Carmen J. Gonzalez

Native Chicagoan Carmen J. Gonzalez has more than 15 years of development and communications experience in the philanthropic, nonprofit and corporate sectors and revels in strategizing and forming win/win professional relationships with organizations and individual supporters. She is bi-cultural with language skills in English and Spanish and has extensive training in all areas of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. Carmen began her career as the founder of Fiesta Marketing, Inc., a full-service firm serving both corporations and nonprofits. Fiesta was the first in-house marketing firm for McCormick Place, Navy Pier and Soldier Field, as well as being contracted for all of the City’s major summer events including Taste of Chicago and the Blues, Jazz and Viva! festivals. Carmen also did fundraising and Diversity & Inclusion consulting for Rush University Medical Center, Alzheimer’s Association and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur, Feinberg and Pritzker foundations.

A lifelong theatre lover, Carmen began taking acting lessons in elementary school, majored in theatre in high school and studied marketing, communications and acting at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is certified in Leadership, Experiential Marketing/Events, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Communications from the Disney Institute. Carmen serves on the Board of Directors of Diversity, Inclusion NOW! and the Board of Governors of The Metropolitan.