The Latino Community Association has named Catalina Sánchez Frank as its new executive director.

An independent consultant specializing in outreach and language justice, Sanchez Frank brings more than 10 years of experience advocating for the rights and interests of immigrants in Oregon.

Originally from Cali, Colombia, Sanchez Frank also has a personal understanding of the challenges faced by Latino and immigrant communities, according to a press release from the Latino Community Association. For the past two years, she has served as vice chair at the Oregon Secretary of State Translation Advisory Council, working to ensure accurate, culturally appropriate translations to make voting accessible in Oregon. She’s also been an active volunteer with Latino Community Association.

“This is a critical time in the lives of immigrants in Central Oregon,” said Sanchez Frank in a statement. “I am deeply honored to join the effort to support the work of LCA in tackling the challenges faced by our community, and I am committed to fostering safe spaces, building meaningful connections, and ensuring that the rights of every member of our community are protected.”

For the last year and a half, Daniel Altamirano Hernandez and Mary Murphy have served as the interim leadership team at the association while the search was conducted for a new executive director. Sanchez Frank is also active with BENDitas, a collective of migrant women whose mission is to promote cultural events in Spanish and celebrate the diversity of Spanish-speaking countries with the Bend community.