www.negociosnow.com
February 2018 9
Age: 31
Title: Director of Community
Schools and Youth Services
Name of Organization: Brighton
Park Neighborhood Council
Bio: Cheryl Flores stands out
not only for her passion for ser-
vice and youth, but for her dedi-
cation to work in the community
she grew up in and lives in.
Flores joined the Brighton
Park Neighborhood Council
eight years ago. Since then, she
has worked in various roles re-
lated to civic engagement, youth
development and education.
As the Director for Communi-
ty Schools and Youth Services,
she oversees programming and
services at the organization's six
partner schools. She has worked
diligently to expand program-
ming and to ensure a smooth
transition for students into
Brighton Park's neighborhood
high school. She also works in
collaboration with Chicago Pu-
blic Schools and other partner
organizations to develop quality
programming and opportuni-
ties for young people in Brighton
Park.
Flores began her career as
a substance abuse counselor
in Pilsen, where she worked
with teens and their families.
She worked one-on-one with
young people abusing drugs and
provided culturally responsive
treatment plans to help them
overcome their addictions.
Over the years, Flores has
been involved with several orga-
nizations and boards, including:
the Leadership Advisory Council
for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School,
the Young Professional Advisory
Council for Mujeres Latinas en
Acción and the Local School
Council for Brighton Park Ele-
mentary. She has also participa-
ted in the Multicultural Leader-
ship Academy with the Latino
Policy Forum.
Flores holds a Master of Pu-
blic Administration from DePaul
University and a bachelor's de-
gree from the University of Illi-
nois at Chicago.
Cheryl Flores
Helping
youth in
her own
community
"S
hare the richness of your
community. Oftentimes
our communities' narrative is
written by others and overlooks the
successes of our young people, of
our culture, and of our families."
Cheryl Flores
