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Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado featured on Centro Voices Magazine

Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado featured on Centro Voices Magazine

Our CEO, Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, was recently featured on the popular Puerto Rican online magazine Centro Voices, along with four other Puerto Rican women who are giving back to their community. Centro Voices is dedicated to informing a nationwide public of current affairs, history, arts and culture of Puerto Ricans in the United States. As the article states, “You may not know the faces that are making a difference in our U.S. communities today, but I promise you you should know them. We’ll be talking about them for years to come.” Calderón-Rosado is behind every project that IBA embarks on, preserving Puerto Rican history and making its mark in Boston culture. “I was born and raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. My own values and upbringing help me understand firsthand the struggles of the Puerto Rican people and the Puerto Rican diaspora,” she said.” These experiences have emboldened my commitment to equity and social justice, and motivate me to keep fighting for better education, for decent affordable housing, for good job opportunities, for representation of Latinos in decision making tables, and for the celebration and reaffirmation of our heritage and identity through our arts and culture.” She has received various awards throughout her career: the Barr Foundation Fellowship, ALPFA Excellence in Community Award, and in 2010 she became the first Latina to be appointed to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in Massachusetts. Other women featured were Betsy Casanas, “artist, educator, community activist, and founder of Semilla and Seed on Diamond;” Frances Lucerna, co-founder and executive director of El Puente; Teresa Mejia, executive director of The Women’s Building; and Jani Rose, “poet, educator, mother, activist, student, advocate, and founder of The School of Poetic Arts La Sopa” IBA would like to take this opportunity to recognize Dr. Vanessa Calderon Rosado’s excellent work and to thank her for her time and dedication. We are proud to have her as our CEO....