Carolina Espinal, Project Associate

Carolina Espinal is an Associate with Hispanic Strategy Group (HSG), a Washington, DC based government relations firm focused on building strategic partnerships that advance national issues of importance to the Latino community. Prior to joining HSG, she was the National Civic Engagement Policy Manager for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where she combined her knowledge of education and skills for civic engagement to develop programs that support civil rights and social justice training and leadership development. Carolina’s expertise in government relations, education, program development, community outreach, and voter contact strengthen are invaluable assets to her work in the Hispanic and African American communities.

As an Associate with Hispanic Strategy Group, Carolina works with corporate and nonprofit sectors on issues ranging from health care and education to telecommunications and global warming. Providing guidance and support for strategic planning and outreach efforts, she is instrumental in fostering an understanding of how issues affect communities, identifying areas for partnership development, and facilitating communications on specific projects.

In her work as the NAACP National Civic Engagement Policy Manager, Carolina worked to reduce disparities that adversely affect the participation of African Americans in the democratic process. Specifically, she developed the NAACP’s policy and issue campaigns to assist in areas of Voter Empowerment, Protection of Constitutional Rights, Redistricting and Census Monitoring, and Promoting Ballot Initiatives to Address Social Justice Issues.

Ms. Espinal has also worked as the Aide to the Honorable J. Walter Tejada, the first Hispanic elected to the Arlington County Board. During this time, she assisted in Mr. Tejada’s work in a number of areas ranging from Civic Engagement and Hispanic Outreach to Human Services and legislative matters. Additionally, she has been a long-term consultant for the National Equity Center (NEC) where she developed innovative educational programs that promote the organization’s mission to support civil rights and social justice training.

Ms. Espinal has political experience serving as the Deputy Campaign Manager for the “Alvaro Cifuentes for DNC Vice-Chair” Campaign and as the Deputy Director for Hispanic Outreach for the Kerry-Edwards Presidential Campaign. She also served as the Project Manager for the first Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project in Northern Virginia. Prior to her political efforts, she worked as a Program Coordinator for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) initiative in the District of Columbia.

Ms. Espinal earned a Masters of Education Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. She currently serves as a member of the Human Rights Council for the Commonwealth of Virginia and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Arlington County Community Role Models.