Together, they will act as a bridge between organizations seeking grants and funding sources, ensuring effective communication, understanding, and successful grant acquisition, providing technical assistance, coordinating with funders, conducting grant briefings, and facilitating training sessions.

“Laura, Abby, Sharon, and Meggy possess the grant experience, and passion needed to excel in this position,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access. “Their expertise with grant writing, grant management, and strong understanding of funding landscapes and philanthropic trends will greatly enhance our capacity to serve the Latino community.”

Meggy Adorno excels at engaging with the Latino community and has multiple years of experience in grant-making and management, and nonprofit fundraising. Previously, Adorno was a Grants Manager for a nonprofit organization in Connecticut. 

Abby Rea Hicks has a background in communication and worked as an Engagement Manager for a non-profit organization, promoting the importance of financial capability, particularly within the BIPOC community.

Laura Wood holds a Bachelor of Science in Management degree and a professional background in sales, fundraising, marketing, and project management spanning 20 years, including serving as Associate Director of Philanthropy at the Nature Conservancy of Texas.

Sharon Zavala holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration with a focus on Global Policy from Northwestern University, two bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Spanish Literature from Allegheny College, and eight years of grant management and community development experience both nationally and abroad.

The Community Navigator program helps local leaders build climate resilience within their communities by finding and accessing grant funding and capacity-building support. 180 of those organizations will be stewarded through the grant application process for BIL/IRA funding available through the U.S. Forest Service. To learn more about the Community Navigator program, visit https://hispanicaccess.org/what-we-do/community-navigator.