Leadership in Community with Vivian Huelgo and Migdalia Loyola Meléndez

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 Migdalia Loyola Meléndez, a Minnesota powerhouse with 30 years of experience in community engagement, public service, nonprofit leadership, and grantmaking. She currently serves as a Co-Executive Director at Headwaters Foundation for Justice, a people-powered community foundation supporting organizations and groups on the front lines of social change. Pues, vamos: 

Vivian Huelgo: Hello Migdalia. I’m so happy to be speaking with you today. At Esperanza United, one of our organizational values is Latina leadership. What does (Latina) leadership mean to you?  

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez: I strive to embody Latina values in my approach to leadership. This shows up in different ways. For example, by embracing hospitalidad and personalismo, we appreciate and welcome the inherent value and talents each individual brings to our collective work and find ways to include others in our vision. Our cultural heritage is one that values family and community celebrations, which means that, yes, while we set goals and work hard, we take time to celebrate victories and benchmarks. We take time to enjoy each other’s company – we take time to celebrate together and to infuse joy throughout the process. This alegría is an important part of how I center Latina values in how I approach leadership. 

Vivian Huelgo: Thank you for highlighting the importance of joy. Tell me – who inspired your leadership journey and how did they shape you?  

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez: My mother, who passed away earlier this year, inspired my leadership journey. She was a school nurse who showed commitment and empathy to the students she served and their families. I learned early on from her how powerful we can be when we use our skills and talents to improve the world around us, making it more just and equitable for everyone. She also taught me that when we seek to make a positive difference in our comunidad, it creates ripple effects of change and transformation. My mother also talked to me and taught me about other powerful Puerto Rican women leaders, who in turn inspired me to be bold, dream big, and seek opportunities that inspired and fulfilled me. I learned from a young age about Puerto Rican trailblazers like Julia de Burgos and Luisa Capetillo and their stories of strength, resilience, and perseverance have been personal guides throughout my life.   

Vivian Huelgo: Thank you for sharing that. How do you stay innovative and motivated in your work?   

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez: I am a naturally inquisitive person, and I am constantly reading or listening to learn new skills or ideas, and these in turn spark my creativity and innovation. Talking and interacting with people from other cultures, races, ages, and a range of lived experiences teach me different perspectives I may not have thought of on my own. My personal interactions with other community leadersand hearing and witnessing how our work together fuels social change and brings us closer to an equitable and just world, keeps me motivated and hopeful.   

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

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez: A lesson I have learned recently that surprised me is the value of slowing down. I usually stay busy by tackling multiple projects at once. Lately, I’ve been more intentional about taking a step back and making time to think and reflect. This shift hasn’t made me less productive. Instead, it has made my work and my life more thoughtful, balanced, and mindful.   

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

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez: I agree wholeheartedly that gratitude is important, especially at times when it feels like we are swimming against the current. I am filled with gratitude for my parents, because they believed in me and taught me to reach further than I thought I could. Their voices and worlds of encouragement are a constant guide that keeps me grounded and focused, especially when challenges arise along the way. 

More about Migdalia Loyola Meléndez 

Migdalia Loyola Meléndez is an accomplished leader with 30 years of experience in community engagement, public service, nonprofit leadership, and grantmaking. Throughout her career, she has championed inclusive engagement strategies that foster systemic change across sectors and direct resources towards community-based solutions.  

She is currently a Co-Executive Director at Headwaters Foundation for Justice, a people-powered community foundation supporting organizations and groups on the front lines of social change. Migdalia previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Engagement to Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, where she built Minnesota’s first Public Engagement Department in a governor’s office, tasked with making the state’s policy-making processes more accessible and transparent.  

Migdalia began her career as an advocate on behalf of domestic violence victims and survivors at Casa de Esperanza (now Esperanza United) and St. Paul Domestic Abuse Project, before joining the Education & Outreach department at Planned Parenthood North Central States, where she worked on several culturally responsive and health equity initiatives, serving urban and rural populations, as well as Native American, LGBTQ+, and immigrant and refugee communities. Her career at Planned Parenthood spanned 14 years, and included founding Entre Amigas, a Spanish-language peer education program for Latina women. She also worked at the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, managing healthy eating and tobacco control projects within high priority populations. During her tenure at Blue Cross, she led the cross-sector work to implement EBT stations and pilot the Market Bucks program at Minnesota’s farmers markets.  

A graduate of Macalester College and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Migdalia is a recipient of a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellowship, the 25 on the Rise Award from the Minnesota Hispanic Chamber, and Centro Legal’s “Excellence in Service to the Latino Community” Award.