A passionate advocate for equity and inclusion, Alma brings many years of policy, community, and economic development experience to HACIA, particularly in workforce, housing, and community development projects that bring transportation and housing to underserved communities. Alma served as the Deputy Director for the Office of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE) at DCEO where she led the economic development strategic plan for minority-owned small businesses, including cannabis businesses, throughout the state of Illinois. She spent a few years at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBC) as a Community Investment specialist underwriting loans for affordable housing projects in Illinois and Wisconsin. Before joining the FHLBC, Alma served as a Senate Aide to Senator Dick Durbin and a Congressional Aide to Congressman Mike Quigley where she supported policy changes related to veterans, equitable jobs, underwater mortgages, and affordable housing accessibility.

Alma earned a master’s in urban planning, with a concentration in economic development, from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Loyola University. A proud United States Air Force OEF veteran, with service in Texas, Alaska, and Kuwait, she is always looking for ways to continue serving her country. Alma is an avid reader and a wander luster, having traveled to 17 countries. She lives in Chicago’s Northwest side with her husband and two daughters.