Olga Talamante is Executive Director Emerita of the Chicana Latina Foundation (CLF). She became the first Executive Director of CLF in January 2003 serving in that position until March of 2018. CLF’s mission is the Empowerment of Chicanas/Latinas through their Personal, Educational, and Professional Advancement. In her position she oversaw the granting of thousands of dollars to Latina college students and founded the organization’s pioneering Leadership Institute that has graduated over 700 Latina social justice leaders.
Prior to those fifteen years with CLF, she held various positions, including Regional Vice President, from 1986-2002 at INROADS, a career and leadership organization for students of color.
Olga’s family migrated from Mexico to Gilroy, California in the early 1960’s where they worked in the farm fields for several years. Those formative years formed the basis for her activism as an organizer and supporter of the nascent United Farm Workers labor union.
She is widely respected for her community activism and leadership. During the mid-seventies, she became well known for her experience as a political prisoner in Argentina. As a result of a successful grass-roots campaign, she was released after spending 16 months in prison. Since her return to the United States, she remained active in the Chicano, Latin American Solidarity, LGBTQ and progressive political movements.
Some of her awards include, the Cesar Chavez Legacy Award, the San Francisco Latino heritage Award, the GLBT Historical Society Award, the Horizons Foundation Visionary Award and the Commonwealth Club Distinguished Citizen Award.
Olga served as co-chair of the Horizons Foundation Board, National Center for Lesbian Rights Board and currently serves on the boards of El Concilio of San Mateo County, The Greenlining Institute, Chicana Latina Foundation, and is co-chair of the Caravan for the Children, which continues to advocate for the reunification and healing of the children separated at the border.
She holds a B.A. from University of California Santa Cruz, and Honorary Doctorate from the University of San Francisco.
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