Carolina Silva

M.P.A., Urban Affairs, 2002

Since graduating with her M.P.A. in 2002, Carolina Silva has become recognized as a local expert in working with immigrant populations. She is frequently invited as a guest speaker in classes and conferences offered by area universities.

Carolina is the assistant director of program management and evaluation for the East End Community Services Corporation, which offers two significant programs in support of the Hispanic community in the Miami Valley: the Milagro de Mujer (Miracle of Women), a health education program with a community organizing component offered in Spanish; and the Latino Family Advocacy Program, which supports and advocates for the well-being of Hispanic families. The Latino Family Advocacy Program recently received the Access to Justice Award from the Legal Aid Society and the Association for Better Living and Education.

Known for her outstanding work with and for the Latino community in the Dayton region, Carolina has been instrumental in bringing awareness of and improving Latino access to public services, including the recent passage by the City of Dayton to recognize the Matricula Consular (Consular registration card for Mexico) as a valid form of identification to gain access to city services. Carolina is serving a second term as President of the Latino Connection, which received statewide recognition for its work in civil rights, housing, employment rights and health access; she serves as a member and a volunteer for the League of Latin American Citizens and the Dayton Cultural and Ethnic Diversity caucus.