This is the fourth of a five-part series highlighting the Most Influential Latino Leaders in Wisconsin. Part One is here, Part Two is here and Part Three is here. For previous lists, visit Madison365.org/MostInfluential.
Dr. Victor Amaya
Dr. Victor Amaya is president and executive director of Data You Can Use, where he drives strategies that democratize data, ensuring it serves as a tool for equity and progress. Before joining DYCU in 2021, he served as managing director of impact and interim executive director of City Year Milwaukee. He previously worked in Milwaukee Public Schools as a bilingual educator and school support teacher. He is an Executive Board Member for the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and serves as President of both the Southside Organizing Center and Your Move MKE. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, followed by a master’s administrative leadership and a doctorate in leadership in the advancement of learning, along with a school superintendent’s license from Cardinal Stritch University.
April Toy
April Toy is a partner at the law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson in Milwaukee, a firm she joined as an associate in 2020 after 10 years at several other firms in the Milwaukee area. She is national secretary of the Hispanic National Bar Association and vice president of its national executive committee and previously served as its regional president. She’s served in a number of other leadership roles with the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute and the State Bar of Wisconsin. She has been recognized as a “Notable Latino Leader” honoree by Milwaukee BizTimes in 2025;a Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leader by Diversity MBA in 2023; a “Rising Stars in Law” honoree by Milwaukee BizTimes in 2022; and on the Rising Stars list by Wisconsin Super Lawyers magazine in 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree at San Francisco State and a law degree from Marquette.
Luis Hernandez
Luis Hernandez is associate athletic director for strategic communications with UW Athletics, where he leads communications efforts for the Badgers. This role, which he just took on earlier this year, is a return to sports – after having spent eight years as director of public relations for the Chicago White Sox, until 2014. Since then he’s worked in a variety of communications leadership roles across public and private sectors, including executive communications with the asset manager Nuveen, in the Office of the Mayor in Milwaukee and with Milwaukee County, as well as work in his hometown at the Chicago Park District as deputy director of communications. He has served on the Community Leadership Board of the American Diabetes Association, the Latino Advisory Council for Gilda’s Club Chicago and the Marquette University Alumni Association National Board. He graduated from Marquette with a degree in public relations and earned his MBA at the Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.
Victoria Thayer
Victoria Thayer founder and owner of Novii CPA, a Madison-based accounting firm that incorporates a subscription model to support entrepreneurs and small businesses. She came from Venezuela to the University of Rochester, initially to study chemical engineering but pivoted to accounting and graduated with a degree in business in 2015. Since then, she has worked at a number of accounting firms and earned a master’s degree in accounting from Edgewood University before launching Novii in 2023. She is treasurer of the nonprofit coworking space StartingBlock Madison, a member of the board of the Madison Reading Project, and an advisory committee member for WWBIC.
Rene Howard-Paez
Rene Howard-Paez is president of St. Joan Antida High School, the youngest Catholic high school president in Milwaukee, and the only Latino in the role. Howard-Páez previously served as a field talent growth and development strategist at Northwestern Mutual, where he spearheaded new campus engagement strategies. Before that, he was the director of diversity and inclusion at Marquette University High School and the founding director of admissions at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Milwaukee. Earlier this year, he was recognized by the Milwaukee BizTimes as a Notable Latino Leader. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Dominican University and a master’s at UW-Milwaukee.
Patricia Ruiz-Cantu
Patricia Ruiz-Cantu is community outreach manager for the City of Milwaukee, as well as a member of the Milwaukee Election Commission. She is also a certified coach, trainer, and speaker with The John Maxwell Team, and founder of Renace, a faith-based effort to empower Latinos and citizens to rise and thrive to participate in civic life. She previously served as executive director of LLDM Family Services and director of the Batterers Intervention Program at Sojourner Family Peace Center. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations at UW-Whitewater and a master’s in organizational leadership at Concordia University-Wisconsin.
Part Five coming tomorrow!
