Meet Valerie Rivera-Maldonado, Dundalk Renaissance’s new program manager.  Valerie joined our team at the end of 2022. As a native Puerto Rican professional, she has dedicated over six years of her career to facilitate access to services among Hispanic communities in the non-profit and government sectors. In Maryland, she worked at Esperanza Center and most recently at Leadership Howard County, working collaboratively in the development of initiatives that serve diverse communities.  

As part of her new role, Valerie will assist in translating and adapting educational materials for individuals and households engaging in our housing and financial counseling programs while engaging in the development of operational workflows. She is bilingual (Spanish and English) and will be an asset in our Hispanic outreach. Valerie completed her master’s degree in Business Administration at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus.

We caught up with Valerie to discuss her role and how she is settling in at Dundalk Renaissance.

Why did you want to work at Dundalk Renaissance and what about this role was appealing to you? 

“Everybody deserves a good quality of life, which is impossible without secure housing, financial stability and the movement of the economy. Dundalk Renaissance bridges these gaps through an active role that aligns with my values: recognizing our community’s strength, acknowledging our community’s vulnerability and advocating for equity which is the key to transforming, growing and thriving.

As the Program Manager at Dundalk Renaissance, I see the opportunity to guide people to build their network and make more resources accessible to everyone. I am looking forward to understanding and managing relevant data and identifying improvement areas in an effort to continue supporting our community and public services.”

When you’re not working, what do you do? 

“When I am not working you can find me watching docuseries on Netflix or reading a book.”