Lynch to assume leadership of the program August 10
Contact: Ben Berliner
The Aspen Institute
ben.berliner@aspeninstitute.org
Washington, DC, July 23, 2020 –– Domenika Lynch will be the new executive director of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program (AILAS), effective August 10, announced Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs. As executive director, Lynch will further AILAS’ commitment to increasing Latino access to opportunity and inclusion in the economy and championing the understanding that a prosperous future for all Americans rests on Latino American economic advancement. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Inc.
“The AILAS Advisory Board is delighted to have Domenika take the helm of the Program. A seasoned leader in the corporate, academic, and non-profit spheres, Domenika brings her talent, passion, and dedication to the advancement of Latinos to this role,” said Advisory Board Chair Gaddi Vasquez. “At such a critical moment for our nation, I am confident that Domenika will enable the Latinos and Society Program to drive meaningful change for the Latino economic recovery agenda that addresses the realities of the new normal.”
While leading the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Inc. (CHCI), Lynch leveraged the organization’s platform through strategic partnerships, unique stakeholder convenings, and critical leadership development. During her leadership, CHCI raised over $20 million and organized the two highest grossing CHCI conferences and galas in the organization’s history. Prior to joining CHCI, Domenika spent more than a decade as the executive director of the Latino Alumni Association (LAA) at the University of Southern California, where the LAA awarded more than $800,000 in scholarships annually.
“I am thrilled to join the Aspen Institute as the next Executive Director of the Latinos and Society Program,” said Lynch. “I look forward to working with the Program’s Advisory Board and Aspen Institute colleagues, to amplify the Institute’s commitment to building an inclusive economy that works for all people. It is imperative that American Latinos’ economic recovery and prosperity, both for business owners and workers alike, be prioritized as essential for our nation to ‘build back better.’ The only way forward is through collaboration, innovation, and resolute optimism.”
Lynch is a graduate of the USC Price School of Public Policy, holds a master’s degree from the USC Rossier School of Education, and is pursuing her Doctorate in Public Policy focused on the future of work. Domenika emigrated from Ecuador to the United States in 1980 with her mother. She is most inspired by stories of immigrants in the pursuit of the American Dream.
The Aspen Institute founded the Latinos and Society Program in 2015 to identify and promote ideas and solutions that foster greater opportunity for American Latinos, and enable a more prosperous, inclusive America for all.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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