Born in Medellin, Colombia, Luisa Gomez-Lucas moved to the United States in 1993. After receiving her high school diploma, she furthered her education at Oklahoma City University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1998.

 

Gomez-Lucas, 32, then began her career at Capitol Hill Main Street, a non-profit organization with a goal to revitalize the Capitol Hill area. In January 2000, she moved to the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce where she moved up the ranks and now serves as its economic development director.

 

"Every day, changing demographics have led many individuals to a greater awareness of how diversity issues are a very important part of our reality," she says. "The creation of the Hispanic Initiative Program named 'Apoyo Hispano' is the apex of my economic development success."

 

The program has reached hundreds of Hispanics wanting to achieve the American Dream by starting their own businesses and offers seminars conducted in Spanish so they can learn about starting or expanding a business in the language most comfortable to them.

 

"I have learned that my professional preparation, coupled with my living away from home and bilingual skills, have given me a kind of leadership, maturity and knowledge that is needed to help Hispanics in Oklahoma achieve a prosperous and high quality of life," she said.

 

Gomez-Lucas belongs to the Colombian Student Association and the Hispanic Association of Professional and Business Women of Oklahoma. She also volunteers for Arts Festival Oklahoma, serves on the Core to Shore steering committee and as a judge for the Miss South OKC pageant. Gomez-Lucas is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City's LOYAL class II.

 

"Anything can be achieved if things are done from the heart," she says.