GUEST SPEAKER: Anna Garcia
TOPIC: Meet Your Goals – Mid Year Reviews
MODERATED BY: Lollie Ramirez-Bennett
Wed, July 12, 2023 – 12:00PM-1:00PM CST
Anna L Garcia is an accomplished leader who led a successful career in the telecommunications and technology industry for over 27 years. She is proud of the vast impact she made both in her corporate senior sales executive role and non-profit leadership in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space, through her “passion work,” leading one of the largest Latino Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in the nation.
She began her career at Southwestern Bell in Houston, TX working in the bilingual call center. After navigating various roles in different segments, she recently retired as a senior sales executive at AT&T working with national and international portfolios. In addition to her professional role, Anna has found a passion in advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion to help advance the next generation of leaders.
She focused on initiatives and programs that would benefit the many students and women in minority or underrepresented communities which lack guidance or examples of success in STEM careers or pursuing a college education. This passion and self-driven desire to help, was recognized by HACEMOS ERG leadership in Houston where she was approached to lead. After serving as VP-Finance, Membership, and Operations, Anna became the local chapter president for the city of Houston.
During her leadership, the HACEMOS Houston Chapter increased in membership, engagement and more than doubled the impact from prior years, outpacing the long-time leading Dallas chapter, where corporate headquarters is located. This performance led to her nomination and election as Southwest Regional President and as National President/CEO in 2020. Despite being elected during the worldwide pandemic, HACEMOS excelled and earned more than 10 awards at the national level, including Top 15 ERGs 2020 & 2021, Latina Style Magazine; Employee Resource Group of the Year 2021, USHCC; and the ERG’s initiative Latino Talks won Best Overall 2021 at the Employee Group Annual Conference and raised over $20,000 for initiatives. This was a first for HACEMOS.
Anna has served on several non-profit boards, advisory boards, committees, and has mentored hundreds of students, colleagues, small-business, and non-profit leaders throughout her career. She has earned several recognitions for her leadership and received the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards at the Gold and Silver levels for the last ten years.
Upon completion of her career at AT&T, she was approached by several organizations to serve as a strategy consultant and in November 2022, just one month after her departure from AT&T, Anna L Garcia Consulting, LLC was established.
Anna holds a degree in Business Studies from Dallas Baptist University and a Master of Business Administration-Global Business from the University of Phoenix. She is the wife of 25 years to Edgar and the mother to three young-adult children, one of which is preparing to welcome her first grandson. She enjoys traveling with her family and exploring National Parks.
Highlights of Community Impact – Anna L Garcia
- Championed multiple award-winning initiatives for HACEMOS, including Latino Talks, Emerging Latina Leadership Program, C.R.E.C.E.R mentorship program, and Surplus Survival.
- Empowered over 50 Latinas in 2021-2022 to negotiate a new role and higher salary
- 2022 Chase Your Dreams Award- Human Trafficking Awareness
- 2022 Houston Business Journal Nominee for Women Who Mean Business
- 2022 Advocate for Change Award – Over 100 Students Mentored
- 2021 Supplier Diversity Award – Collaboration Cross Industries
- 2017 DiversityFirst Leader Award- Texas Diversity Council
- Prior Advisory Board member for Power on Heels Fund, Inc., Texas Diversity Council, Primeway Federal Credit Union, El Zocalo, DEI Council of Texas.
- Mentors and consults with a variety of individuals seeking personal, professional, and organizational growth.
