¿Quiénes Somos?
En el 2003 un grupo de voluntarios bajo la iniciativa de Manuel Portillo, Director de Proyecto sin Fronteras, y la colaboración de varios estudiantes colombianos, decidieron embarcarse en el proyecto de formar una organización que representara a la comunidad colombiana en el área metropolitana. Así fue como en 2010 se constituyó Acción Colombia como una organización sin ánimo de lucro integrada por un grupo de líderes hispanos que cuentan con la invaluable colaboración de voluntarios comprometidos con el fomento y el fortalecimiento de la comunidad colombiana en el área de Nueva Jersey, Delaware y Pennsylvania.
La organización y sus programas han evolucionado a lo largo de los años; de organizar conferencias sobre el tema migratorio hasta establecer programas anuales como la promoción del Consulado Móvil y su apoyo consular, además de fomentar la recreación, la cultura y la educación.
ABOUT US
In 2003 a group of volunteers under the initiative of Manuel Portillo, Director of Project without Borders, and the collaboration of several Colombian students, decided to embark on the project to form an organization that would represent the Colombian community in the metropolitan area. This is how in 2010 Acción Colombia was constituted as a community organization formed by a group of Hispanic leaders who count on the invaluable collaboration of volunteers committed to the promotion and strengthening of the Colombian community in the New Jersey, Delaware area, and from Philadelphia – Pennsylvania mainly.
The organization and its programs have evolved over the years; to organize conferences on the subject of migration to establish annual programs such as the promotion of the Mobile Consulate and its consular support, in addition to promoting recreation, culture and education.
Misión
Fortalecer el liderazgo en la comunidad colombiana y latinoamericana fomentando el arte, la cultura y la participación cívica en el área triestatal de Pennsylvania, Delaware y Nueva Jersey.
Mission
It is to strengthen leadership in the Colombian and Latino community through arts and culture and civic engagement in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Visión
Ser la organización con mayor reconocimiento por abogar, desarrollar liderazgo y empoderar a la comunidad hispana en el área de Philadelphia.
Vision
To be the organization with the highest recognition for advocating, developing leadership and empowering the Hispanic community in the Philadelphia area.
¿Quiénes integran Acción Colombia?
Acción Colombia es una organización integrada por un grupo de líderes colombianos quienes han definido su misión y desarrollado sus programas. Hasta la fecha la organización tiene una Junta Directiva que trabaja activamente delineando su directriz, además de coordinar diversas actividades y eventos en la comunidad. La organización cuenta también con la invaluable colaboración de voluntarios colombianos y de otros países latinoamericanos que participan en los diferentes programas desarrollados durante el año.
En 2010, gracias al apoyo de la fundación Hispanic in Philanthropy, por primera vez Acción Colombia pasa de ser un grupo de voluntarios a la formación de una organización sin ánimo de lucro. En este proceso se nombra su primer Director Ejecutivo quien nos acompaña hasta la fecha, Leity Rodríguez-Largo.
Junta Directiva
Leity Rodriguez-Largo, Executive Director, is an enthusiastic and very talented Social Worker with experience working with minorities, especially the Latin American community in Philadelphia. She provides support to enable service users to help themselves, maintains professional relationships acting as a guide and advocate for the Colombian community. She is Acción Colombia’s founding member, coordinator and its first Executive Director. She was appointed to manage the day to day operations and responsibilities for the organization and consistent achievements of its mission and financial objectives. She is the only part-time staff person. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the Universidad Del Valle, Cali, Colombia. She is a graduate student of the Leadership on the Rise, Class of 2009 from the Latino Partnership Institute Initiative. She served on the Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Tertullian Committee from 2007 to 2016 and a Collaborating Member of Women in the Move from 2011 to the 2014. She is also a member of the 5th Street & Hunting Park Business Association since 2013, and board member of Philadelphia Prevention Partnership since 2014 to present. She loves to learn and interact with other cultures, arts, music and dance. She is a good reader, special interest in Literature.
Mary Marques, Vice President, works as a multilingual Librarian and Library Coordinator for the South and Central Clusters at the Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP). She serves on the Free Library’s New American Committee since 2010, and as REFORMA Northeast Past President elected for 2014-2016 period. In addition, she supports REFORMA NE as the Chair of the Communication/Media Committee and Joint-Mini Conference; in the past, she served as the State Coordinator for Pennsylvania from 2010-2015. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and a second Master’s Degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies from La Salle University, United States, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Science, Journalism, from Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University, Peru. Mary is passionate about diversity, culture awareness and cross-cultural communication in libraries. Some of her blogs posting, as a volunteer, are in the IFLA, New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG) webpage. She loves to travel and to learn about other cultures and traditions. Also, she adores capturing special moments with her creative photography and enjoys being in contact with nature throughout practicing road biking with her husband.
Cielo F. Castañeda, Treasurer: born in Cali Colombia, graduated in the year1994 from the Universidad Libre Cali Colombia as a Public Accountant. She is an entrepreneur, an in love with her profession. She is an upbeat person and loves helping people, especially. Those in the Hispanic community. She has overcome many obstacles in her life as a single mother also facing the realities of being an immigrant in the United States. In Philadelphia, she has worked as an accountant managing corporations and small businesses. Many of those she works with are have immigrant backgrounds which have given her the unique knowledge of how to help strengthen the Latin American community in the financial sphere. Cielo is currently happily a part of this organization as the Treasurer.
Jorge E. Garcia: Jorge E. Garcia is a Certified teacher- Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship – working with Philadelphia School District of Philadelphia, for over 12 years. Master in Education from Drexel University, Bachelor in Chemical Engineering , and ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Auditor from the UIS (Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia). Besides that, earned a NFTE Entrepreneurship teacher certification. Experience in Process Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Project Management and Planning, for more than 20 years in Colombia (Container Corp, Goodyear SA, and Carvajal SA). Currently working in strategic projects to improve the quality of the food offer to urban Philadelphia residents, and to educate the small business community in commerce and finance (e-platform), also as Business Consultant in the areas of Project and Strategic Planning. Management Positions: Lab Chief, Good Year de Colombia, Project Manager, Carton de Colombia, President, “Cooperativa del Medio Ambiente Los Limones”, Cali, Colombia. Awards: “Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year”, Colombia, 1998. ASQ (American Society for Quality) Project Management finalist, 2006, and 2011.
Felicita Feliciano is the Director of the Latino Partnership Initiative (LPI), a grassroots-led coalition of people interested in improving the overall well-being of Latino communities in Philadelphia, with committees that focus on the elderly, health, youth economic and political development respecting its cultural and spiritual identity. Now in its sixteenth year and with an inspiring group of mentors/advisors, Felicita has successfully developed and directed the Latino Partnership Leadership Institute; its mission is “to foment and nurture the development of civic leadership among emerging Latino/a leaders in the Delaware Valley. The primary goal of the Leadership Institute is to advance the well-being of the Delaware Valley’s Latino Community at the social economic, cultural and political levels”. Over two hundred leaders have graduated from this institute and they are now serving, mobilizing and making a difference in their own communities. Felicita received a Bachelor’s of Arts from the Interamerican University of San German, Puerto Rico and she holds certifications in Leadership Management and Organizational Development. Felicita’s work spans over 30 years of involvement in movements for social change and development of the Puerto Rican /Latino Community in Philadelphia. Felicita is a proud mother of two, Felicia A. Morales and Paola R. Fernandez and the grandmother of Sophia R. Torres.
Dr. Lucila Paramo was born in Cali, Colombia. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology/Chemistry from University del Valle, Cali, Colombia, a Master in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies from La Salle University (LSU); Certificate in Spanish Culture from Complutense University in Madrid and a Doctoral Degree in Education Administration from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico (UIPR). Also, she graduated of the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) Leadership Program and the Hispanic Leadership Development Program at LSU. Dr. Paramo has taught Chemistry for 32 years at CCP, Biology at LSU- BUSCA Program and Saint Joseph’s University. She was the coordinator of the Master’s and Doctoral Distance Program between (UIPR) in partnership with CCP in which forty-four Hispanic educators received their degrees. Dr. Paramo was recipient of the Academic Excellence Medal from (UIPR) in 2006 and she has been recognized as one of 2011-2012 most influential Latinos by Impacto Latin Newspaper. In October 2011, she was a guest during the second meeting of The President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House, where she had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama along with Commissioner and fellow Colombian singer, Shakira. Dr. Paramo has written professional literature in chemistry and she is the co-author of the Adult Bilingual GED Math and Computer textbook published in 2002.
Dr. Norma Corrales-Martin got her Master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from prestigious Instituto Caro & Cuervo in Bogotá. She has a Ph.D. in Education from Ohio University. She has developed Gramática Viva (Live Grammar) a grammar centered on the verb. She is coauthor of Pinceladas Literarias Hispanoamericanas, an anthology of literary works. She is originally from the Colombian Caribbean, a place where people learn to dance before they learn to walk. She loves music, dancing and singing, literature, art and culture, and she is also a poet.