Ellen works across Hispanic Access Foundation departments to design winning grant proposals and profitable fundraising campaigns. She has more than thirty years of experience in professional writing and program direction. She has worked as a research associate for the Bretton Woods Committee, served as a technical writer and training program manager at the United Nations, directed public interest mass-media campaigns as an executive producer for Hispanic Radio Network, and overseen global marketing efforts for the Peace Corps Office of University Programs. She has also taught writing at MIT and Marymount University. Ellen received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, from Wellesley College and her master’s degree in strategic studies and international economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Why she works for Hispanic Access…

“My godfather was Peruvian, leading me to study Spanish in school and sparking an interest in Latino/Hispanic cultures. This, coupled with my interest in supporting underserved communities, made me want to work for one of the premier Latino-serving organizations in the country.”

In her spare time…

“I like to learn about other cultures. I’ve lived in nine countries, traveled to more than 40, and at different times in my life have spoken fluent French, German, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. I also studied Arabic for two years, mastering the alphabet and learning to carry on rudimentary conversations.”

Her favorite book…

“Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. This book is the single best scientific rebuttal to racism I’ve ever read.”

A person she finds inspirational…

“I love pioneering psychiatrist, Alfred Adler. In my late twenties, his technique of early memory interpretation changed my life. Soon after having my memories interpreted, I traveled from my then-home in Austria to Sonora, California to meet with Adler’s possibly last living pupil.”