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.
