Hispanic Civil Rights Org Honors Lesbian Leader

National Council of La Raza lauds Catherine Pino at annual confab

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, honored NCLR board member Catherine Pino at its annual conference July 26. The group recognized Pino’s work in both the Latino and LGBT communities.

Pino is the Co-Founder and Principal at D&P Creative Strategies who, along with her partner Ingrid Duran, works to advance social justice and civil rights issues through corporate, philanthropic and legislative efforts. (GO Magazine chose Pino and Duran as two “red hot entrepreneurs” in its November 2010 issue.)

In addition to her role at NCLR, Pino has served the LGBT community through her advocacy as a board member for such groups as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). She is currently serving as a board Member of the Arcus Foundation, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and NCLR. Pino was the first Latina co-chair and board member of the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City.

Her desire to help others took root at an early age, and was fostered through numerous volunteer activities in her hometown of Albuquerque, N.M. After college, she worked in the Capitol Hill office of New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, where she learned first-hand how public policy and legislation intersect with nonprofit efforts.

NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía delivered remarks highlighting Pino’s many achievements at the event.


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