Adam Chavarria
Executive Director
Glorimar Maldonado Nosal
Marketing-Communications Manager
Glorimar Maldonado Nosal is the marketing-communications manager for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. Formerly from Atlanta, she moved to Washington, D.C., in 2004 to enter federal service.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Nosal was the publications manager for WCM, a large nonprofit organization based in Atlanta with satellite offices worldwide. She has spoken at several publishing workshops and has been the principal presenter at WCM's Hispanic Culture Sensitivity seminars. As a freelance writer-editor, she has completed a variety of projects for many well-known corporations such as the Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Cox Communications, Delta Air Lines, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and Comcast Corporation.
In 1996, Nosal graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English, history and psychology from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. In addition, she was the year's only recipient of the Flagler College Departmental Award for Superior Academic Achievement in English, and was inducted into both the Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society and the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society.
Nosal is an avid supporter of programs that recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Hispanics in the U.S. and that help Hispanic children and youths achieve academic success. This passion is what led her to the White House Initiative and what drove her to become an active member of the U.S. Department of Education's Hispanic Employees Council (ED-HEC).
Stephanie Guillen
Projects and Events Manager
Stephanie Guillen is the projects and events manager for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. A native of Alexandria, Va., and of Bolivian descent, she is on special assignment to the White House Initiative from the Department's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), where she is responsible for the planning and implementation of White House Initiative-sponsored conferences and events.
While at OELA, Guillen was a program specialist, monitoring discretionary grants and providing grantees with technical assistance and fiscal management to ensure their compliance with federal regulations and progress in meeting stated objectives. Before becoming a program specialist, Guillen served as the executive assistant to the Assistant Deputy Secretary of OELA, for whom she prepared presentations and speeches. With the guidance of senior staff, she also developed OELA's business and risk management plan, coordinated the work of a congressional liaison committee and implemented a variety of public relations outreach activities.
In 2003, Guillen graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a B.S. in international business management. While a student at BYU-Hawaii, she became a resident advisor and also was employed as an assistant to the professor of internal marketing, where she developed a close rapport with students and faculty and assisted both groups with their marketing research and projects.
Erika Mendes
Management and Program Analyst Intern
Erika Mendes is a management and program analyst intern placed with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. Originally from Kensington, Md., and of Brazilian descent, she has come to work with the White House Initiative to improve education awareness and access for Latino students and their families.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Mendes graduated with honors from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMDCP), where she received a B.A. in communications. As a UMDCP student, Mendes was not only active in the Latino community but in the Delta Gamma Sorority, holding various positions within the organization. She also served as president and cofounder of the Portuguese Language Association and volunteered with UMDCP's Langley Park Project. In addition, Mendes participated in blood drives, education awareness programs, animal walk-a-thons, and service-for-sight initiatives.
Mendes is currently pursuing her M.A. in education and human development with a concentration in higher education administration at the George Washington University. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and French. After graduation, Mendes hopes to continue her efforts in higher education policy and administration.