ABOUT ME
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I am a interconnected creative problem solver. I can identify a need and I create avenues for change through partnership. I recognize my interdependence with all people and thus value every relationship. This makes me a natural asset based leader, influencer, and community builder. I believe in, and practice the power of listening to understand.
I am a bilingual-bicultural Chicana educator and a sensitive cross-cultural communicator. A consultant, an advocate for equity and inclusion, and as an advisor for multiple nonprofits, I am personally committed to moving people and organizations toward more inclusive and just practices in an effort to promote more equitable outcomes for individuals or groups of people.
Veronica is a bilingual / bicultural Chicana focused on Wholistic Organizational Development and Intercultural Communications. As an independent consultant she spends her energy supporting people and organizations move closer to their mission and each other through supportive communication and relationship building as executive coach, mediator and trainer. Her professional studies are a reflection of both her personal interests and life purpose. Her undergraduate degree work in Human Development provided the foundation of theories and practices of communications, interpersonal skills, psychology and sociology. Veronica’s graduate degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from Warner Pacific University informed her systems thinking approach in organizational conflict, leadership theory of development, operations, and dynamics of an organization, which is also supported by her Certificate of Financial Success for Nonprofits from Cornell University in 2018.
Veronica is certified through National Board Source Org in Nonprofit Board Consulting. She is a trained and highly skilled conflict resolution practitioner and mediator. Veronica is also a trained Spiritual Director through the Urban Spirituality Center in NW Portland.She is a trained practitioner of organizational constellations and uses this knowledge in her work. These practices ground her wholistic personal approach to values of social justice and love with commitment to service and healing in the world.
Veronica is relationship-based leader that understands that trust is built on positive experiences. Through the all-important practice of caring for relationships and connections, she brings people together in partnerships to move closer towards common goals. As a natural asset based leader, influencer, organizer, and communicator, she knows the importance of truly listening for understanding.
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Veronica was born in Oakland California and grew-up in her parents hometown, Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico. Multicultural experiences influence who she is today. She draws on these same experiences for the work she is actively engaging in across Oregon and wherever her work takes her. Veronica moved to Portland in 2004 from the bay area. She embraces her interracial, blended family with special needs as her priority. Together, they live in SE Portland with their two dogs Sol & Pachamama ("Luna"RIP).
Services
Services
Equity Conflict Resolution Consulting and Restorative Processes
Equity Conflict Resolution Consulting: Centering equity conflict as a system to understand and improve organizational communications. Through mediation, conflict coaching, healing and restorative processes, team building, leadership development, and systems design.
It is easy to image that organizational conflict is relational and not systemic, but, focusing only on people is a lost opportunity to effect change. We must remember that systemic oppression results in systemic conflict.
*Use equity conflict as an opportunity for personal growth, organizational learning, strategic change, emotional healing, understanding and transformation.
Emergent Strategy Approach, best practices and extensive experience inform my processes of responding to the needs as it unfolds. I am not pre-scripted in my approach. I pay attention to what is unfolding, thus my strategy emerges.
Examples of previous client processes:
*Conduct a temperature check that finds "the heat". This phase unveils the organizational culture. Identifying opportunities and strengths that promote or hinder equity values and practices.
*Mediation / Restorative practices
*Capacity building through skillful conflict coaching
*Design a multilayered, complex, systems change organizational customized process that improves the capacity for conflict prevention, management and resolution.
*Analyze the chronic systemic sources of workplace and organizational conflicts
*Identify complex workplace and organizational dynamics
*Recognize the structures, systems, relationships, processes, and "conflict cultures" that contribute to workplace and organizational conflicts.
I look forward to hearing how I can be of service.
Consulting
equity conflict resolution and restorative processes for executives, teams and organizations
Conflict and resistance are the growing pains of any system going through change. They are part of the system, we must give it space,
we must normalize it and recognize it as part of the whole.
We tend to believe that organizational conflict is due to individual people conflict. In my experience I have found that more often than not there is a systemic organizational contribution to the conflict.
Focusing only on people-conflict is a lost opportunity for organizational growth.
I use an equity conflict as an opportunity for team building, personal growth, organizational learning, strategic change, emotional healing and understanding.
Examples of previous client processes
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Conduct a temperature check that finds "the heat". This phase unveils the organizational culture. Identifying opportunities and strengths that promote or hinder equity values and practices.
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Identify and share pitfalls in teams and organizational dynamics with leadership teams
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One-on-one mediation as part of a larger restorative process
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Capacity building through conflict coaching and training
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Customize a multilayered process to address conflict and restore connections. While building capacity for the prevention, management and resolution of future conflict.
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Recommitment to the success of the team and the mission of the organization
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ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ASSESSMENT
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A Culture Assessment entails an in-depth evaluation of the internal culture of your organization through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Review policies and procedures
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Conduct site visits
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Interview staff
A review of relevant policies and procedures as well as site visits and interviews with the company’s leadership, HR team, and other key stakeholders serve to identify strengths and opportunities in the company’s culture that directly relate to its ability to create a culture of belonging for all.
This process process concludes with a facilitated session with the leadership team to report back the specific findings and recommendations for implementation. This phase is particularly focused on assessing the alignment of leaders’ with their mission towards their DEI.