BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GUADALUPE SOSA VALENCIA
Chair
Guadalupe Sosa Valencia is a Native Arizonan. Born in Tempe, she grew up in Queen Creek where four generations of Escalante-Sosas have attended grade school. Sosa Valencia holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She was part of the Arizona State Senate Democratic Staff for 19 years as a Senior Policy Advisor, and currently works for St. Vincent de Paul. Sosa Valencia has served on the Academia del Pueblo board for three years, as well as many other organizations throughout the valley.
SONIA GOMEZ
Secretary
Sonia Gomez joined the Academia Del Pueblo board in 2016. A native of Mesa, Arizona, she studied business and media at the Walter Cronkite School at Arizona State University and proceeded to work in consumer and B2B advertising for English and Spanish media outlets. Her passion for the community and higher education started young, as she was involved in nonprofits geared towards first generation college students, such as ASU's Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program and the ASU Alumni Foundation where she mentored students and fundraised for the Latino Alumni Association, Los Diablos Scholarship Fund. In her free time, Sonia enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and watching college and professional football.
FRANCISCA MONTOYA
Member
Francisca Montoya serves as the Research & Planning Director at Raza Development Fund, the largest Latino community development institution in the U.S. providing lending to Latino serving non-profit organizations in healthcare, affordable housing, education and community facilities. Previously Ms. Montoya was employed with Friendly House, Inc., as Director of Strategic Development. Her recent experience includes working with MALDEF as Regional Director for the 2010 Census and Arizona Regional Director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation where she was responsible for community relations, corporate fundraising, and program and grants management. Her career has spanned 25 years of experience in non-profit executive management.
Francisca is a graduate of Arizona State University where she majored in Secondary Education and Health Policy. She is currently attending Penn State World Campus pursuing an MPS in Community & Economic Development. Francisca is a graduate of Valle del Sol’s-Hispanic Leadership Institute, ASU’s Women’s Executive Leadership 2000 & Beyond Program, and the MALDEF Latino Leadership Program. Francisca is also a graduate of National Hispanic Corporate Council, Corporate Executive Leadership Program class of 2014. In 2008 she was selected by Cox Communications as Latino Leader in the Phoenix market. In 2009 Francisca was honored with the Arizona Latina Trailblazers: Stories of Courage, Hope & Determination Award by the Raul Castro Institute. Most recently Francisca received the 2015 School Board Member of the Year award from the Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.
​
Francisca Montoya is a lifelong resident of Arizona and is the first in her family to attend college. She has been active in the Latino community serving on various boards over the past three decades. Currently she serves on the Fowler Elementary School District Board of Directors, Maricopa County Planning & Zoning Commission; and Chairs the South Ranch Scholarship Fund at the Maricopa County Community College Foundation.
CARLOS VELASCO
Member
Carlos began his professional career as a business development consultant because of his passion to help organizations succeed. Today, with more than thirteen years of experience, he continues to devote his professional career to providing business owners, corporate executives, nonprofit organizations, and other professionals the tools to develop strong, tangible relationships with the Latino community.
Carlos has focused on bridging the gap between the Latino community and his clients’ brands. He creates a multi-faceted strategy from stakeholder and community partner insight to help communicate the cross-cultural benefits of his clients’ vision, mission, products, and services. Novle’s current clients include Mass Mutual Insurance, OnQ Financial, Los Abogados Network, the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, ASU Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Local First Arizona.
Carlos is deeply involved in public service and serves in the Hispanic Leadership Institute and the New American Leaders Program. For the past thirteen years, Carlos has been an active supporter of bipartisan organizations that advocate for education and political support of the Latino community in Arizona. In 2012, Carlos served on the Amigos for Carmona committee as part of the Carmona for U.S. Senate campaign, and in 2013, he chaired the Adelante con Fred Duvall gubernatorial race. He is the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Hispanic Leaders Award, the Business Journal Diversity Champion Award and the Hispanic Leadership Institute Alumni Excellence Award. Carlos was also a participant of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Fellowship, a cohort of local economy fellows that consists of 17 leaders across North America, chosen as the top pioneers of the Local Economy Movement.
ISABEL GARCIA
Member
Isabel Garcia was born, raised, and educated in Phoenix, Arizona with her parents and four siblings. A first-generation college graduate, Isabel received a Masters in Social Work from Arizona State University. Since 2014, Isabel has been actively involved in community-based, non-profit work in the most marginalized parts of Phoenix. In South Phoenix, she served as Program Director at Unlimited Potential, a family education center dedicated to helping families who suffer indignity reclaim their hope and self-worth, and is a key stakeholder in developing Spaces of Opportunity, one of the largest urban farms in the country creating a hyper-local, sustainable, and just agricultural system. Isabel now serves as Program Director at Poder In Action in Maryvale, a youth and women-of-color led organization that disrupts and dismantles systems of oppression, and builds local power and leaders to determine new, equitable systems that center people first. Isabel is also proud to serve as a governing board member for the Association of Arizona Food Banks, and as a school board member for Academia del Pueblo. Isabel is excited to serve in her beloved Phoenix community, where she works directly with other residents to claim decision-making power over our health, education, and local resources.
GOVERNING BOARD MEETINGS
Per A.R.S. § 38-431.02, notice of meetings for Academia Del Pueblo and any of its committees will be posted on this website. Notices will also be posted in the front office of Academia Del Pueblo, which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Such notices will indicate the date, time, and place of the meeting and will include an agenda.