Escuela Bolivia Announces New Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Vanessa Guerrero                                                  
(703) 228-2560 (Weekdays)
Email: info@escuelabolivia.org

ESCUELA BOLIVIA ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

April 12, 2010 – Arlington, VA – Escuela Bolivia, an organization committed to empowering Latino families through education and leadership development, publicly announced today the appointment of its new Executive Director. Ms. Eneida Alcalde was unanimously selected following an extensive and systematic executive search process.

“As an organization that serves Latino families of any origin and promotes cross-cultural awareness to the broader population, Escuela Bolivia sought a combination of vision, compassion, and multicultural expertise in its leader,” said Kathie Panfil, the organization’s Board’s President. “Eneida perfectly fits this combination. Her grassroots experience abroad and in the U.S. with various Latino communities, proven results in the nonprofit sector, and commitment to service will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our programs.”

Alcalde joins Escuela Bolivia as a rising young leader in the nonprofit realm. Her wide-ranging career background includes work with organizations serving the needs of many different communities. Most recently, she worked as the Director of Grants and Donor Relations at Center for Inspired Teaching, an organization that invests in teachers to ensure schools make the most of children’s innate desire to learn.

“In my experience as a first-generation immigrant, dedicated teachers and caring adults played an integral role in forming the active citizen that I am today,” said Alcalde. “The history, mission, and values of Escuela Bolivia are completely in line with my personal and professional beliefs and pursuits.”

“Studies show that Latinos are the fastest growing minority group, yet we are the least likely to succeed in school. That needs to change,” added Alcalde. “Escuela Bolivia’s programs seek to build Latinos’ leadership and academic skills, and I am thrilled to work with our Board of Directors, staff, and communities to ensure that even more Latinos have the opportunity to be successful.”

A beneficiary of an ESL education, Alcalde brings a wealth of expertise and experience in communications, fundraising, education, and working with Latino communities in the U.S. and abroad. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz and Cochabamba departments and also worked as a consultant for Water for People in Bolivia. In the U.S. she has worked with a variety of nonprofits that contribute to the achievement of families.

Alcalde received her undergraduate degrees in International Politics and Spanish at Penn State University. During her free time she enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and attending shows at the Kennedy Center with her fiancé, Jamus Lim. She has been a resident of the Washington, DC area since 2006.

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Escuela Bolivia was founded in 1998 when a group of Bolivians living in Northern Virginia met with the Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools to establish an academic enrichment program that would meet the needs of Arlington's growing immigrant Latino population. Since then, Escuela Bolivia has worked to support and empower hundreds of Latino families through educational and leadership development programs while promoting cross-cultural awareness.