The Board of Trustees of Esperanza, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has selected Victor A. Ruiz as the agency’s new Executive Director, effective March 1st.

Victor brings much experience in the field of education, holding various positions at Cleveland Scholarship Programs, Inc. His most recent assignment has been as the organization’s Assistant Vice President of Advisory Services, where he provides oversight and leadership for the design and implementation of direct service programs related to college access advising services to students. Victor is a member of the Hispanic Roundtable, serving on the Education Area Committee. Last year, Mr. Ruiz served as a Fellow for the Center for Progressive Leadership, where he was selected to participate because of his leadership potential to effectively advance political and policy change in the state. He is currently a member of Young Latino Network, and served on Esperanza’s Board from 2005 to 2009. Victor also serves on the Catholic Education Endowment Trust, on the Advisory Board of Education Voters, and on the board of Mind Matters. Victor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baldwin-Wallace College, and a Master’s of Education degree from Cleveland State University.

Victor’s commitment to education, the Hispanic community, and his expertise in program creation and evaluation will serve all stakeholders well as Esperanza moves forward in its mission to enhance educational and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Working together with the Board, Mr. Ruiz will be integral to building on the success of the agency’s successful and respected programs serving the Hispanic community.

The Board would also like to express its sincere gratitude to Jessica Gonzalez, who has been serving as the agency’s Interim Executive Director since June. Her leadership and hard work has been a critical part of Esperanza’s success since joining in 2008 as the Associate Director. In recognition of her strengths in building partnerships in the community and superb management of Esperanza’s day-to-day activities, she will transition into a Director of Operations role, providing oversight for the agency’s programs, administration, and daily operations.

Please join the Board in welcoming and congratulating both Victor and Jessica on their new roles at Esperanza, Inc.
For additional information contact Jessica Gonzalez at 216.651.7178