Gloria Perez

Gloria Perez is the president and chief executive officer of Jeremiah Program, a Minneapolis-based collaborative community initiative aimed at helping low-income single women and their children. The Jeremiah Program had been active for only five months when Perez came on board in May 1998. Since then, she has played a critical role in enabling participants to secure living-wage jobs and establish solid foundations for their families.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

She has also guided the organization through several stages of growth. What started as a single campus serving 18 families in Minneapolis has expanded to include a second campus in St. Paul. And Perez has readied the program model for national expansion.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

Prior to Jeremiah Program, Perez served as executive director of Casa de Esperanza, a local domestic violence agency in St. Paul. She has more than 16 years non-profit management experience, including executive leadership, program development, and fundraising.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

“Gloria is passionate about helping others,” said Susan Sands, former board chair of Jeremiah Program. “She has used her own experiences to help families break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and negative influences in their lives.”

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

Described as a courageous and visionary leader, Perez understands the value of giving back to the community. She has the amazing ability to bring diverse groups together and get people to see the big picture. “She has a clear vision, and she really involves others in the ownership of the project at hand. What was once just a task becomes each person’s passion,” said Sands.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

The mission of the Jeremiah Program and Perez’s leadership were honored last year when she received the 2008 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. This honor is bestowed upon U.S. citizens from various ethnic backgrounds who demonstrate remarkable qualities in their personal and professional lives.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

Currently, Perez serves on the boards of directors for Allina Health Systems and F.R. Bigelow Foundation. She also has professional affiliations with the College of St. Benedict, the Family Housing Fund of Minnesota, the Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable and the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation. She has held previous board positions with Convent of the Visitation School, The Ripley Memorial Foundation, Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, Neighborhood Development Alliance, and the West Side Citizens Organization.

President and CEO, Jeremiah Program

A graduate of Macalester College, Perez has received the college’s Catherine Lealtad Service to Society Award, which honors a Macalester College alumnus/alumna of color that has used their Macalester education to distinguish themselves in service to community.