FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2020
Contact: Kyra Marcano, Vice President of Community Engagement
Email: vpcommunity@gammaphiomega.org

Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc. Welcomes Elected Members to the National Board of Directors, to Serve through May 31, 2022

Chicago, IL – Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc. completed elections for one new and four open positions on the National Board of Directors (NBOD) on July 11th and August 22nd respectively. Through these elections, the roles of National President, Vice President of Community Engagement, Vice President of Standards and Compliance, Director of Member Operations, and Director of Social Policy and Education have been filled.

Joining the NBOD are Karina Garduño of Alpha Chapter at Indiana University, Kyra Marcano of Zeta Chapter at Loyola University Chicago, Valeria Vargas of Lambda Chapter at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mercedes Alvear of Tau Chapter at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Amanda Bonilla of Xi Chapter at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Outgoing National President, Irma Amparo Ortiz states, “I look forward to the leadership of the newly elected board. The ideas, vision and experience they have shared so far will undoubtedly contribute greatly to the future and progress of the sorority.”

Karina Garduño, is the Assistant for Multicultural Programming in the Multicultural Center and the DACA Primary Contact at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. In her roles she oversees multicultural programmatic efforts, outreach for diverse student populations, and serves on various committees to review legislative changes affecting DACA students. As National President, Karina has identified updating national policies, improving communication with the body, and social justice education development and implementation as priority areas. Karina has a strong track record of leadership within the organization at the chapter, regional, and national level, including Vice President of Membership Services, and most recently Regional Director of the Indiana Region. This is Karina’s second full term on the NBOD.

Kyra Marcano is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Brilliant Light LLC, where she enhances organizations’ strategic planning capacity, designs and implements leadership development programs, and has partnered with school districts and global corporations to launch major initiatives at scale. As Vice President of Community Engagement, Kyra aims to leverage alignment of organizational goals to communication strategies as a means of improving member engagement. She has held the positions of Vice President and President at her undergraduate chapter, and has maintained active membership in the sorority, most recently through Phi Alpha alumnae chapter. This is Kyra’s first term on the NBOD.

Valeria Vargas is the ELL Coordinator & Educator at Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy, where she has created liberatory curricula and engaged in continued development of trauma-informed restorative and instructional practices. As Vice President of Standards and Compliance, she plans to work closely with the newly elected board to make the sorority a more trauma-informed, restorative space, with policies to protect its legacy. Valeria has served the organization in multiple capacities, most recently as Membership Intake Director. This is Valeria’s third term on the NBOD.

Mercedes Alvear is the Success Bound Coach with the Lefkofsky Family Foundation, where she provides professional development to school leaders, administrators, and district networks in support of middle grades academic success and transition to high school. Her goal as Director of Member Operations to use her professional experience and organization skills to contribute to a positive and impactful trajectory for the sorority, its sisterhood, and organizational growth. Mercedes is a noble founder of Gamma Phi Omega’s Tau Chapter, and has maintained active membership in the sorority, most recently through Phi Alpha alumnae chapter. This is Mercedes’ first term on the NBOD.

Amanda Bonilla is the Executive Director for Student Diversity, Equity and Belonging for the Ivy Tech Community College System in Indiana. She was recently selected as one of twelve participants for the Indiana Latino Institute Leadership Circle. Amanda is a noble founder of Gamma Phi Omega’s Xi Chapter, and has remained steadfast in her leadership within the organization, most recently serving as president of the Phi Beta alumnae chapter. As Director of Social Policy and Education, Amanda aims to contribute to creating a culture of inclusion within the organization, and will collaborate with the Vice President of Community Engagement to roll out the organization’s first-ever Committee for Social Action (CSA). This is Amanda’s first term on the NBOD.

The National Board of Directors is composed of nine women who serve their terms in two-year increments. The 2020 National Board of Directors is as follows:

Karina Garduño, National President
Tiana Lugo, Vice President of Finance
Kyra Marcano, Vice President of Community Engagement
Nancy Salvador, Vice President of Membership Services
Valeria Vargas, Vice President of Standards and Compliance
Mercedes Alvear, Director of Member Operations
Carolina Gutierrez, Director of Intake
Alexandra Maciel, Director of Expansion
Cristina Rodriguez, Director of Marketing
Amanda Bonilla, Director of Social Policy and Education

About Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc.
Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Phi Omega) is a Latina-oriented organization founded on the campus of Indiana University April 17, 1991. Gamma Phi Omega strives to unite sisters in the principles of achieving academic excellence, serving the communities in which we live and learn, preserving the sacred bond of sisterhood among women, and uplifting and advancing a cultural awareness among Latinos and those in our global communities. Gamma Phi Omega is committed to the values of diversity and inclusion in order to attain and maintain excellence within our sisterhood providing women an equal opportunity without regard to race, age, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status or disability. Gamma Phi Omega is a proud member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations.