CSW Women’s Summit 2023 | ballroom 11 am – 12 pm
The moderator will guide a panel discussion uniting local and national funders, advocacy groups, and elected officials in a conversation about advancing economic justice for women of color in New Mexico. The panel will examine policy’s impact on women’s economic stability, promote collaboration between nonprofits and officials for improved policies, and envision transformative change to address unique challenges in achieving economic equity for women of color.
Moderator: Gabrielle Uballez
Gabrielle Uballez, Southwest Program Officer for Asset Funders Network (AFN)
Gabrielle Uballez serves as a Program Officer for the Asset Funders Network – where she contributes to national race equity programming and leads regional collective action toward achieving economic justice for all New Mexicans. She also serves as the co-facilitator for the New Mexico Women of Color Nonprofit Leadership Initiative at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, on the national ACLU board of directors, and the ACLU of New Mexico’s board of directors.
Uballez earned her B.A. from Pomona College and a certificate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Nonprofit Executive Leadership program. She lives in Albuquerque, in a 100-year-old home, with her husband, three Chinese-Chicanx children, and many plants and pets.
Panelists
Meg Fosque, Economic Policy Investments, Economic Equity Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation
Meg Fosque is the Director of Economic Policy Investments for the Economic Equity Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. Rockefeller’s Economic Policy Program is focused on supporting organizations that advance policies and initiatives to reshape our tax and revenue systems in order to increase equity and fairness, the financial security of low-income communities, and revenue for public goods and services. Meg’s portfolio is particularly focused on building popular demand and political will for policy change through grassroots base-building and narrative change. Meg brings extensive experience as a labor organizer, campaigner, and policy advocate to her work in philanthropy having worked at the labor union Unite-Here and grassroots community organizations like Make the Road New York for more than 14 years. She has a master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government where she was awarded the Ash Democracy Fellowship and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, John-Paul, and dog, Charlie.
Marisa Megallanez, VP of Strategy and Equity, The Albuquerque Community Foundation
As a native New Mexican, Marisa has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 18 years, establishing her career at the National Institute of Flamenco, and starting at the Foundation in 2019 as Advancement Manager. During her time at the Foundation, Marisa has led and managed the largest federal government contract the Foundation has seen in 42 years, led the development of the Foundation’s first strategic plan in 15 years, along with the update of the organization’s mission, vision and values, and increased work in diversity, equity and inclusion of the overall organization.
Amber Wallin, Executive Director, New Mexico Voices for Children
Amber has been with New Mexico Voices for Children since 2012, when she was brought on as a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities fiscal policy fellow and later served as a research and policy analyst, the director of NM Voices’ KIDS COUNT program, and Deputy Director before taking over as Executive Director in 2022.
Amber is a state and nationally recognized expert on issues related to child and family well-being and fiscal policy. She has served on multiple fiscal policy and child well-being advisory committees among policy networks, philanthropic organizations, and governmental bodies and regularly shares information and recommendations on how to build greater equity and opportunity for children and families. Born and raised in New Mexico, Amber received her Master of Public Administration degree from New Mexico State University and worked in the public sector at the city, state, and federal levels before joining NM Voices. She lives in Albuquerque with her husband and two young children.
Representative Linda Serrato, New Mexico State Legislature
New Mexico State Representative Linda Serrato is in her second term, serving Santa Fe’s southside and as the Vice Chair on the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. She led policies protecting reproductive and gender-affirming care, increasing in-state venture funds, making energy efficiency affordable for commercial property owners, and encouraging entrepreneurship.
The next generation drives her, especially her two young, kind, and smart daughters. She is committed to passing paid family medical leave, diversifying our economy, and envisioning prosperity. Linda is a first-generation college graduate from Stanford University with an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.
Marcela Diaz, Founder & Executive Director, Somos Un Pueblo Unido
Marcela Díaz is the Founding Executive Director of Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide immigrant-based organization that works to promote racial and worker justice in New Mexico. Through its community organizing, electoral engagement, litigation, and policy advocacy efforts, Somos has helped shape New Mexico’s immigrant and worker’s rights landscape for over two decades. Under Marcela’s leadership, the organization has spearheaded several local and statewide laws and has won dozens of awards for its grassroots work.
