How Coro shaped Tracy’s path from office manager to interim CEO

Tracy’s connection to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes began long before she ever worked there. As an undergraduate, she wrote her senior capstone on how Latino communities are represented in mainstream museums, research that would quietly shape the next decade of her career. In 2014, a job posting for Administrative Office Manager at a nonprofit Mexican-American museum gave her the opening she needed.

“That was my first job, and it helped me get my foot in the door and have a really great opportunity to wear so many hats,” she says. Ten years later, Tracy stepped into the role of Interim CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a community hub where people celebrate Latinx culture.

We spoke to Tracy about her career with LA Plaza, and how joining Coro’s Women in Leadership program helped shape and affirm her leadership style during this crucial transition period.

Coro is not just a network you leave with after completing the program—it is a community that continues to show up for one another, whether you need someone to listen, offer perspective, or roll up their sleeves and work alongside you.

Tell us where you are now — you’re serving as interim CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes after more than a decade there. What are you most energized by at this moment, and what does the institution need from you right now?

Currently, I am most energized by celebrating LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ Quinceañera—our 15th anniversary. Seeing our community come together to celebrate this important milestone has truly refilled my cup and reminded me of why the work we do matters. It has also given me a renewed sense of excitement about what the future holds for LA Plaza.

At this moment, I believe what LA Plaza needs most from me is stability, reassurance, and thoughtful leadership as we move through this period of transition. After more than a decade with the organization, I have a deep understanding of where we have been, but I am also focused on where we need to go next. My responsibility right now is to support our team, strengthen the organization, and help create a clear and sustainable path forward so that LA Plaza can continue serving and celebrating our community for the next 15 years and beyond.

Tracy’s path through Coro California’s Women in Leadership program

Sometimes leadership isn’t about immediately having the answer; it is about being willing to ask the questions that help move the organization and the people around you forward.

Take us back to the Women in Leadership program in 2024. What’s a moment, conversation, or challenge from the experience that has stayed with you?

I think what was beautiful about the program was that in the beginning, we were able to introduce ourselves without putting what we do first. Introducing ourselves personally was a great way to see what we had in common, creating a foundation of similar values.

One moment that has stayed with me is when we received feedback from our fellow cohort members and were asked to simply listen. I remember being told, “Don’t change your leadership style.” My cohort members shared that my empathetic and welcoming approach was not a weakness, but a strength—one that helped create a sense of trust and belonging for the people around me.

I often questioned whether I had what it took to be a strong leader. I thought I needed to be more outspoken or lead differently in order to be effective. Hearing that feedback was a breakthrough for me. It helped me realize that I didn’t need to change who I was to become a stronger leader. My ability to listen, lead with empathy, make people feel welcome, and create a sense of belonging is part of what makes me a strong leader.

That moment has stayed with me, especially now, because I continue to remind myself that there isn’t just one way to lead. I learned that there is no perfect leader out there.

You went from chief of staff to interim CEO — a real step change in visibility and authority. Walk us through that transition. What tools did you draw on, and where did Coro show up in how you handled it?

Coro gave me tools to trust myself. I am still learning and growing into this role, but I am no longer afraid to step into the room, ask the questions, listen, and lead in a way that feels authentic to who I am.

At one of our Women in Leadership sessions, we end up asking, “what’s next for us?” It was at that point that I said out loud for the first time that I saw myself being the next CEO of LA Plaza. I was always in that mindset that what I was doing was enough. I realized over the last few years that I do want more and wanted to be part of that next leadership transition. Coro helped me see that.

One of the biggest tools I have carried with me from Coro is the importance of showing up, being present, and not being afraid to ask questions. I often think back to the WIGO exercise (what is going on), and what it taught me about the power of asking the right questions.

Coro also helped me better understand that everyone has a different leadership and working style. I am leading people with different strengths, communication styles, and ways of approaching challenges, and I have become much more intentional about understanding how we can work together effectively.

What’s in motion now that wouldn’t be without how you’ve grown as a leader?

One of the biggest priorities I have put in motion is a renewed focus on financial stewardship and long-term sustainability at LA Plaza. When I first started at the organization more than a decade ago, part of my role included overseeing our payables and receivables. That experience gave me an understanding of the day-to-day financial operations of the organization. Today, as Interim CEO, I am looking at those same responsibilities through a much broader leadership lens.

Working alongside our Board, leadership team, and financial partners, we are taking a closer look at our financial processes, strengthening accountability, being more intentional about our budgeting and long-term planning, and making strategic decisions about where we invest our resources.

As LA Plaza celebrates its 15th anniversary, I believe this is an important moment not only to celebrate how far we have come, but also to make sure we are building a strong foundation for the next 15 years. For me, financial stewardship is about making thoughtful decisions that align our mission with fiscal responsibility so that LA Plaza can continue to serve our community for generations to come.

I don’t think I would have approached this challenge with the same confidence earlier in my career. My growth as a leader has taught me to ask difficult questions, bring the right people into the conversation, and make decisions today that will strengthen the organization for the future.

How Women in Leadership training builds confidence and capacity

Before Coro, how would you have described yourself as a leader — and what were you wrestling with?

Before Coro, I don’t think I would have described myself as a leader. I always saw my role as being the person behind the scenes—making sure everything was moving forward, supporting the people around me, and ensuring that everyone on the team felt seen and valued. Little did I know that was shaping the leader that I am now, of being empathetic and making sure people don’t feel alone – we’re able to accomplish more, together.

What I was wrestling with was recognizing that those qualities were, in fact, part of leadership. I tended to associate leadership with a title or being the person at the front of the room, rather than recognizing the value of the leadership I was already providing. Coro helped me understand that leadership can look different for each of us, and that supporting others, building trust, listening, and creating an environment where people can succeed are also powerful forms of leadership.

That realization helped me begin to see myself differently—not just as someone supporting leaders behind the scenes, but as a leader in my own right.

Tell us about a time the Coro network showed up for you — or you showed up for someone in it.

The Coro network has shown up for me in both personal and professional ways. During my recent transition into the Interim CEO role, I reached out to a few of my Women in Leadership cohort fellows because I needed a sounding board outside of my own organization. They showed up immediately—ready to listen, offer encouragement, and give me a safe space to talk through some of the challenges I was navigating.

Having them as my own personal board of directors to provide support and knowing that I could reach out to them at any time is a great testament to what Coro has done in creating lasting relationships that really do help at crucial times. They say it’s lonely at the top, but I honestly haven’t felt lonely yet, thanks to the support of my personal board of directors and support of my WIL cohort.

I have also experienced the power of the Coro network through collaboration. Someone in my cohort reached out about an opportunity for our two organizations to partner on a project with a three week turnaround.

Her organization, Angel City Football Club, was looking for an opportunity to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, and LA Plaza was planning a Día de los Muertos Family Day. Because we already had a foundation of trust through Coro, we were able to quickly bring members of our teams together, have an honest conversation about what was possible, and make it happen.

As a bonus, their organization provided some funding for the community event. They brought in some of their community partners, and were on site hosting calavera coloring activities and a book reading for kids and families. It was great that we were able to just call each other and come together to support our collaborative work so quickly – she texted me on a Wednesday, and by Friday, we had confirmed their participation.

It turned into a great partnership and an example of what can happen when relationships are built before you need them.

Why women in leadership matters for cultural institutions

What’s your vision for a stronger California, and what role do you see yourself playing in it?

As a first-generation Mexican American, my vision for a stronger California is one where we honor and celebrate the diversity that makes us who we are while making sure all of our communities feel seen, valued, and cared for. California is made stronger by the many cultures, histories, and lived experiences that come together here.

My hope is to continue using my leadership to strengthen institutions like LA Plaza and ensure they remain accessible, relevant, and sustainable for future generations. To me, a stronger California is one that understands that our diversity is not simply part of our history—it is one of our greatest strengths and an important part of our future.

I think diversity is also what makes Coro different from other organizations. I love that it’s now Coro California rather than Northern or Southern California. It unites the whole state by showing up for our communities and honoring the contributions each person has made in our history as a state.

Coro is leading the way of making sure that leaders, particularly women, have a place in our society to impact all critical, timely community issues. We can be a model for other states to adapt what we’re doing and make sure they’re contributing in the same way.

About Coro California’s Women in Leadership Program

Stories like Tracy’s are built through intentional leadership development. Coro California’s Women in Leadership program empowers women and women-identifying professionals to deepen their impact as managers, team leaders, and community leaders. Offered in both the Greater Los Angeles Area and San Francisco Bay Area, this part-time program delivers over 60 hours of immersive professional development across 10 sessions, blending hands-on learning, expert-led discussions, and cohort-driven “Coro Conversations” that build real-world skills in negotiation, communication, systems thinking, and adaptive leadership.

Participants join a network of Coro’s 15,000+ alumni, gain tools to navigate workplace challenges with confidence, and walk away with practical frameworks for driving change and leading with influence — all while building lasting relationships with women working across sectors and industries. Meet our last cohort in Los Angeles for a representation of our cross-sector cohorts.

Ready to write your own leadership story? Learn more about the Women in Leadership program.

Learn more about Coro’s leadership development programs.