Our Team
Lorena Cruz
Lorena Cruz has been an activist and community promoter (promotora) in Concord for over 15 years. Lorena is originally from Tapalpa, Jalisco. In 1998, Lorena was elected to the Tapalpa Council of Culture and Tourism, the youngest member at age 21, and served for three years. She worked in a federal position as Secretary of Labor to train people to work in hotels and restaurants. She received her degree in education from the University of Guadalajara and soon after arrived in Concord in late 2005.
In 2008, Lorena began working with Monument Impact’s predecessor Monument Community Partnership in a Neighborhood Action Team. In 2011, she joined Monument Impact as a coordinator of our promotores program and outreach to help implement the citywide Healthy Eating Active Living Initiative for which Monument Impact was the lead agency. In 2014 she served as a lead promotora for MI’s new mental health program, Mentes Positivas en Acción. In 2016, Lorena was promoted to manage all Healthy Community programs. Her vision for the role of promotores as leaders within the immigrant community has been seen in the tens of thousands of residents in Central and East Contra Costa County reached through outreach, education and advocacy. Lorena’s proudest accomplishment is helping immigrants like herself.
When not working, Lorena enjoys hiking, spending time with her children and family, riding bicycles together, and going to movies.