latinx leadership

Recast Episode #69 - In Memoriam: Laura Segura, Executive Director of Monarch Services, Social Justice Warrior, Chicana Leader, Advocate, Community Hero, Athlete y La Mera Mera Chingona.

With a heavy heart, we are recasting our August 2021 interview with Laura Segura who passed away last week after battling cancer.  Our hearts and prayers are with her daughters, family, Monarch Services & the Watsonville community.

May we uplift Laura’s memory and legacy as we remember life is precious and can be cut short too early. Be free our chingona hermana, thank you for your friendship, mentorship, and leadership.

If you would like to donate to the Laura Segura Scholarship Fund to support local justice-involved young people, please donate today:

https://www.cfscc.org/funds/laura-segura-scholarship

For more information about Monarch Services: https://www.monarchscc.org/

#QueVivaLauraSegura

#LauraSeguraPresente!

#MonarchServicesSantaCruzCounty

#ChicanaLeadership

#ChingonaLeadership

#healthcareuntold

#gentecare

#healthcareuntoldpodcast

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In Honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are re-broadcasting Laura Segura's interview from August 12, 2021.  

Laura Segura serves as Co-Executive Director of Monarch Services (formerly Defensa de Mujeres) in Santa Cruz County, domestic violence, rape crisis, and human trafficking center. She has deep roots in the Pajaro Valley and has dedicated her career to issues of social justice and equity. She is a two-time Fellow with the Women’s Policy Institute and has helped pass legislation to protect survivors of violence. 

Laura was born in La Angostura, Michoacán, Mexico, and as a child moved to Watsonville with her parents and 5 siblings. She attended Cabrillo College and then graduated from San José State as a first-generation student. She later attended Harvard’s Executive Education program. During her career, she has worked for local government and the non-profit sector and has served on numerous boards and commissions. 

Laura is a recent breast cancer survivor, has two daughters, and lives in south Santa Cruz County near her big Mexican family. During the pandemic, Laura honed in on her amateur culinary skills and regularly trains as a cyclist on her road bike.

#healthcareuntold

#monarchsccounty

#monarchservicesscc

#violenceprevention

#supportsurvivors

#enddomesticviolence

#endfemicide

#endsexualassault

#endhumantrafficking

#supportsurvivors

#latinasinleadership

#Every1KnowsSome1

Born and raised in Watsonville, I bring more than 30 years of nonprofit experience to my work  as the executive director of the Community Action Board (CAB) of Santa Cruz County, Inc.  (CAB). I stand on the values of equity, humility, and service to lead the agency to expand  services, strengthen community engagement, become culturally reflective, and experience  significant fiscal growth.  

As a public speaker on local, statewide and national platforms, I strive to amplify the voices of  immigrants, Latinx families, and those impacted by poverty. Grounded in my mother’s dichos  (teachings), I advocate for services that cultivate a sense of belonging. El dicho, “Cada quien pone su granito de arena” (every person contributes their little grain of sand), has fueled me to  build networks and teams that focus on cultural respect and make a difference in the lives of  others. Among the organizations where I have held leadership or board roles are Janus of  Santa Cruz, Mexican American Community Services Agency, CALCapa Community Action  Association, Conflict Resolution Center, Workforce Investment Board, Mercantile Mexicana,  Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Moreland Notre Dame, and Barrios Unidos. 

I hold a dual BA degree in psychology and Chicano studies from Scripps College in Claremont,  California, with extensive leadership development including the Bank of America National  Leadership program, United Way Leadership for Community Transformation, and the Stanford  University Graduate School of Business School’s Nonprofit Management Institute, and the  Gilroy Leadership Program. In 2018, I was the recipient of the prestigious UC-Santa Cruz Tony  Hill Memorial Award for my work in social justice. Most recently, I was honored for making a  difference in our community’s pandemic response in an article, “21 for ‘21” by Lookout Santa  Cruz.  

It is with deep gratitude that I share my accomplishments and invite you to explore, listen, and  learn from the voices that surround you— and decide where your little grain of sand would make  the most profound difference.

María Elena de la Garza 

Note: the correct phone for the Day Worker Center is (831) 475-9675

Recast Episode #69 - In Memoriam: Laura Segura, Executive Director of Monarch Services, Social Justice Warrior, Chicana Leader, Advocate, Community Hero, Athlete y La Mera Mera Chingona.

With a heavy heart, we are recasting our August 2021 interview with Laura Segura who passed away last week after battling cancer.  Our hearts and prayers are with her daughters, family, Monarch Services & the Watsonville community.

May we uplift Laura’s memory and legacy as we remember life is precious and can be cut short too early. Be free our chingona hermana, thank you for your friendship, mentorship, and leadership.

If you would like to donate to the Laura Segura Scholarship Fund to support local justice-involved young people, please donate today:

https://www.cfscc.org/funds/laura-segura-scholarship

For more information about Monarch Services: https://www.monarchscc.org/

#QueVivaLauraSegura

#LauraSeguraPresente!

#MonarchServicesSantaCruzCounty

#ChicanaLeadership

#ChingonaLeadership

#healthcareuntold

#gentecare

#healthcareuntoldpodcast

*************************************************************************************

Laura Segura serves as Co-Executive Director of Monarch Services (formerly Defensa de Mujeres) in Santa Cruz County, domestic violence, rape crisis, and human trafficking center. She has deep roots in the Pajaro Valley and has dedicated her career to issues of social justice and equity. She is a two-time Fellow with the Women’s Policy Institute and has helped pass legislation to protect survivors of violence. 

Laura was born in La Angostura, Michoacán, Mexico, and as a child moved to Watsonville with her parents and 5 siblings. She attended Cabrillo College and then graduated from San José State as a first-generation student. She later attended Harvard’s Executive Education program. During her career, she has worked for local government and the non-profit sector and has served on numerous boards and commissions. 

Laura is a recent breast cancer survivor, has two daughters, and lives in south Santa Cruz County near her big Mexican family. During the pandemic, Laura honed in on her amateur culinary skills and regularly trains as a cyclist on her road bike.

#healthcareuntold

#monarchsccounty

#monarchservicesscc

#violenceprevention

#supportsurvivors

#enddomesticviolence

#endfemicide

#endsexualassault

#endhumantrafficking

#supportsurvivors

#latinasinleadership