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Luisa Soaterna-Castañeda

Director, Program Management and Technology, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning

As the Director of Program Management and Technology for the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning (NCECDTL), Luisa guides NCECDTL on implementing project management practices and launching innovative technology efforts on behalf of the Office of Head Start.

Luisa brings more than 10 years of experience working with national campaigns and public health initiatives. She was the Senior Outreach & Multicultural Specialist for Text4baby, the largest mobile maternal health program in the United States. Luisa was instrumental in helping the national implementation of Text4baby expand its reach from 200,000 to 1,000,000 users.

Luisa served as the Chair and Chair-Emeritus for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Health Disparity and Health Equity (ACHDHE). She served as an English teacher to adults seeking to improve their language skills. Luisa also became a certified interpreter and community advocate. In 2006, she started volunteering with Colaborando Juntos, a non-profit organization that supports stakeholders and key advocates engaging and supporting the Latino Community in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. In 2009, she became a founding member of the LULAC Council 4614 and currently serves as treasurer.

Luisa is a native of Colombia. She emigrated to the United States with her parents as a child. She has lived mostly on the east coast with her husband, who is also Colombian, and their young child. They love all things Colombian and teaching Spanish to their little one.