Here to serve the community
The Team
Oswaldo Alvarez is the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation’s Executive Director and oversees all programs, operations, and organizational development. Oswaldo has nearly 20 years of experience, working across the sectors of nonprofit, government, and philanthropy – all the sectors designed to work with and for community. Before joining the ILLCF, Oswaldo was appointed by Governor Pritzker as the inaugural Census Director for the State of Illinois, helping the State achieve its highest self-response rate ever, ranking #1 among states with over 9 million people. A Chicago native and a fluent Spanish speaker, he earned his Master's in Social Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Elizabeth Gutierrez, who is from the south suburbs of Chicago, graduated with a Masters in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Elizabeth's studies and research focused on community nutrition with a focus on public health and nutrition policy. Through her studies, dietetic internship, and volunteer-based extracurriculars, she found a passion for promoting health equity through establishing nutrition security within the various communities she interacted with. Liz is excited to continue to build her passion for policy and non-profit work while uplifting the Latino community within Illinois.
Juan Carlos is the Next Generation Leadership Program Coordinator. Through the ILLCF Scholarship Program and the Alumni Association, and with the ILLCF team, he will be helping Latinos succeed in every phase of their career, providing professional development, resources, and networks, and by facilitating access to meaningful career opportunities. Growing up, after school and during school breaks, Juan Carlos worked en el campo (the fields). Juan Carlos has taught in the k-12 education sector, worked in the higher education sector, and worked in community non-profit organizations, advocating and informing people about their work, health, and immigration rights. Juan Carlos brings a wealth of knowledge on education, community outreach and engagement, a great passion to help our current and future leaders succeed in their careers, and a great passion for advocating for equitable policies for everyone in our communities.
Maggie Olmos is the Policy Advisor and supports the research and development efforts towards achieving the Raices goals. With over 15 years of experience in municipal and state government, her experience across various state agencies includes: program development & classroom instruction, state regulatory & administrative procedures, public & administrative policy, human resources & recruitment, procurement & economic development, program outreach/marketing & event planning, and media & communications. Her private sector experience includes public accounting & small business management. A strong proponent of community engagement and Latine representation, she sits on the boards for the Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees and the Illinois Hispanic Educational Foundation. She also volunteers as the Midwest Project Administrator and as an Onsite and Educational Director for the National Hispanic Institute. Maggie earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Northeastern Illinois University.
Marissa graduated from University of Illinois Chicago with both a B.A. and M.A. in Criminology, Law, and Justice. As a student, Marissa was heavily involved with the LARES (Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services) office and is an advocate of the Latino community. During the program, Marissa created two research posters, which she presented at the 26th & 27th Annual ILACHE Conferences. After this, she went on to join UPPF (Urban Public Policy Fellowship) as a student for the 2019 to 2020 cohort; she returned as a UPPF Graduate Assistant during graduate studies. In her spare time, she volunteers as an Election Judge, assisting on election day with the check-in and registration of voters. Her long-term goal is to enroll in law school and practice in the legal profession with hope to teach or advise at the college level. Her hobbies include painting and creating digital art.
