Maggie Rivera

LULAC Illinois State Director

Dr. Maggie Rivera: is the daughter of a former Bracero migrant farm worker. She grew up in Woodstock/Chicago Illinois and has been an advocate for human rights since the age of 16. She has been a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (L.U.L.A.C.) for 25 years now. She is the founder of many councils across the Midwest. She has held many positions within the organization at the National, State and Local levels, currently she is the State Director for Illinois. In October 2017, she was unanimously appointed to CEO/President of the Illinois Migrant Council a non-profit organization that services Seasonal and Farmworkers across Illinois. Throughout her lifetime, she has volunteered for numerous other non-profit organizations. Maggie graduated from Benito Juarez Academy in Chicago and obtained her bachelor’s degree from National Louis University-Chicago in Behavioral Science. She then went on to complete all the curriculum requirements for the clinical psychology master’s degree from the same university. In 2007 she obtained a master’s degree in business management/organizational leadership from Webster University (the same day her husband Jose and daughter Jennifer obtained their master’s degree). In December 2018 she graduated from Phoenix AZ Via Novus/Universidad Pedagogica Nacional de Zacatecas, Mexico where she obtained an International PhD in education. She has participated in many International forums and has been a keynote speaker on woman issues across the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru.

Maggie has worked in many different fields, from crop picking in the fields to government, mental health clinics, banking and other public and non-profit institutions. She and her husband manage the family real estate and grocery store businesses. Maggie is the recipient of many awards and recognitions including the National “Athena” award and the 2016 Othli award From Los Pinos in Mexico. Maggie is proud mommy to Jennifer and Jose Alanis, four grandchildren (Mariana, Alejandra, Marcos and Karlie) she lives with her husband Jose in Crystal Lake.

Panel Information

Saturday, December 5

1:10 PM EST

The Future is Female … One Nation United

32 million Latinos were eligible to vote in 2020, and they were a key factor in the outcome of the presidential election. Latinas drive household decisions and affect who shows up to the polls in their communities. This conversation will address the key role Latinas had in the presidential elections and what issues drove Latinas to the poll such as affordable and quality healthcare, immigration, and the economy. This panel will also address the growing number of Latinas running for office and participation in elections.