CHICAGO — Following an extensive national search that garnered interest from several distinguished candidates, the Latino Policy Forum board of directors announced today that Linda Xóchitl Tortolero will be the next president and CEO of the organization, effective April 21, 2025. Tortolero brings a wealth of experience advocating for Latinos. She succeeds Sylvia Puente who led the Forum for more than 16 years.

“Linda’s proven leadership, personal passion for our community and exciting vision for the Forum made her the clear choice for this important role,” said Latino Policy Forum Board President, Juan Carlos Linares. “This is a critical moment for our community and the Forum’s work on behalf of Latinos in Illinois is more important than ever. Linda is the right leader to usher the Forum into its next stage of growth and influence.”

“I’m delighted to serve as the Latino Policy Forum’s next president and CEO and to build upon its tremendous legacy serving the Latine community and the State of Illinois,” said Linda Xóchitl Tortolero. “I greatly look forward to partnering collectively with the Forum’s staff, Board, the Illinois Latino Agenda, Acuerdo members and our diverse community to create equitable systemic change.”

Tortolero is currently the president and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, the longest standing Latina organization in the country, where she has served for seven years. Under Tortolero’s leadership, Mujeres expanded its direct services impact and by developing programming to support other Latine gender-based violence programs, established itself as a national model and resource center. She also supported the development and led the advocacy for ¡Actívate!, a community data-driven strategy for Mujeres’ policy work that was pivotal in securing a historic increase of $12 million for sexual assault and rape crisis centers in the Illinois FY25 budget.

Tortolero holds a B.A. from Brown University and J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She is a member of the City of Chicago’s Gender Based Violence Implementation Taskforce, sits on the Women’s Advisory Council of the Mayor’s Office for the City of Chicago, is a member of the State of Illinois’ Latine Homelessness Roundtable, and sits on the Equal Pay Chicago Steering Committee, among many other committees and boards. Among her recognitions and awards are the 2020 Public Service Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the inaugural 2020 Chicago Community Trust Fellow award as part of the Leadership Greater Chicago Signature Fellows Program.