Alicia Nuñez becomes 1st woman to lead Chicanos Por La Causa Latino organization
Chicanos Por La Causa has appointed Alicia Nuñez as president and CEO. She is the first woman to lead the social services and community development organization since it was founded in 1969 in Phoenix to fight discrimination against Mexican Americans.
Nuñez is a longtime veteran of the Phoenix-based nonprofit, which serves people in Arizona and five other states, and is one of the largest and most well-known Latino organizations in the U.S.
The organization has more than 2,000 employees and revenue of more than $401 million, according to the group's most recent IRS filing.
Nuñez joined Chicanos Por La Causa in 2006. She had been serving as acting president and CEO after former president and CEO David Adame resigned in October. Before that, Nuñez was the organization's chief financial officer and vice president of business enterprises.
Delma Herrera, chair of Chicanos Por La Causa's board of directors, on Wednesday praised the appointment of Nuñez as president and CEO.
"Her visionary leadership, strategic acumen and dedication to our more than 2,000 staff and the communities we serve make her the ideal choice to lead our organization forward," Herrera said in a written statement. "As the first woman to assume this role in over five decades, Alicia represents a beacon of inspiration for people everywhere."
Nuñez said she was honored and humbled by the appointment.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with our dedicated team, supporters, and partners to drive positive change and continue to create lasting impact in our communities," she said in a written statement.
CPLC serves clients in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Nuñez will oversee the organization's work in advocacy, education, health and human services, housing, and economic development, the organization said.
She is chair of Sí Se Vota CPLC Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) advocacy nonprofit organization leading the Latino Loud nonpartisan voter engagement campaign.
Nuñez is the eighth CEO in CPLC’s history.
Nuñez grew up in Los Angeles in the Lincoln Heights area, the organization said in a news release. Her parents were immigrants from Sinaloa, Mexico. She lives in the Phoenix area with her family.
Nuñez has a bachelor’s degree in the English credential program at California State University, Northridge. She has an MBA from the University of Arizona, the news release said.
In 2022, Nuñez was selected as one of 12 nonprofit leaders for the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s class of Piper fellows in partnership with Stanford University. She completed the 2023 NeighborWorks America’s Achieving Excellence Program from Harvard University.
Nuñez serves on the board of directors for Valleywise Health Foundation and the Southwest Folklife Alliance.
Before joining CPLC, Nuñez was assistant director of finance for The Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, California.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chicanos Por La Causa appoints Alicia Nuñez as president and CEO
