Norma Gallegos Valles, who has been with Centro Hispano of Dane County since 2019, was recently promoted to be the new director of programs at the leading non-profit organization serving the Latinx population in Dane County.
“I think what makes me so excited about this position is that I get to work with every program in a closer way. I get to deepen relationships with my colleagues, managers and staff,” Gallegos Valles tells Madison365 in an interview at Calli, Centro’s brand-new building. “I think maximizing the synergy of our programs is something that I’ve been enjoying as I’ve been transitioning into the role.
“I naturally connect with people. I really enjoy that. So I think that makes my job more enjoyable, for sure,” she adds.
Centro Hispano Executive Director Karen Menéndez Coller is excited to have Gallegos Valles, who previously was the workforce and career pathways manager at Centro, in this new position.
“I am proud to work with her every single day because I know in the end we have the same goal in mind: a vibrant, joyful, thriving Latinx community living on their own terms, confidently reaching their dreams, and being their full selves,” Menéndez Coller tells Madison365.
Centro Hispano, which was founded in 1983, has a mission to empower youth, strengthen families, and engage the community. Centro has numerous programs for young people including Juventud for middle school youth, Escalera and [Re]Generacion for high school youths and Avanzando for college-aged students. The Becas (Scholarships) Program offers scholarships to students who have participated in Centro’s programs.
Centro’s Caminos Career Pathways programs and services have become a crucial component to strengthen families and promote upward mobility. At Centro, there are also general support programs, workforce programs, immigration services programs, an ACA navigator program, and more.
As the Latino population continues to grow in Dane County, programs at Centro become that much more important.
“In the years to come, our programs are going to have more representation at the schools have more representation in pathways, have more immigration services. We’ll be able to provide even more of what we need as a community,” Gallegos Valles states.
“My position is a brand-new role at Centro so it comes with its own creativity in what we can do together,” Gallegos Valles continues. “I am working with my colleagues to develop programming that aligns with the vision of Centro but also serves the community on what they need and what they are looking for. Our programs are really strong at Centro, but I can see us getting even stronger as we continue to grow.”
(Photo: Centro Hispano)
There hasn’t been a director of programs position at Centro since Mario Garcia Sierra left the position in 2012.
“Back then, the heart of youth programs was born at Centro. Over the last ten years, we have strengthened adult programming with the leadership of Mariela Quesada Centeno and Evelyn Cruz,” Menéndez Coller says. “As we move into Calli, alignment is everything. For years, the vision of Centro has been to run holistic programming that focuses on the heart of our community, young people, and adults – our neighborhoods.”
Menéndez Coller says that with Gallegos Valles now as director of programs, Centro “has the heart of someone who can help them reach that vision.”
“Norma’s connection to Centro runs deep. Most recently overseeing the growth of our workforce strategies into tech, health, finance, peer support, and our partnership with Dane County to grow diversity in 911 respondents,” Menéndez Coller says. “Her entire family has been connected with Centro. The heart of her family is in the fabric and spirit of Centro. She is courageous, resourceful, and humble. Most importantly, she is kind and giving … giving of her full self; not for herself but for our community.”
Menendez Coller says a lack of a national immigration policy continues to divide and segment Centro’s families by giving some opportunities while others continue to be left out based on their immigration status.
“At Centro, we don’t believe some in our community belong in this country and others do not; we see all of us as essential for what we all bring. We are an unquestionable asset. Norma is clear proof of that,” she says. “We are grateful for the continuing support from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation. They have always stood by us, now understanding the need for capacity building in the growth at Centro and seeding 5-year support for Norma’s position as part of Campaign Centro.”
Centro Hispano recently moved into a new two-story, 25,000-square-foot home at the corner of Hughes Place and Cypress Way in South Madison and the staff at Centro is excited to be able to serve more people in Dane County’s fast-growing Latinx community.
“I think expansion is also something that makes me excited because there is a lot of opportunity that comes with it,” Gallegos Valles states. “I’m thinking of different ways of doing things with everybody at Centro … like innovative things and thinking outside the box. I think it’s an exciting time, for sure.”
Hundreds of community members joined Centro at its ribbon cutting and opening ceremony celebration on April 26 at the new, modern-looking building called Calli, which is an ancient symbol that originates back to the Aztec calendar. According to Centro’s website, Calli is associated with rest, tranquility and family, and the concept of Calli was woven throughout campaign CENTRO and even into the design of the building.
“I think the beauty of this new space is that it continues to feel like home,” Gallegos Valles says. “When we talk about Calli, which means home, we had many conversations on how we were going to bring that welcoming feeling you got when you entered the old building to the brand-new building.
“It was a good reminder to ourselves that we are the ones that bring that into the building and it doesn’t matter where we are, we can be on the other corner, we can be on the other side of the city, we can be in a smaller building or a bigger building but, ultimately, it is what we bring into the building,” Gallegos Valles adds. “Each one of us brings the energy, the joy, the passion for the work that we do … the vision that we have.”
The new place feels at home and is so much more modern than the old space.
“Honestly, I do see this space as a dignified space for all of us. It dignifies the work that we do, but it also tells the community that we are worthy of this space,” Gallegos Valles says. “It’s been 40 years and we outgrew the old space and yet we continued to grow the programs at Centro.
“So how do we keep growing that and sustaining that in a way that everybody is enjoying what they do? I think this space is going to be extremely helpful in allowing us to do that,” she adds. “I feel like it’s a safe space for me. And we hope that everybody that comes through also feels like a safe space for them. There’s a lot of joy in here.”
Gallegos Valles is leading Centro’s varied programs which include providing assistance to immigrants, fostering youth leadership development, and innovating career training programs that focus on upskilling with a holistic approach to retention and advancement.
“I think the most important thing is to have a connection with each program and to really understand what we’re trying to achieve together,” Gallegos Valles says. “Personally, Centro, for me, has been a healing space. Another really exciting part of this position is that I get to work with the director of evaluation to bring in some of the framework around Esperanza into the curriculum.”
Esperanza is an innovative community-based Centro/UW-Madison School of Education partnership model of strengthening mental health service delivery for Latinx in Dane County.
“So how do we look at each individual that we work with from their strengths … curriculum that is strength-based, that’s one of our priorities here at Centro through Esperanza,” Gallegos Valles says. “I’ve seen the impact that it has made in me as an individual: the support that I received, the larger understanding and knowledge that systems of oppression do have an impact on our education, our professional development, and our personal lives.
“Long term, my goal is to definitely have curriculum for programming that aligns with the vision and mission of Centro as an agency … curriculum that dignifies the strengths of our community, and that highlights their strengths,” Gallegos Valles continues. “I’m not just talking about workforce, but I’m talking about youth and younger kids. I’m talking about all of our programs.
“In the long run, I want everybody at Centro to feel that they have the tools that they need, that they’re equipped, and that they feel supported overall to enjoy and do their job in a way that they want to do their job.”
