Yvonne Mariajimenez, 2021 Nonprofit Leader of the Year

On April 28th, NLSLA President & CEO Yvonne Mariajimenez was named 2021 Nonprofit Leader of the Year by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. Once a year, the journal’s Women’s Council honors women whose work has made a difference in the lives of people living in the San Fernando, Conejo, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys.

“Yvonne’s work is informed by her background,” said the award’s presenter. “She was raised in East Los Angeles by a single mother who worked restaurant and domestic jobs. When her mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Yvonne, at 11 years old, had to become an advocate for her mother, a monolingual Spanish speaker, and help her navigate the network of social service systems.”

NLSLA staff nominated Yvonne for this honor, and she accepted the award at a virtual event.

“I have an amazing staff whose efforts transform the lives of elderly, disabled, and low-income people in LA county—just the most vulnerable among us,” she said at the live event. “It’s in their honor that I accept this award. We are very privileged to do this kind of work, and we thrive on it.”

Yvonne was also commended for her work promoting women, who now account for more than 80 percent of NLSLA’s lawyers and management team.

“I’m very proud of that,” she said.