Board of Directors
La Raza's Board of Directors is comprised of distinguished Latino leaders with years of experience in policy affecting Latinos, community advocacy, immigration, and nonprofit governance.
Vishaka Avila
President
Vishaka Avila is passionate about giving back to the local community in a meaningful and lasting way. La Raza Community Resource Center provides an opportunity based on the Latino families it seeks to serve. Since 2014, Vishaka has been a committed volunteer citizenship teacher at La Raza helping individuals acquire their U.S. citizenship and encouraging civic engagement in the process. Vishaka works in the private sector within the commercial real estate field.
Deldelp Medina
Secretary
Deldelp Medina (pronounced Deldel), has had 10 plus years experience in Diversity and Inclusion. While her family is from the capital Barranquilla in Colombia, Deldelp currently resides in San Francisco, CA. She uses her cross-cultural expertise to strive towards creating systems for equity in the startup ecosystem. As the Executive Director of Black and Brown Founders, she works to provide community, education, and access to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs.
Li Miao Lovett
Board Member
Li Miao Lovett is the Communications Director for the Coalition of Community Housing Organizations. She brings our board 20 years of experience serving San Francisco’s BIPOC and working-class communities, fighting on the margins for worker rights, education access, affordable housing, and livable communities.
Most recently, Li served the City and the Sunset District as Supervisor Gordon Mar’s legislative aide where she spearheaded the Sunsets affordable housing and community development efforts with housing justice advocates and community resident leaders and community organizations like Self Help for the Elderly, Senior Disability Action, and Chinatown Community Development Corporation. Grounded in community perspective and leadership, Li exercised these grassroots connections to create strong narratives to counter the speculative real estate interests that destabilize BIPOC communities and lead to displacement.
Henry Martinez
Board Member
Henry, an aerospace engineer, has served at La Raza as a volunteer citizenship teacher and board member.
Jose (Pepe) Rodriguez
Board Member
Jose “Pepe” Rodriguez has spent his life using his personal and career experiences to help the Latino community in the San Francisco area for over 25 years. In 2015, Pepe sought out a progressive contribution by becoming a board member of the SFLDC and Carnaval SF boards. By submerging into Latino community groups, he found himself in the right path towards helping others. By 2017, he joined the DA Advisory Board, and La Raza Resource Center Board. Up to present day, Pepe actively participates in these community groups were being informed, educated, and empowered, has given him the right tools to help the Latino community in San Francisco.
Bernardo Silva, Esq.
Board Member
Bernardo Silva is a San Francisco attorney in private practice who specializes in business law and estate planning. He serves on the board because it is a grassroots organization providing direct services to immigrants and the Latino community since the 1960s.
Karla Garcia
Board Member
Born in Diriamba, Nicaragua, Karla Garcia and her family immigrated to the United States in 1985. She attended San Francisco State University, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Communications.
Karla's true calling was in business and finance, which led to her and her husband opening up a pastry and bakery company. She has created scholarships for women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and in need of economic difficulties—proceeds from every purchase at her business to help fund these causes. With passion and heart for community, Karla has used her platform on television through the Azteca America Show and five radio shows.