Grameen America Welcomes Antonia Hernandez to Board of Directors

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California Community Foundation President & CEO joins Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus to alleviate poverty in US

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grameen America announced Antonia Hernandez has been elected to the organization's Board of Directors.

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In welcoming Ms. Hernandez to the Grameen America Board, Stephen A. Vogel, CEO, said that "her experience of empowering and advocating for women living in poverty will help guide our approach to creating jobs and transforming communities."

Ms. Hernandez is the President and CEO of the California Community Foundation (CCF), one of the largest and most active philanthropic foundations in the United States committed to transformative change across Los Angeles and the nation. 

"As an expert in philanthropy, civil rights and immigration issues, Ms. Hernandez will be a great addition to our Board," said Sila M. Calderon, the first woman Governor of Puerto Rico and a Grameen America Board Member.  

Previously, Ms. Hernandez was the President and General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the most prominent national litigation and advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of the nation's Latinos through the legal system, community education, and research and policy initiatives. Before joining MALDEF, Ms. Hernandez worked as counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Ms Hernandez is a board member of the national American Automobile Association, the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and Blue Shield of California Foundation. She currently serves on the Commission on Presidential Debates, the JFK Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award Committee, and the UCLA School of Law Board of Advisors.

A staunch supporter of equal rights and community reinvestment, Ms. Hernandez commented, "The opportunity to build a new life with support from Grameen America is a path to economic empowerment that I firmly believe in. I am proud to be joining their leadership."           

About Grameen America:

Founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus, Grameen America is dedicated to helping women who live in poverty build small businesses to create better lives for their families. We offer microloans, training and support to transform communities, create jobs and fight poverty in the United States. Since opening in January 2008, Grameen America has disbursed over $109 million in microloans to more than 18,600 women. Grameen America provides support to entrepreneurs in New York City, NY, Omaha, NE, Indianapolis, IN, Charlotte, NC, San Francisco Bay Area, CA, and Los Angeles, CA.

Media Contact: Becky Asch
Email: [email protected]
212-735-4031

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SOURCE Grameen America