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Beatriz M. Polhamus López
Executive Director
Instrumental in the development and growing impact of Fundación Banco Popular, Beatriz assumed the role of executive director in 2006, a position that today also entails the supervision of the Popular Foundation in the continental United States.
Under her direction, Fundación Banco Popular has established essential alliances with other organizations and formalized the evaluation and measurement process of non-profit organizations that receive support.
She began working at Popular in 1997 as part of the Management Associates program and has worked in different business and support areas. In 2003, she established Popular’s Office of Government Affairs in Washington, D.C.
Under her leadership, Popular established the Social Commitment Division in 2016, a unit Beatriz has managed since. In 2019, she was instrumental in the development of Popular’s corporate sustainability strategy.
She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Ana María Vidal Cerra
Programs Manager
She has more than 12 years of experience in program development and grant management. Previously, Ana María served as Executive Director of the Joint Special Commission of Legislative Funds for Community Impact, where she led the operational and conceptual reform of legislative donations. She also served as Program Manager at the Pan American Development Foundation as well as a Latin America Policy Advisor at NDN & New Policy Institute, a democrat think tank in Washington, D.C. among others.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Arts with concentrations in International Relations and Sociology from Tufts University, a master's degree in Arts with a concentration in Government and Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University, a postgraduate certificate in Gender Studies and Education from the University of Chile and is currently studying for a Juris Doctor in the Law School of the Universidad de Puerto Rico.
Francisco Chévere
Programs Manager
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Francisco "Kiko" Chévere comes to the Foundation with over 10 years of experience within the third sector. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans with a B.A. in Political Science, Kiko's passion for community service and nonprofits was sparked when, days prior to the start of his senior year of college, Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans and he witnessed first-hand the community resilience and the key role nonprofits played in providing essential services to the population.
Kiko served as lead analyst for the Puerto Rico Legislature's Special Joint Commission of Legislative Funds for Community Impact, where he was later appointed deputy executive director. He has also worked in a community organization based in Residencial Lloréns Torres focused on providing high quality education to children from low-income families. In addition, he was worked at Foundation for Puerto Rico, where he served as compliance and community grants leader of the Community Resilience Program of the CDBG-DR funds.
Natalia J. Irizarry Rodríguez
Program Officer
Believer of social justice, equity and solidarity as values to eliminate inequality and social fragmentation, Natalia is creative and is an avid learner from people’s experiences, perspectives and knowledge. She considers the third sector to be one of the main forces for change and who best understand vulnerable populations.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies, with a minor concentration in Theater, from the Universidad de Puerto Rico in Cayey and a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Cultural Management and Administration from the Universidad de Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.
She has been an educator and has worked in community projects that serve vulnerable populations, as well as in other initiatives of artistic and cultural nature. Her work as a cultural manager has been diverse, developing projects related to the plastic arts, music, literature, the preservation of built heritage and the rescue of the city as a cultural setting.
Currently, she works as Program Officer in charge of the Community for Social Collaboration and Innovation (CCIS) and the Musical Programs of the Fundación Banco Popular.
Proviana Colón Díaz
Program Officer
A journalist by vocation in search of truth and justice for the neediest populations, Proviana is a lover of her homeland and a faithful believer that in every corner of Puerto Rico there are people making a difference to improve the quality of life for everyone.
She has a bachelor's degree in Public Communication from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras campus. With more than three decades of work experience, 15 of which have been dedicated to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, she has received numerous recognitions from the Overseas Press Club and the Association of Public Relations Professionals of Puerto Rico.
She currently works as the Program Officer of the Donations Program and the Community of Collaboration and Social Innovation at Fundación Banco Popular.
Luz M. 'Tata' Santos Acevedo
Program Officer
Her north is to work with passion, dedication and a desire to serve. Luz is in charge of the Foundation's relationship with Popular’s employees through the Volunteering and Voluntary Contribution Programs, the Rafael Carrión, Jr. Scholarships for children of employees, and the Emergency Fund for Employees.
She was part of the team in charge of the creation of the Community of Collaboration and Social Innovation (CCIS, by its Spanish acronym) and the Casa de Niños Popular. She has a bachelor's degree in Human Resources from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras campus.
She has been serving Popular for 10 plus years and considers herself a true ‘Populosa.’
Cynthia Prieto Santiago
Administrative Assistant
Cynthia is motivated and proud to work with an extraordinary team of young people who contribute to building a better place to live for all of us. She has a bachelor's degree in Labor Relations from Universidad de Puerto Rico. She joined Popular in 2003, and since 2015, she has been the Administrative Assistant of Fundación Banco Popular.
