Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com 4 March 2023 WORDS OF WISDOM: "R epresentation is not only seeing those at the tables we want to be a part of, it is also about those leaders making room for us to join. Lead in a way so that others can lead." Age: 33 Title: Committee Director and Legislative Counsel, Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development Organization: City of Chicago Dedicated to purpose-driven collaboration, Ashley Álvarez centers her life's work on stren- gthening the relationship bet- ween community and gover- nment through advocacy that advances equity, opportunity, and accountability to create sustainable change. Álvarez is a first-genera- tion Cuban and Puerto Rican daughter and granddaughter of immigrants. Born in Maywood, she was raised in many Chicago neighborhoods before moving to the suburbs, but she was shaped by Sunday dinners at El Prado (her abuelos' Cuban res- taurant), and summers in Are- cibo eating tembleque made by her abuelita and sitting with her abuelo en el balcón. At age 11, Álvarez knew she wanted to be an attorney after wit- nessing her father's long battle for custody. Within her first month at California Western School of Law, Álvarez applied to be a clinical student at the California Innocen- ce Project. There she united with a team that successfully reversed a wrongful conviction. Later she moved to the Public Defender's Office where she realized the power of legislation. After returning to Chicago, she was an attorney and govern- ment affairs associate at Tristan & Cervantes, prior to joining the Democratic National Conven- tion Committee as the senior director of allied groups and la- bor engagement. For the 2020 election, she worked at the Biden Presidential Coordinated Cam- paign in Arizona as the Maricopa County voter protection director. Currently, Álvarez is the com- mittee director and legislative counsel for the city of Chicago Committee on Economic, Ca- pital, and Technology Develop- ment. She oversees operations, legislation, team management, external affairs, and communi- cations. As part of her work, she helped initiate one of the largest citywide pandemic relief pro- grams in the nation, secured con- tractual protections at the airport, and held subject matter hearings that often lead to innovative solu- tions, infrastructure, or updated technology. Álvarez was recently appointed chair of the legisla- tive committee at the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois. Ashley Álvarez Government service leader

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