Leadership in Community with Vivian Huelgo and Maricarmen Garza

At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end gender-based violence alone – it will take communities, working together. That’s why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values. 

To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United President and CEO Vivian Huelgo, J.D. is interviewing leaders across the fields of gender-based violence prevention and Latin@ empowerment and beyond. Read on to learn leadership lessons, celebrate the people doing the work, and share in our gratitude for our vibrant community. 

In this edition focusing on gratitude, Vivian speaks with Maricarmen Garza, Chief Councel for the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence. 

Vivian Huelgo: One of our organizational values is Latina leadership – what does (Latina) leadership mean to you? 

Maricarmen Garza: For me, Latina leadership means showing up authentically and embracing culture, family, and community as sources of strength. It is leading with joy, compassion, and conviction, while caring deeply for the cause and the team. Most importantly, it is ensuring that our voices are valued and that we are bringing other Latinas into leadership spaces.  

Vivian Huelgo: With that in mind, how do you keep your team motivated and mission-driven? 

Maricarmen Garza: I keep my team motivated by leading with honesty and trust, empowering them to take the lead in their work, and keeping our organization centered on the mission that brought us all to this work – ending gender-based violence. Because our work is hard and setbacks are many, I celebrate every victory, no matter how small, and acknowledge every contribution.  

Vivian Huelgo: What is a lesson you learned recently that surprised you?  

Maricarmen Garza: I am a perpetual learner, but two lessons have recently resurfaced, surprising me: We are always exactly where we are meant to be, and resilience and optimism in the face of great obstacles are contagious. The people you surround yourself with in the face of challenges make all the difference.   

Vivian Huelgo: That’s so true. Another one of our organizational values is living free from violence. What does a violence-free future look like to you?  

Maricarmen Garza: It’s a world where all my sisters and brothers – women and girls, queer and trans, immigrant, Indigenous and tribal, children, abled and disabled – live without fear and embrace the joy they are entitled to. A violence-free world has joy and possibility as a default starting point.  

Vivian Huelgo: Gratitude is also so important: Tell me about something you are grateful for? 

Maricarmen Garza: I am grateful for my family, my health, and a career that allows me to do meaningful work with inspiring colleagues, mentors, and co-conspirators. Anchored in believing and honoring the wisdom of survivors, I feel lucky to use my legal skills and knowledge to make a positive difference for others. 

More about Maricarmen Garza 

Maricarmen Garza (she/her/ella) joined the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence (ABA CDSV) in October 2024 as Chief Counsel. In this role, she oversees policy, program, and financial management, serving as a key resource on gender-based violence and the law. She advises ABA leadership, attorneys, judges, legislators, and the media, while also managing program activities, budgets, and national policy initiatives. Additionally, Maricarmen acts as a liaison to Commission members, supporting their work to address domestic and sexual violence.  

Prior to joining the ABA CDSV as Chief Counsel, Maricarmen served as Chief of Programs for the Tahirih Justice Center, the only national, multi-city organization providing a broad range of direct legal services, policy advocacy, training, and education to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence.  

Prior to Tahirih, Maricarmen worked with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA). As a TRLA attorney, Maricarmen focused her legal practice on assisting survivors of gender-based violence with complex family law and victim privacy matters. Maricarmen initiated and managed one of TRLA’s most successful and longstanding projects, the Legal Alliance for Survivors of Abuse (LASA), a unique collaboration between TRLA and domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers in the 68 Texas counties served by TRLA. Through the LASA, Maricarmen ensured that victims received holistic, trauma-informed, and victim centered legal and social services critical to breaking the cycle of violence. Maricarmen also managed TRLA’s Victim Rights Group, which included the Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault team and the Survivor Centered Economic Advocacy team, providing direction, mentorship, and supervision.