Raquel Román, MSW, has served as the Executive Director of Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission since 2021. A proud Chicana with indigenous Yaqui and Nahua-Otomi roots, Raquel was born in Los Angeles' Chinatown, on the traditional Tongva territory, and raised in Southeast Los Angeles. She earned her BA from California State University, Northridge, and her MSW from the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

 

Raquel’s leadership journey at Proyecto Pastoral began as Director of the Guadalupe Homeless Project (GHP), a position she held from 2008 to 2021. As the shelter’s first female director, Raquel was instrumental in transforming the shelter to better serve the immigrant population in Boyle Heights. In 2014, she led the opening of the first shelter dedicated to older women in Los Angeles County.

 

Before becoming Executive Director, Raquel was the Director of People, Culture, and Equity at Proyecto Pastoral. In 2018, she co-founded Running Mamis, a group of strong mujeres who create safe spaces for women in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.

 

Raquel is deeply committed to social justice and supporting the immigrant community. Her dedication to these causes has been recognized through numerous awards, including Mujer Destacada by La Opinión (2014), Latina of Influence by Hispanic Lifestyle (2015), Pioneer Women of the Year by the City of Los Angeles (2018), Women of the Month in March 2022 and March 2023 and most recently the 2026 California Woman of the Year award from The California State Assembly and the California Legislative Women's Caucus.

 

Raquel currently serves on the Dolores Mission School Board, and recently served on Mayor Karen Bass’s Advisory Board on Latino/a Homelessness, and the Taskforce on Latinx Angelenos Experiencing Homelessness. Her professional development includes the Next Leaders Development program from the Center for Nonprofit Management (2018), the Executive Directors Leadership Cohort from Executive Service Corps (2022), and Hope Leadership Institute (present).

 

Raquel has also been a speaker at several panels, covering topics such as racial justice, immigration, housing crises, restorative justice, and community partnerships. Her work has been featured in CBS News, ABC7, Spectrum News 1,  Parents Latina, Boyle Heights Beat, Capital and Main, and LA Weekly, among others. Her leadership continues to inspire and create lasting impact within the community.

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To request Raquel for media appearances or speaking engagements, please complete our media request form.