Maria Monreal-Cameron’s Three Roles of Leaders | Milwaukee, the Virus & Fundraising

Recently, my partner Marybeth Budisch and I asked ourselves a question: If we were raising funds for or leading a nonprofit and were faced with our current crisis, who would we turn to and ask for advice?

So we put together a list of individuals who have been there and overcame the odds. We asked them: What strategies would you suggest to a nonprofit leader going through a situation like this, based on your past experiences?

This is another in the series and highlights Maria Monreal-Cameron, longtime leader of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin. 

Here’s what Maria shared: 

“I see the leader’s role as these three things:

• Maintaining a high profile as a trusted voice in the community;

• Reaching out to media to promote a network for political issues and legitimate community issues;

• Remaining accountable to  major donors and supporters through regular communication venues (communicate, communicate, communicate!)”

Maria’s bio:

Maria was one of 13 children born to Mexican immigrants, and said she adheres to her parent’s strong moral and religious convictions, tireless work ethic and “never quit” attitude. She says she is fiercely proud of her Mexican heritage and equally proud of her American birthright - having settled in Milwaukee in the early 1940s. The mother of six children (with husband, the late Attorney Edward Cameron), she has raised six children. She served as president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin from 1989 to 2013 and won dozens of local, state and national awards.