{"id":39484,"date":"2026-05-04T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/?p=39484"},"modified":"2026-05-02T10:22:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T15:22:58","slug":"leadership-in-community-with-vivian-huelgo-and-maria-pabon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/leadership-in-community-with-vivian-huelgo-and-maria-pabon\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership in Community with Vivian Huelgo\u00a0and Maria Pabon"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end gender-based violence alone \u2013 it will take communities, working together.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United\u00a0President\u00a0and CEO\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Vivian\u00a0Huelgo, J.D.<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0is interviewing leaders across the fields of gender-based violence prevention and Latin@ empowerment\u00a0and beyond. Read on to learn\u00a0leadership lessons,\u00a0celebrate the people doing the work, and share\u00a0in our gratitude for our vibrant community.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In this edition, Vivian speaks with\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n<\/span><\/i><\/a>,<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Ph.D.Vice\u00a0Chair\u00a0of\u00a0Esperanza United\u2019s Board of Directors, and<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Chief People Officer at Project for Pride in Living<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Pues,\u00a0vamos:<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian\u00a0Huelgo:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Hi\u00a0Maria, great to talk with you!\u00a0One of our organizational values is Latina Leadership, what does (Latina) leadership mean to you?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0It\u00a0means embracing the unique strengths that come from the intersections of my culture, identity, and gender\u2014and bringing those perspectives into spaces where we are often underrepresented. It means being a proud role model who shows the next generation that we are not monolithic. And it means paying it forward by investing in young Latinas, just as someone once invested in me.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian\u00a0Huelgo:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Can you also share h<\/span>ow do you mentor or support the next generation of Latina leaders?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>I take the time to understand where each young Latina is on her journey. I see myself as someone who can open doors\u2014and step aside so the next generation can create their own path. I am unapologetically Puerto Rican, and when I mentor young Latinas, I draw on the pride and beauty of who we are. We are so much more than the pain and struggles\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0endured; we are resilience, brilliance, and possibility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian\u00a0Huelgo:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>How do you stay innovative and motivated in your work?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>I keep our \u2018why\u2019 at the center of everything we do. The work at PPL is challenging, but when we are grounded in purpose and vocation, we can move forward together as a community. I make it a priority to understand the unique strengths of each team member and how those strengths and values complement one another. I also lead with values like inclusion and cultural humility\u2014because when we learn and grow together, we show up as our most authentic selves and lead with integrity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian\u00a0Huelgo:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Tell\u00a0me, w<\/span>hat is a lesson you learned recently that surprised you?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0A lesson that\u00a0stays\u00a0with me happened a few years ago. It reminded me that someone is always watching and learning as they shape their own leadership journey \u2013 even when we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know about it. When I first joined PPL, I\u00a0brought along\u00a0my graduate school degree certificate\u2014something I had displayed in my\u00a0previous\u00a0role in higher education. At PPL, I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0plan to hang it; it was just packed with my boxes. When our maintenance staff came to help hang pictures, I told him not to hang either of my degrees because \u2018they\u2019re not necessary here.\u2019\u00a0The next day, I walked into my office and saw them on the wall. When I asked why, he said, \u2018We need to see more of us making it! There are leaders among us, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important that you show them we all can make it.\u2019\u00a0That moment changed my perspective. Until this day, those certificates\u00a0remain\u00a0on my wall\u2014not as\u00a0a personal\u00a0achievement, but as a responsibility. They remind me that representation matters and that I hold myself accountable to lead in a way that inspires others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian\u00a0Huelgo:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>In addition to trusting ourselves, g<\/span>ratitude is\u00a0also\u00a0so important: Tell me about something you are grateful\u00a0for?\u00a0(it\u00a0can be anything!)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Mar\u00eda Pab\u00f3n:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0I am deeply grateful\u2014especially in challenging times.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0grateful for my children and my partner, who keep me grounded and remind me to savor the small wonders of everyday life.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0grateful for\u00a0community, because with community, the weight of\u00a0the work\u00a0and the world feels lighter.\u00a0And\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0grateful for the role I hold, knowing I\u00a0have the opportunity to\u00a0make a difference and live my purpose: leaving every space and place better than I found it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

More About\u00a0Mar\u00eda C. Pab\u00f3n Gautier<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>

Ph.D.Vice\u00a0Chair | Chief People Officer, Project for Pride in Living\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Dr. Mar\u00eda C. Pab\u00f3n Gautier is the Chief People Officer at Project for Pride in Living in Minneapolis, MN. In this role, she leads race equity strategies and programming, human resources, talent development, administration\/operations, and the career readiness division. Mar\u00eda holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico. With over 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to training, coaching, teaching, and conducting research to develop evidence-informed practices.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Her extensive experience spans nonprofit organizations, higher education, for-profit sectors, K-12 education, and government agencies, all with a focus on supporting underserved and marginalized communities. Her work uses an interdisciplinary and diverse approach, with a commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in various settings.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Prior to her current role, Mar\u00eda served as the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at St. Olaf College. Throughout her career, she has been guided by principles of community engagement, the philosophy of \u201cby us for us,\u201d and a foundation in research, measurement, and evaluation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

She is particularly focused on race equity and strengths-based approaches, ensuring that communities of color are at the center of development and decision-making processes. Her work aims to foster inclusive environments where all individuals can thrive and contribute meaningfully.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end gender-based violence alone \u2013 it will take communities, working together.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values.\u00a0 To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United\u00a0President\u00a0and CEO\u00a0Vivian\u00a0Huelgo, J.D.\u00a0is interviewing leaders across the fields of gender-based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":39499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[36,34,158,38,39,197],"class_list":["post-39484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-family-advocacy","tag-free","tag-prevention","tag-public-policy","tag-research-and-evaluation","tag-training-and-technical-assistance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39484"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39603,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39484\/revisions\/39603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}