Julia Torres Barden has joined Adelante as our new Executive Director. She brings more than 20 years experience in community relations, media relations, government relations, education and Hispanic advocacy to our agency. Julia is a former community relations executive in the cable television industry and spokesperson where her experience included collaborating with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, launching CNN’s Student Bureau and directing her company’s youth internship program. Under her guidance, students gathered real-world experience as they collaborated with cable networks like CNN, Nickelodeon, MTV and C-SPAN.

She is a graduate of Leadership Toledo’s 2010 class, as well as 3 other leadership programs including the Minority Political Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University. Julia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Emerson College in Boston and attended the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan. Julia began her childhood in the South Bronx of New York City, where her family struggled to make a better life. She is a proud mother of four sons and is married to an Engineer whose job brought the family to Toledo. Her passion for Hispanic advocacy is legendary and she is excited about leading Adelante into the future.