Director, Community Workforce Development
YESENIA CERVANTES
CROWD
Professional Summary
| Yesenia Cervantes joined SUHI in 2021 as the Senior Manager, Community Engagement and now serves as the Director, Community Workforce Development. With a career in education and workforce development spanning over two decades, Yesenia helps advance SUHI’s mission by developing and facilitating career development training opportunities while fostering meaningful community engagement. Her work includes program development, budget oversight, partnership cultivation, and creation of opportunities for community members and incumbent workers.
Previously, Yesenia was Dean of Career Pathways and Community Affairs at the Instituto del Progreso Latino where she oversaw vocational training programs across various sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, construction, and entrepreneurship, and spearheaded Instituto’s groundbreaking contact tracer-CHW initiative. She has experience in integrating workforce development programming and supportive services, and assisted in the establishment of Financial Opportunity Centers in Chicago and across the nation. She has presented on panels for organizations including The Aspen Institute, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance. |
Education
- Leadership Certificate, University of Chicago, 2015
- M.B.A, National Louis University, 2012
