The Santa Paula Latino Town Hall has elected its’ first ever slate of female officers at their January meeting. The newly elected President is Laura Espinosa, also a co-founding member of the organization established in 1996.
Ms. Espinosa holds a Juris Doctorate degree and has served in other capacities within the organization. This will be her first term as President. Most recently she was honored by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce for her community organizing work to reopen the obstetric unit of the Santa Paula Hospital and her advocacy to expand the Ventura Community College East Campus to a College Center in the Santa Clara Valley. Ms. Espinosa has also been very active in Covid relief efforts.
Vice President is Dr. Maria Mungia, a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Assistant Professor at New Mexico Highlands University and also serves as a consultant in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. She was recently appointed to the Santa Paula Mobile Home Rent Review Board and is a senior representative to the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging.
Secretary, Dr. Robin Gillette, is a Principal at Renaissance High School, a California model continuation school in Santa Paula. She is a leader in the Association of California Administrator Academies (ACAA). In her previous position, she was awarded an $800,000 grant to rebuild and convert the old woodshop into an Engineering, Science, and Technology Academy.
Elected Treasurer is Lori Muniz Sanchez, a retired 32-year bilingual educator and administrator in the former Santa Paula Elementary School District. She served as a Master teacher for student teachers. She was Principal at Bedell Elementary, which earned a California Distinguished School designation during her tenure there. Additionally, she is a founding member of Las Contemporaneas, professional women who support the Museum of Ventura County, which includes the Santa Paula Agriculture Museum. Ms. Muniz Sanchez led the scholarship effort that raised over $10,000 this past year for graduating high school seniors.
Subcommittees are key to the organization’s updated Strategic Plan. The following are chairpersons including Membership Lead, Lorenzo Moraza, (outgoing President); Education and Student Success, Dr. Gabino Aguirre, Government Accountability and Economic Development/Social Services, Laura Espinosa, Annual Awards Committee is Dr. Maria Mungia; leading the Technology Committee is Daniel Villanueva.
Santa Paula Latino Town Hall’s mission statement was updated to reflect more current concerns and advocacy. The mission of Santa Paula Latino Town Hall is to be a proactive advocacy organization dedicated to educate, mobilize, and act on civil rights and social justice issues that impact the Latino Community in Santa Paula and Ventura County.
Toward this end SP Latino Town Hall collaborates with others to expand educational and economic opportunities, equitable access to social services, and affordable housing. We work to eliminate systemic racism towards Latinx communities and in public institutions that have historically created barriers thru policies that impact the Latino community.
In addition to electing a new slate of officers, Santa Paula Latino Town Hall members engaged in a revisioning meeting to update its three-year strategic plan, last updated in 2018. Priority goals for 2021-24 were established and focus on building a vibrant multi-generational membership, creating a higher education culture in Santa Paula, and ongoing advocacy to ensure economic and social services are provided in an equitable fashion for our community. Santa Paula Latino Town Hall’s mission statement was also updated to reflect these priorities.
Outgoing president Lorenzo Moraza led the organization for the past decade. A highly respected member of the community, Moraza helped expand the organization’s advocacy efforts under his tenure and ensured it remained inclusive and focused on the difficult work at hand. “I could not be more proud of the work done by our membership,” says Moraza, “and I’m exceedingly pleased that we have elected an executive committee that highlights the talents of the many women who have helped to build Latino Town Hall.” Newly elected President, Laura Espinosa stated, “We acknowledge the excellent leadership of our past presidents as we move forward to address the pressing needs of the community during a pandemic and with new vigor to improve lives thru educational, social and economic opportunities that will provide renewal, growth, and new alliances, in unity for a bright Santa Paula future.”