Vanessa Calderón-Rosado will be receiving a Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the workplace, demonstrated leadership that has made a difference, and a commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the region. Calderón-Rosado and eight other women will be honored during the group’s Jan. 31 event.
Calderón-Rosado is the CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), a leading community development corporation dedicated to empowering families to improve their lives through high-quality affordable housing, education, and arts programs. Through her leadership, IBA has become the largest Latino-led nonprofit organization in Eastern Massachusetts. In 2010, Dr. Calderón-Rosado became the first Latina ever to be appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In November 2013, Mayor-elect Martin Walsh appointed Dr. Calderón-Rosado to co-lead his housing transition team. She has served as advisor to numerous other task forces, boards, commissions and high-profile searches, including Boston’s Police Department and Public Health Commission. Among other civic engagements, she is a Founding Board member of the Margarita Muñiz Academy, the first dual-language innovation high school in Massachusetts; and the Co-Founder of the Greater Boston Latino Network.