With the culmination of its fifth year, the Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy, an initiative of the Latino Policy Forum, announced the graduation of its largest cohort in program history. The 32 graduates represent a diverse and interdisciplinary group of Illinois nonprofits. Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered the keynote address celebrating the collective strengths of Year 5 participants and their service to the Chicago community.

“Congratulations to the graduates of the Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy whose efforts build up our communities and build up the American Dream in our city,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “As Chicago’s Latino community grows, so will their role in shaping the future of our city.”

Participating organizations serve the Chicago area, northern and southern suburbs, and other regions of Illinois. Collectively they employ more than 460 full-time employees, 1,000 total staff and 1,800 volunteers, and have provided more than 375 years of service to their communities. “Investing in leadership as a whole is critical, Latino leadership is inclined to be a shared leadership, with many individuals standing together,” said Sylvia Puente, the Forum’s executive director.

Participants were selected from a competitive pool of Latino-led, Latino-serving organizations by a panel of past Academy participants, stakeholders and funders, based on their organizational mission and ability to both contribute to and benefit from Academy activities. All participants completed a series of three, three-day retreat sessions and benefitted from one-on-one consulting and mentoring.