Lupe Serrano--born and raised on the West Side of St. Paul, MN-was the daughter of Mexican parents. Active in the nonprofit sector for more than twenty-five years, Ms. Serrano led a number of organizations as founder and Executive Director. She also provided strong leadership as Interim Director for organizations in transition. She was recognized and respected by the Latino community for her visionary leadership, and she had strong allies throughout Minnesota and the USA.
Ms. Serrano served Casa de Esperanza as Executive Director, 1998 - 2007, and President, 2007 - 2008. Casa de Esperanza is a Latina organization, founded in 1982, that serves more than 14,000 people each year. Her previous leadership roles included:
1997 - 1998 Community Consultant, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
1995 - 1996 Executive Director, Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA)
1993 - 1995 Associate Director, Resources for Child Caring
1987 - 1993 Director of Community Affairs, Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio
1984 - 1986 Executive Director, Minnesota Hispanic Women's Development Corp.
1980 - 1984 Director, Office of Hispanic Ministry-Archdiocese of St. Paul/ Mpls.
Ms. Serrano was the founder and visionary behind two local organizations: Hispanic Advocacy for Community Empowerment through Research (HACER) and the Office of Hispanic Ministries of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. She also played a critical volunteer role in the early years of Casa de Esperanza and Chicanos Latinos Unidos en Servicio (CLUES).
Ms. Serrano was honored at local and national levels. She received the 2006 Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights Award and the 2006 Minnesota Latino Achievement Award. In November 2003 her name was "up in lights" in Times Square, NY, where she was recognized by Lifetime Television's Times Square project for her tireless work in the field of domestic violence.