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English About the Ibero-American Action League
Ibero, a dual language multi service agency that uplifts, empowers, and advocates for Latinos and the underserved to achieve equity and become fully valued community members.
Mission Statement
Ibero, a dual language multi service agency that uplifts, empowers, and advocates for Latinos and the underserved to achieve equity and become fully valued community members.
Vision Statement
Ibero will be a recognized and transformative force in achieving equity in New York State’s Latino Community by 2024.
Identity Statements
We uplift, empower, and advocate for Latinos and their families.
We serve the underserved, the vulnerable, and those most at-risk without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, or age.
We are committed to social justice and to addressing systemic disparities in housing, education, health care, entrepreneurship, and employment.
We remove systemic barriers by increasing access to an array of services that are person-centered, community-rooted, bi-lingual, and culturally responsive.
We will be sustainable by continuing to respond to emerging needs, increasing community partnerships, demonstrating measurable outcomes, and diversifying our revenue streams.
Our cultural competency, coupled with our passion, compassion and longstanding commitment to the community has made us a recognized leader. Our future indeed is bright.
Proposition
Empowering People and Transforming Communities
Tagline
Conduit. Convener. Catalyst.
Más de 50 años y funcionando
Fundada en 1968
La Liga de Acción Iberoamericana, Inc. fue incorporada como una organización sin fines de lucro 501 (c) (3) en 1968, con la ayuda de la Diócesis Católica de Rochester, N.Y.
The Catholic Church donated the building where the Spanish Apostolate was housed at Holy Redeemer Church to Ibero. This first office was located at 938 Clifford Avenue in the heart of the city, where day–to-day operations and services were handled by a staff of eight. Its purpose was to provide resources to the growing Hispanic community in the area. Many of these families left Puerto Rico to work on farms in the Rochester area and as new arrivals, needed many services.
The Ibero-American Action League, Inc. quickly established deep roots in the Rochester community. Many of the programs were geared towards helping those in need, especially Hispanics, so they could gain the necessary skills to raise their socioeconomic status and self-sufficiency. The Bilingual Secretarial Training Program and the Skilled Trades Programs were two examples of the agency’s many initiatives during that time.
En 1969, Ibero helped launch the Rochester Puerto Rican Festival, parade and pageant: a weeklong celebration of Puerto Rican culture and music. The Puerto Rican Festival is still an independent volunteer committee and the festival is the
longest running festival in the Rochester region.
En 1971, the Ibero-American Action League established the Puerto Rican Arts and Cultural Center at 954 Clifford Avenue, on the corner of Clinton avenue and Clifford. Ibero also established the Biblioteca Manuel Alonso, a library stocked with Spanish-language books for the community.
En 1974 Ibero launched the Ibero-American Credit Union to offer financial services to the underserved communities of the Northeast Rochester. The Credit Union offered neighborhood banking and loans with bilingual staff.
En 1975, Ibero completed the construction of Los Flamboyanes. The 153-unit project included the iconic high rise building on North Clinton Avenue surrounded by town houses for families. At the time it was the largest affordable housing project in the country built by a Latino organization.
En 1981, the Ibero Puerto Rican Arts and Cultural Center launched the Borinquen Dance Theater to preserve and promote traditional Latin dance and music.
The Ibero-American Development Corporation was established in 1986 as an affiliate of the Ibero-American Action League, Inc. (IBERO) under the name Pueblo Home Development Corporation. In 1995, the name of the Corporation was changed to Ibero-American Development Corporation.
En 1998, Julio Vázquez, the President and CEO of Ibero American Action League, saw the Charter School Legislation as an opportunity to improve the educational alternatives for city students. Ibero sponsored the development of the Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School. In March of 2000, SUNY approved the application and a charter was issued authorizing the establishment of the Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School. The school welcomed its first group of 120 Kindergarten through second-grade students in September 2000. During its first charter, the school grew to include grades K – 6. The middle school grades were added in September 2010. During its third renewal, the school was authorized to expand from 2 sections to 4 sections per grade level and to add the high school grades. EMHCS now offer bilingual education from kindergarten to the 12th grade.
En 2015, Ibero launched the first 24-hour Latin radio station in the state, outside of New York City. Poder 97.1 FM WEPL first broadcast was on November 30th, 2015 and after a social media contest, “Vivir la Vida” by Marc Anthony was chosen to be the first song ever broadcast on the air.
In May 2015, Centro Civico entered into an intent merger relationship with Ibero-American Action League and in October 2020 the two entities were legally merged, with Ibero as the surviving entity. Incorporated in 1986, Centro Civico has served the immigrant, refugee and Latino community in the Capital Region and surrounding counties. Together we serve a large regional area of upstate New York including 6 counties in the Capital Region, 5 counties of the Mohawk Valley, and Monroe County.
Ibero American Investors Corporation (IAIC), in partnership with Ibero American Action League, launched the Ibero Business Center (IBC) in early 2021. With multiple locations in the Finger Lakes, WNY, and soon Mohawk Valley region, IBC assists minority/women owned business enterprises across upstate NY. IBC specialized in the launching stages of a business life cycle by providing cohort style business courses, business pitch competitions, one on one business coaching, and business incubation (this service is currently limited to the City of Rochester). The IBCs are a fast growing service of Ibero as more and more bilingual business cohorts are launched in counties outside of the City of Rochester, making Ibero an Upstate NY entrepreneurial service organization.
En 2023, Ibero moved their headquarters to the St. Michael’s campus. Now located at 124 Evergreen Street, in the former convent, Ibero provided the first step in the revitalization of the entire St. Michael’s campus into a vibrant neighborhood multiple-service center. This move brought the Ibero leadership team ‘home,’ for the first time after 38 years and during a time when most resources are leaving the neighborhood.
Today Ibero has evolved into an agency that serves individuals and families of all ethnic backgrounds, and our unique ability to target the Latino community remains unprecedented in this region. We have offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Amsterdam and Geneva. We’ve grown from eight employees to over 300 staff and owns Rochester’s first 24-hour Latin radio station, Poder 97.1 FM.
Grupo de Liderazgo
Angelica Perez-Delgado
Presidenta y Directora Ejecutiva
En 2018, Angelica (Angie) Perez-Delgado fue nombrada la séptima presidenta y directora ejecutiva en los 50 años de historia de la agencia. Angie había trabajado anteriormente en Villa of Hope, donde se desempeñó como Directora Administrativa/Directora de Cumplimiento. Cuando estuvo allí, sus responsabilidades incluyeron: supervisión ejecutiva de todos los servicios de salud conductual y administración del cumplimiento; calidad; desarrollo organizacional; recursos humanos; tecnologías de la información; operaciones de las instalaciones e iniciativas estratégicas para toda la empresa. Tiene más de 25 años de experiencia en el sector sin fines de lucro y comenzó su carrera como terapeuta de abuso de sustancias antes de pasar a la administración en la última década. Angie se describe a sí misma como una de las "afortunadas" del barrio de North Clinton de la ciudad. A pesar de que experimentó la pobreza, el trauma y abandonó la escuela secundaria, pudo cambiar su vida a través de los servicios que dirige hoy. Su experiencia personal de nuestros sistemas fallidos como madre joven adolescente, preparó a Angie para su regreso a sus raíces y su puesto actual como presidenta y directora ejecutiva de la Liga de Acción Iberoamericana.
Angie has a Master of Science in Health Administration from Roberts Wesleyan College, an Advance Certificate in Theology, Scripture and Ministry from Northeastern Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Community and Human Services from Empire State College. Angie is a very active grassroots Latino community organizer in the Northeast part of the city of Rochester and participates in various advisory groups and boards throughout the community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends as well as riding motorcycles with her motorcycle club.
Lucia Colindres
Directora de programas
Lucia Colindres-Vasquez is the Chief Program Officer at Ibero-American Action League, Inc. She oversees several Ibero programs and related health initiatives throughout the Finger Lakes and Capital region.
Lucia has 23 years of experience in Community Health and worked for Rochester Regional Health, where she led the Community Health Worker-DSRIP initiative, the National Health Service Corps, supported several FQHCs projects, and was responsible for the creation and transformation of the Multicultural Resource Center project at the Wilson Multicultural Medical Campus. Lucia has a B.S. in Social Science-Sociology from SUNY College at Brockport and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Roberts Wesleyan College. She also holds a Family Development Credential from Cornell University.
Lucia was the Executive Director of the Community Health Workers Association of Rochester, Inc., and is currently the board co-chair. Lucia is a member of the Community Health Worker Leaders of the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW).
José Cruzado
Chief Administrative Officer
José Cruzado serves as the Chief Administrative Officer at Ibero-American Action League. He supervises several departments including Human Resources, Facilities, Information Technology, and Corporate Compliance.
Previously, José was employed by the New York State Courts for 12 years. He served as the Chief Clerk of the Livingston County Supreme and County Court and the Commissioner Jurors Office and previously served as Deputy Chief Clerk in Alleghany County Supreme and County Court. He worked for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years as a member of the Jail Bureau and Court Security Bureau where he made the rank of Sergeant. José served as vice-president and president of the Commissioner of Jurors Association. He was a board member for the New York Association of Treatment Court Professionals. He served as a member of the Chief Administrative Judge’s Task Force on Bail Reform, and the Diversity Task Force. He served as Co – Chair of the 7th Judicial Districts Community Outreach Committee.
José has a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College and has received training in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. He is certified in transformational and facilitative mediation and is a volunteer mediator with the Center for Dispute Settlement. He has been actively involved in community engagement, mentoring, and professional development for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the United Way Latino Leadership program. In 2017, José, the Hon. Craig Doran, the City of Rochester, the Rochester City School District, and the Rochester Black Bar Association started JUST LAW, a collaborative program to help students from 6th to 9th grade understand the law and our country’s legal system.
Katie Fuller
Senior Director of OPWDD Services
Katie Fuller is the Senior Director of OPWDD Services at Ibero-American Action League, Inc. She oversees a variety of Home and Community Based Services which assist individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities in the City of Rochester. These services include Day Program, Supportive Employment, Prevocational Services, Community Habilitation, Respite, and Family Support Services. She also oversees Quality Improvement and Nursing Services for the HCBS Division.
Katie has a BS in Physical Education and Sport Management. She has 15 years of professional experience of working with people with I/DD. She has life experience as well, as she has an older brother with Down Syndrome that has driven her passion in the field. Prior to joining Ibero, she was a Director of Residential Services and Supports at Lifetime Assistance Inc.
Eugenio Marlin
Executive Vice President, Ibero-American Development Corporation
Eugenio Marlin serves as the Executive Vice President of Ibero-American Development Corporation, an affiliate of the Ibero American Action League, specializing in developing affordable housing and other structures for community use.
Eugenio was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York in 1971, and soon after he established himself in Rochester. He has been actively involved in the community ever since and is the longest tenured Ibero leader. Under Mr. Marlin’s guidance, IADC was instrumental in developing El Camino Estates and Pueblo Nuevo housing in northeast Rochester which consists of over 154 units of affordable housing. Additionally, IADC has led the charge with the El Camino vision plan and the implementation of programs aimed at empowering residents to become active participants in elevating the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
Prior to his role at IADC, he was vice president of Development and Communications at Ibero, where together with Julio Vazquez was instrumental in the conception and later development of the Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, the first and very successful charter in Rochester. Through the years, Eugenio has served on various boards to include EMHCS, WXXI, Ibero, Puerto Rican Festival and Hispanic Lions Club among others. Eugenio was also named the 2017 Rochester Hispanic Business Person of the Year by the Rochester Hispanic Business Association and the 2021 Excellence in Construction – Individual Developer recognition.
Miguel Meléndez
Director de Participación Comunitaria
Miguel serves as our new Chief Community Engagement Officer. He is responsible for several projects that provide internal and external resources to numerous impact efforts in the Rochester community.
Miguel tiene una sólida experiencia en Desarrollo Comunitario Basado en Activos (ABCD), organizando varios esfuerzos basándose en las fortalezas de la comunidad. Ha trabajado en el campo del desarrollo comunitario durante más de una década; organizar, aprovechar y promover mejoras en la calidad de vida de los residentes que viven en el noreste de Rochester. Tiene una capacidad probada para abordar los determinantes sociales de la salud y ha trabajado en colaboración para mejorar el entorno construido, la seguridad, el acceso a los alimentos y otros servicios esenciales de apoyo a la salud.
Miguel es un orgulloso nativo del noreste de Rochester y tiene una licenciatura en psicología de St. John Fisher College; con una especialización en filosofía. Es esposo, padre de tres hijos, que disfruta pasar tiempo con su familia y encontrar otras formas de servir a su comunidad a través de varias juntas y oportunidades de liderazgo.
Agustin Rodriguez
Senior Director of Social Enterprises and Development
Agustin serves as our Senior Director of Social Enterprises and Development, overseeing the Ibero Business Centers, Language Services, and Marketing and Development teams. The social enterprise programs (IBC and Language Services) are located all around the WNY and Finger Lakes regions of NYS. These programs provide entrepreneur services to all underserved in upstate NY, in addition to all manners of language services to organizations seeking to open to the Spanish speaking markets. The M&D team is tasked with the marketing strategy and fundraising initiatives of the League.
Agustin joins Ibero with a background in banking and entrepreneurship. His background includes graduating from Roberts Wesleyan College with a double major in business and is graduate of the Latino Leadership Development Program from the United Way of Greater Rochester. He also serves in multiple boards around the City of Rochester and plays a key leadership role in the Rochester Hispanic Business Association.
Agustin adores his wife, and (most days) enjoys his foster teens through Catholic Charities, and enjoys the leadership of the Lord in all areas of his life.
Evelyn Solano
Executive Assistant
Evelyn Solano serves as the Executive Assistant to Angelica Perez- Delgado, CEO of Ibero-American Action League, Inc. She brings 20 years+ administrative experience to the table with expertise in scheduling, correspondence, event planning, purchasing, maintenance, information technology and Human Resources. She has an extensive knowledge of various databases and applications used daily in the agency. And she is able to communicate at all levels of the organization, as well as the Board of Directors. She thrives working under pressure and multi-tasking while still maintaining the high standards of the organization.
Born and raised in the Northeast sector, Evelyn began her work in the non-for-profit sector in 2010 as an Office Manager for our OPWDD Division, where she truly grew her love for Ibero and became a strong advocate of the work it does in the community. And in 2014, she then stepped into the role of Executive Assistant to the CEO and in 2020 she became certified as a Notary Public.
Evelyn loves spending time with her witty husband and their two dogs. She is a strong believer in the Heavenly Father and lets him lead her in all aspects of her life.