Executive Vice President/Principal

Maria Elena brings to Metropolitan Group and our clients more than 20 years of management and professional experience in strategic communication, organizational development and resource development. Her expertise in these areas, complemented by extensive experience in multicultural communication, strategic planning and program development, provides clients with an integrated approach to their challenges. Maria Elena leads MG’s multicultural communication practice and is the principal in charge of MG’s Washington, D.C., office.

Maria Elena has designed and implemented hundreds of outreach and public will building campaigns and programs as well as diversity trainings to increase participation and engagement and change attitudes and behaviors of traditionally hard-to-reach communities, including ethnic minorities, new immigrants and youth. She has led branding and communication teams in helping reposition organizations to better reach and engage constituents. She has also provided extensive technical assistance on strategic communication and resource development to nonprofit groups, most recently to grantees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kellogg Action Lab and Ford Foundation.

A national expert in understanding and working with the values of Latino communities, Maria Elena brings a strong national perspective to their issues from her experience as a community advocate and business leader. She has helped numerous corporations and nonprofits design outreach initiatives, service models and programs that are grounded in Latino cultural values and successfully engage Latino communities. Her work has also supported Latino organizations seeking to better serve their constituents.

Maria Elena is principal author of “Increasing Relevance, Relationships and Results: Principles and Practices for Effective Multicultural Communication,” an article released by MG in 2008. She was co-author of “The Power of Effective Communications,” published by Exchange, a publication of the Land Trust Alliance.

Earlier in her career, Maria Elena  served as associate publisher for LATINA Style magazine, a leading magazine for Latina professionals, and as executive director for the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement, where she increased the organization’s programs and budget more than 20-fold, creating a national model for advocacy and outreach. She also spent five years working internationally, gaining extensive marketing and communication experience throughout Latin America and Japan.

Maria Elena holds a master’s in business administration, with a focus on international marketing, from Portland State University and a bachelor’s in languages from Georgetown University, with a specialty in Russian and Spanish. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and fluent in French. Committed to community service, Maria Elena serves on the boards of the Land Trust Alliance and CentroNía, a regional multicultural and bilingual early education center. She is also a mentor with Capital Partners for Education. She is passionate about the outdoors, international travel, staying physically active and spending time with her son, Andres Juan (AJ).

¡Si se puede! —Cesar Chavez