Maria Vizcarrondo-De Soto
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Maria Vizcarrondo-De Soto (born c. 1950 in New York City) is the first woman and Hispanic to become the President and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson.
De Soto's family moved to New York from Puerto Rico in the 1940s in search of a better way of life. She received her primary education in the "Barrio" before her family moved to Newark, New Jersey. There she received her secondary education and graduated from high school with honors.
De Soto earned her Bachelors Degree from Kean University and went on to earn her Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration at Columbia University. She continued her education by attending the JFK School of Government, where she received executive training. She then attended the Business School at Harvard University.
In 1989, De Soto was an alumna at the National Hispana Leadership Institute. She later became a fellow in the National Hispana Leadership Program and also in the International YMCA Leadership in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1980, De Soto became the executive Director of ASPIRA, Inc of New Jersey. She was instrumental in the creation of chapters in different parts of New Jersey serving over 10,000 latino youth. In 1990 she founded and directed until 1993 the Center for Hispanic, Research and Development at the Department of Community Affairs in Trenton, New Jersey. On November 4, 1993, De Soto was elected to the Board of the New Jersey Council of Grant Makers, thus becoming the first Hispanic to be elected to a countywide post in the history of the Essex County Government.
De Soto renounced from her position in ASPIRA and joined United Way. On April 1, 1996, was became the first woman to be named president and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson. As president she established two programs which have received national recognition, "Project Leadership" and "Success".
Some of the honors and recognitions which she has received are:
- 1999 - Featured on the October issue of Hispanic Magazine.
- 2000 - Named one of the most influential persons in New Jersey.
- 2003 - One of three people to be honored with the Maria DeCastro Blake Community Service Award by the New Jersey Hispanic and Research Center.
- 2005 - Recipient of the Newark Now Spirit of Newark Awards - The Broker Award.
- 2005 - Honored by El Diario/La Prensa as one of the most distinguished latinas in 2005.
De Soto is also an active member of various organizations. She serves on the Board of Trustess of Bloomfield College where she is chair of the Academic Affairs Committee. She is also involved in the following: member of the Education Committee of New Jersey's Performing Arts Center, board member of the New Newark Police Foundation, New Jersey's Institute for Social Justice and chair in the Essex County Human Service Advisory Council.
De Soto is pursuing her postgraduate work in the area of public policy and during her free time enjoys diving, golfing and cooking Puerto Rican meals.
