Esperanza United is proud to welcome Vivian Huelgo as Chief Programs Officer

Esperanza United is proud to announce that Vivian Huelgo will be joining the organization as Chief Programs Officer tomorrow. Founded more than forty years ago, Esperanza United is the largest and most well-respected organization working across the United States to mobilize Latin@s to end gender-based violence.

Vivian Huelgo brings more than twenty years of working at the intersection of law and gender-based violence to Esperanza United. She spent the last twelve years as Chief Counsel at the American Bar Association, working intensively on the organization’s human rights, domestic and sexual violence, and human trafficking initiatives. Prior to taking on her new role as Chief Programs Officer, Vivian Huelgo served in a volunteer capacity as a member of Esperanza United’s Policy Advisory Council.

As Chief Programs Officer, Vivian Huelgo will serve as a key member of executive management at Esperanza United, articulating and implementing the strategic vision and leadership of the agency as she creates and supports a high-performing culture with staff in the Twin Cities area and across the country, working on direct service, intervention and prevention, and training and technical assistance. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Vivian Huelgo to our leadership team as our first Chief Programs Officer,” said Esperanza United President and CEO Patti Tototzintle. “A longtime friend of the organization, Vivian brings a deep understanding and commitment to our work to mobilize Latin@ communities against gender-based violence. Her leadership will strengthen our services, advance our strategic thinking, and grow our team.”

“Joining Esperanza United is a homecoming for me, partly because I’m the daughter of two Colombian immigrants and also because I will be returning to my professional roots as someone who started my career serving Latina survivors of gender-based violence,” said incoming Chief Programs Officer Vivian Huelgo. “With the high levels of anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S., Esperanza United’s work is as necessary as ever, and I look forward to being a part of the organization’s continued growth and success.”

For more information on Esperanza United, their leadership, Vivian Huelgo, and/or her new roles, please contact Esperanza United’s Communications Coordinator Danielle Sullivan at 651-646-5553 or dsullivan@esperanzaunited.org.