that affect the Latino community. Recognized nationally as a leader in the cultural and equity space, this summer she launched a virtual monthly series titled “How to Be an Anti-Racist Organization with Nita & Tariana,” addressing the importance of bringing equity into all sectors, organizations and businesses. Tariana is proud of her role and responsibility. “I aim to incorporate culture into the civic infrastructure of our city, to bring arts and culture to all communities, and to support our local talent and creative sector,” she said.
Rick Padilla, an alum of LD 1994, has been dedicated to serving our community throughout his career from access to affordable housing to mental health awareness. After losing his son, Jack, Rick became an advocate for mental health and suicide awareness for youth. As the suicide prevention administrator for the Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) for the City and County of Denver, Rick has created safe spaces for youth to engage by reducing the stigma around mental health, worked to develop the City and County of Denver’s youth suicide awareness and prevention strategy that will be incorporated into DDPHE Road to Wellness framework and engaged schools on how to offer services for their students. “Our country is facing unprecedented times and it’s my passion to help young people see that we will get through this and create hope for the future,” he said. He’s also a member of The Carnegie Group, was the board chair for the Latin American Research & Service Agency and has served on the boards of Mile High United Way and Red Cross, just to name a few.
Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, an alum of LD 2019, knows the power of listening. As a psychotherapist, Marisol has dedicated her career to reducing barriers to mental health services and creating spaces to facilitate healing especially in the Latinx community. She serves on the board of EMDR International Association, is a member of the philanthropic giving circle LatinasGive Denver and worked to launch the Latina Safe House Initiative in Denver. And, she’s created the Resilience and Resistance podcast that focuses on successful Black and Indigenous women and women of color who are overcoming trauma and becoming resilient. Marisol’s hope for our community is to see more collaboration in our city. “The way to impact change is to collaborate across communities, especially communities of color.”
Join me in thanking these alumni for their work – and supporting them as they continue to lead and make an impact.
Dan Lewis is the executive director of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.
