New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera
New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera has become the sixth person and first woman to lead the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), a leadership organization of the nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.

“I am deeply honored and humbled in the confidence my colleagues have in my leadership for this very important organization,” said Secretary of State Herrera. “During the difficult times our nation is facing, I am proud of the public service Latino elected officials are providing to lead our nation in the right direction. NALEO plays a critical role in supporting their leadership and I am proud to serve my colleagues in this capacity,” she concluded.

She will serve the remainder of the unexpired term of the NALEO Presidency left vacant by the resignation of Adolfo Carrión, who left his posts earlier this month as Bronx Borough and NALEO President to serve in the Obama Administration as White House Director of Urban Affairs.

“Mary Herrera’s Presidency represents a new chapter in the history of NALEO,” said NALEO executive director Arturo Vargas, “the NALEO Board of Directors and membership look forward to President Herrera’s leadership during this critical time for our nation.”

Nereida Perez
Nereida Perez has been appointed as the National Grid’s first vice president of Inclusion and Diversity. She will lead National Grid’s U.S. Inclusion and Diversity efforts and reports to the president, making her one of only a handful of Latinos serving as a corporate officer in the energy sector.

“We are delighted that Nereida has joined our leadership team,” said Tom King, U.S. executive sponsor of National Grid’s Inclusion and Diversity program. “She will be a tremendous asset as we continue to integrate inclusion and diversity into the very fabric of the company, with the ultimate goal of it becoming second nature across all of our businesses and for each and every employee.”

Prior to her current role, she served as KPMG LLP’s chief diversity officer.

She has more than 17 years experience in leading and implementing human resources and diversity initiatives at the national and international level for corporations such as Sodexo, Royal Dutch/Shell and UPS.

She is a nationally recognized speaker on diversity who serves on the executive board of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities, Gifts InKind International, the Asia Society, and the Women of ALPFA advisory board. Perez is the founder of the Association of Employee Resource Groups (AERG). The organization provides companies and employee network groups with consulting services and resources that support the implementation of corporate diversity initiatives. Recently, she and a group of diversity leaders also established the Tri-State Diversity Council in the Northeast.

Julissa Marenco
ZGS Communications recently announced Julissa Marenco as the new President of the ZGS Station Group. She will oversee the management and provide strategic direction for 12 Telemundo affiliated stations which ZGS owns or operates. Marenco will be returning to ZGS after serving as a White House Fellow. Prior to that, she was the General Manager of Telemundo Washington, DC, a ZGS owned and operated station.

“I am pleased to welcome Julissa back to the ZGS family and know she will bring her energy, enthusiasm and experience to succeed in this new position,” said Eduardo Zavala, Office of the President. “Her proven track record and familiarity with ZGS, Telemundo and the industry make her the ideal choice.”

Marenco began her broadcasting career with Blair Television in New York and joined Telemundo Network in 1998. In 2001 she started at ZGS as the National Sales Manager in New York. In 2002 she was promoted to General Sales Manager at the local Telemundo affiliate in Washington, DC where she also became General Manager. Marenco has served on several boards including the YWCA-National Capital Area Chapter, The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the George Mason University Diversity Advisory Board. Since 2001, she has taught at Howard University’s Media Sales Institute. Marenco graduated from Rowan University with a B.A. in Communications Radio/ Television/ Film, and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington and a fellow of the National Association of Broadcasters Educational Fund.