2020 HGPM Leadership Award Winners

Irissol Arce is a diversity, equity and inclusion champion with a reputation for building bridges, breaking down barriers, and forging new pathways. As Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Northwestern Mutual, Arce combines over 20 years of experience in international business, tech, community impact, and workforce culture development to offer strategic direction, thought leadership, and targeted diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. She is also charged with developing data-driven approaches to advance women organizationally and shed light on underestimated talent. Outside of Northwestern Mutual, Irissol is a trusted coach to senior leaders looking to improve their effectiveness and ability to lead diverse talent.

Fabiola Ramirez is the Assistant Principal at Carmen Middle School of Science & Technology. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Fabiola immigrated with her family to Milwaukee at the age of eight. After graduating high school from Carmen High School of Science & Technology, she went to college on a full-tuition scholarship as an undocumented student. She graduated summa cum laude from Beliot College with a double major in Political Science and Education and is the first person in her family to attend college. Fabiola joined Teach For America in 2016 and started her teaching journey at Carmen Schools as a high school social studies teacher. In 2018, she obtained a Masters in Education Policy and Leadership from Marquette University. She was also a fellow through the Hollyhock Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching at Stanford University.

Ian B. Bautista is a seasoned nonprofit and community development leader. Bautista is currently the Senior Director of Civic Engagement at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. From 2014- early 2020, Bautista served as the Executive Director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, a hyper-local collective impact initiative on Milwaukee's South Side seeking to implement the neighborhood's Quality of Life Plan. From 2006- early 2014, Bautista served as President of United Neighborhood Centers of American (UNCA) and prior to UNCA served as the President & CEO of El Centro, Inc. in Kansas City, Kansas. Ian volunteers with political and social justice campaigns, serves as volunteer leader for his International Fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta and works on issues of social justice, intercultural exploration and leadership development.

Karla Sofia Loera is currently HPGM's Student Chapter President at UW-Milwaukee. She is majoring in Exceptional Education and upon graduating, in the spring, hopes to return to UWM to pursue her Principal's License. As a student leader, it is Karla's hope to pave the way for future Latinx students to not only obtain a higher education but to succeed in their journey. Karla is committed to continuing as an active HPGM member and ambassador for generations to come.