Staff Spotlight: Chief Development Officer

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) wants you to learn more about our amazing staff, the individuals behind the work of our programs including the Hispanic Heritage Awards, Latinos on Fast Track (LOFT), Youth Awards, Code as a Second Language and other initiatives!

HHF is a team of 18 individuals working out of our Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles offices, among others. We introduce you to Juana Pacheco, HHF’s Chief Development Officer.Juana was born and raised in Washington, DC. She grew up from humble parents. “My parents instilled in me the importance of education, and the ability to really focus on getting the job done. A hard work ethic started here and allowed me to go from the barrio to Princeton.”

Juana attended Princeton University. “In college I studied mechanical engineering, and math and science were my favorite subjects. There’s something about math and science that allows people to think a certain way, and it allows us to tackle all problems in an analytical way versus in an emotional way. In math and science there are only finite answers, there is no in between.” During her last year at Princeton, Juana met a woman by the name of Antonia Hernandez, and this was a pivotal time for her. “Antonia was my first mentor. She hired me right out of college at the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MADEF) where I learned how to be a professional in the workplace. She taught me the social capital that’s required for success in life not only the workplace. More importantly, she taught me that a life in public service, like hers, was a life well lived. I have been working at non-profits ever since. Thanks to her, I learned that I needed to find a job that I really enjoyed, and working for the better of our community was something that became my priority.”

Juana was a National Urban Fellow, receiving her MPA at Baruch College. Before HHF, Juana worked at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to name a few, and has been at HHF for 2 years. She is a published expert in the field of economic and community development with 25+ years of experience in the non-profit sector, and currently focuses her efforts in the area of education.

“My expertise became finding funds for the different causes I was working for. This is not always an easy task, it requires patience, perseverance, creativity, and innovation – this is exactly why I like being at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, this is the very definition of the entire team!” said Juana.

Juana continued to say, “At HHF, we work closely with our Corporate partners to ensure that our work has true impact for the nation as a whole. Whether it is in Miami, New York, or Atlanta, we are going around the country identifying talent. As we enter HHF’s 30^th year of existence, it’s most notable how much the Hispanic Heritage Foundation has evolved over the years, always changing with the times and trends, hand in hand with our sponsors and partners. We have learned to effectively use our network to leverage our resources in a mutually beneficial way. We are a very data driven, customer focused organization, and we use all of the tools we have each and every day. HHF engages with our partners year-round, and they really are a part of the HHF Familia. We’re able to be creative and innovative thanks to the confidence that our partners have in us.”

“The audience we serve are today’s leaders that become tomorrow’s workforce, entrepreneurs, and innovators.” Juana’s work at HHF does not go unnoticed, thank you for your commitment and dedication, HHF is honored and lucky to have you!

Learn more about our Washington, DC team members!

Roberto Callejas, Chief of Staff

Jasmin Zamorano, Director of Programs

Dario E. Collado, Director of Strategic Development

Camila Zamorano, Special Assistant to HHF’s CEO

Teresa Cronin, LOFT Source Coordinator

Sabas Gomez, Administrative Events Assistant