Under her leadership, NLEI implemented high quality and innovative nationally accredited training programs, as well as initiatives that complement and support economic self-sufficiency. She has transformed the agency’s Adult Education offerings by introducing customized programs and courses tailored to adult learners who come to the agency at different academic levels. To achieve results for the organization, Ms. Aranda-Suh must employ strategic planning, resource allocation and operational efficacy. Ms. Aranda-Suh oversees all of the agency’s functions that include organizational development, programs, resource development, communications and marketing, and coordination of corporate and community volunteer auxiliary groups. In addition, she is responsible for the human resources of the agency.
Prior to joining NELI, Ms. Aranda-Suh directed a nonprofit vocational business and technical institute and also led workforce development and fundraising for a nonprofit. She was instrumental in increasing operational revenue by over 500%. She successfully developed and secured funding for new programs and converted existing ones that were underperforming into high quality programs that ultimately gained distinct recognition from the U.S. Department of Labor. She designed, raised resources, and launched the first Latino Work First and Earnfare programs in Illinois, as well as, one
of the largest Welfare-to-Work systems in Chicago. In the mid 1990s, she aggressively advocated
and pursued equal opportunity in healthcare careers for Latinos. She broke records in job placement and led one of the largest employment expos in Chicago drawing thousands of job seekers. Ms. Aranda-Suh created and successfully launched new fundraising strategies that resulted in significant revenue increases. Ms. Aranda-Suh founded, formed and developed Business Advisory Councils and other key auxiliary bodies for nonprofits. She has led geographic expansion of programs that ultimately brought new services into various underserved Latino communities of the greater Chicagoland metropolitan area.
Today, after nearly a decade at National Latino Education Institute, her work has led NLEI’s post-secondary vocational programs to attain the highest grant of accreditation through the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and consistently exceeds city, state and national standards for job placement and student retention. In 2006, NLEI was recognized as a national Honor Roll Institution by the ACICS for demonstrating exemplary standards attaining the highest merit: achievement of an 8-year grant of accreditation. NLEI has further become one of the largest grassroots community-based adult education providers in the city of Chicago. Recently, Ms. Aranda-Suh initiated an innovative literacy program using industry specific curricula and multi-media that include healthcare, financial education, academic mobility, and standardized testing preparation for advanced language acquisition. This new program has been featured at the state level and is sought as a model for future English literacy initiatives.
Since the early ‘90s, Ms. Aranda-Suh has been regularly called upon as an expert in workforce development for the Latino community. She consistently appears in both English and Spanish television, radio and print media regarding Latino employment and training trends and issues. She also facilitated a cable show where she regularly highlighted workforce trends, careers, employers, and important human resources topics. Ms. Aranda-Suh’s individual efforts in workforce training have been highlighted by the Chicago Tribune and various other local media. Ms. Aranda-Suh also serves as a monthly columnist on workforce issues in the EXTRA Bi-Lingual Newspaper.
Ms. Aranda-Suh serves on panels regularly regarding Latinos and employment. She was recently asked to form the first workforce development panel for the 2007 Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation conference. Ms. Aranda-Suh actively collaborates with local legislators and public officials to preserve employment and training issues at the forefront further advancing the mission of NLEI.
Ms. Aranda-Suh has formed dynamic partnerships with the business communities that have lasted for over 15 years and continues to work collaboratively with various industries to ensure a competitive Latino workforce. At Spanish Coalition for Jobs, Inc. she has been instrumental in the expansion of NLEI’s Business Leadership Council, the development of the Medical Consortium, and the NLEI Alumni Association. She has been an integral part in supporting NLEI’s Board of Directors and President in achieving one of the largest Latino nonprofit event fundraisers in Chicago. Ms. Aranda-Suh has served on Boards of Directors and Executive Committees for several community-based organizations. In her past she was the Illinois League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) State Deputy Director for Young Adults, former Co-Chair of the National LULAC Educational Center Advisory Council, Founding Board Member of the Pilsen/Little Village Information Center, member of the Michael Reese Hospital Advisory Council and past Board Member and Committee Chair of the People’s Music School, located in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. She has been recognized by corporations such as Pepsi-Cola and Lucent Technologies for her community leadership. Recently, she was awarded the 2007 Citibank Illinois Hispanic Heritage award for her community leadership.
Active as a volunteer in grassroots community campaigns in the Latino community, Ms. Aranda-Suh has been enthusiastically involved with voter registration, U.S. citizenship, designed and taught courses for community members to learn labor law as it affected their lives. As a volunteer, the initiative was widely covered by Spanish media. She is a proud graduate of Maria High School and now serves as a member of its Board of Directors.
Ms. Aranda-Suh’s personal multi-cultural experience was the cover story of a Sunday Chicago Sun-Times. Ms. Aranda-Suh is a former classical professional vocalist who has a deep appreciation for the arts and its impact on children’s development. On occasion, Ms. Aranda-Suh has provided song for civic, government and philanthropic causes. She was honored in 1996 when Mayor Daley asked her to participate as the only soloist of American patriotic music for more than 30,000 people as part of the largest U.S. naturalization ceremony at Chicago’s Soldier Field alongside then-U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros where 11,200 became new American Citizens. Under the auspices of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, she participated in the nonprofit “philanthropic phollies” where she was cast as the lead role of Annie in “Annie get your Fund” alongside her industry colleagues from Chicago’s major foundations, corporations and the overall philanthropic community.
Ms. Aranda-Suh is a dual-degree graduate of the University of Illinois and has also had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. Her passion is enhancement of the Latino community. A Chicago native, she spent her formative years in the Pilsen-Little Village neighborhoods. She has been blessed to have been mentored by some of the most highly respected community and business leaders. Ms. Aranda-Suh has been privileged to be both a mentee and mentor and strives to share the impact of mentorship professionally and on a personal level.
She views economic independence as an essential component of family stability and believes that families are the cornerstone of healthy neighborhoods. To this end, she works tenaciously towards strengthening families; which in turn, builds healthy communities. Ms. Aranda-Suh recently commented on a vision for the future by saying: “As a Latina and parent, my plan of action is to positively impact the issues of education and workforce development that so profoundly affect family lives. We at our organization strive to provide options to increase education broaden and enhance career choices and to become financially independent. Through this empowerment we as Latinos will embrace and steer the direction of our own future.”
