Lillian Rivera’s 18+ year tenure with HMI began in 2002 when she came on board as a Training Associate. She was responsible for building the capacity of youth-serving professionals in education and the non-profit sector to serve our LGBTQIA+ youth in a culturally fluent manner.
Lillian assumed additional responsibilities at HMI via a series of promotions leading up to oversight of our After-School department for which she successfully helped increase funding, enabling the department to double its number of staff members.
In 2012, she spearheaded the establishment of the Center for LGBTQ Youth Advocacy & Capacity Building, which she led until 2018, when she was appointed Executive Director of HMI: New Jersey.
At New Jersey, Lillian ensured the growth and quality of the organization—the largest LGBTQIA+ youth service provider in the state at the time—with a dedicated team providing services to young people from various cities and counties.
Prior to HMI, Lillian worked for the New York City Department of Education, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Hudson County, and Fossil. Today, she is Founder of Intersections Consulting: A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Company in Los Angeles where she and her family relocated after leaving HMI: New Jersey.
With two decades of non-profit leadership experience, Lillian has dedicated her life work to creating environments that celebrate our unique journeys. She has developed Diversity & Inclusion strategies for a variety of organizations including the New York City Department of Education, Con Edison and Fossil.
Lillian has appeared on numerous media outlets including MIC, AOL’s Bold, CNN en Español and NBC Latino, offering her expertise on issues impacting the lives of minority communities. She has had articles on her work with LGBTQ youth and her life as a Latina Lesbian Mom published on the Huffington Post, the Advocate and the Feminist Wire. Lillian is often sought to speak on panels to share her insight on issues of Diversity & Inclusion.
Lillian is a recipient of the Rockwood Fellowship on Race and Gender and National CDC/ASPH Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership Fellowship. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Public Health from Rutgers University.
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