Being a single mom wasn’t always easy, however she always made time to give back—coaching all of her son’s youth sports (sans football) and was active in her parish and community. Maria was a co-founder of the Lehigh Valley‘s Power of Women and her dedication to strengthening women’s civic, economic, and social leadership led to an executive appointment as the Commonwealth’s Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Thereafter, Maria led the Governor’s Latino Commission advocating for Latino small business owners and promoting educational excellence in the community.