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Our Story
On March 13, 1964, Lena Archuleta, Charles Tafoya and Bernie Valdez joined the President and Executive Director of the United Fund to sign the first agreement in the nation between a United Fund (now Mile High United Way) and a Latino 501(c)(3) organization: the Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA). LARASA was established to address the needs of Latinos in education, youth motivation, job development, training and employment, health and welfare, housing, and community resources.
LARASA's vision was to create an agency where people from all ethnic and racial groups could work together to improve the conditions under which Latinos lived and worked with the belief that when you improve the lives of Latinos, you improve the lives of all Coloradans. Over the years, the board of directors and staff operated a wide range of programs in response to needs identified by and for Latinos in the Denver Metro areas and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of Colorado.
Toward the end of the 20th century, LARASA became increasingly committed to training new generations of future leaders within the state's racial and ethnic minority communities. In 2007, LARASA changed its name and became the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO).
2024 Members of the Board of Directors
Board Officers Chair - The Honorable Federico Peña, Senior Advisor, Colorado Impact Fund Denver
Vice-Chair - Mr. Luís Jorge Castañeda, Founder & Owner, Castañeda Law, Denver, CO & Phoenix, AZ
Secretary - Mr. Fred Galves, Attorney, Orona Garcia & Duran Law Firm
Treasurer - Mr. Evan Smith-Acuña - Assistant Vice President, FirstBank, Aurora
2024 Board Members
Mr.True Apodaca - Founder and Principal, True Strategies Colorado, Denver
Mr. Mark Cordova - President, Centennial Bolt, Denver
Mr.Mike Cortés, MSW, MPP, PhD - Scholar In Residence and Special Community Member, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work
Ms.Cristal De Herrera - Attorney, Aviation, Denver
Ms.Iris Lozano - Attorney, Labor & Employment, Sherman and Howard, Denver
Mr.Bruno Meli - Vice President, U.S. Bank, Denver
Dr.Celeste Montoya - Associate Professor, Women and Gender Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
Mr.Elvis Rubio - Government & Community Affairs Officer, Dept. of HousingStability, City and County of Denver
Empowering Latinos through many avenues.
CLLARO’s mission is to empower Latinos through leadership development, advocacy and policy research to strengthen Colorado. CLLARO’s vision for the future is a State of Colorado where Latinos can thrive and reach their fullest potential.
Our DirectoryColorado’s Latino community faces pressing civil and socioeconomic issues: the Latino achievement and wage gap, educational challenges, inadequate political representation, rising inflation and economic challenges, and more.
To us, there is no difference between the Latino immigrant of yesterday and the sixth-generation Latino of today. We all aspire to and should have the same opportunities as the rest of our fellow residents, and the future of CLLARO is promising.
The future of CLLARO is one where we proactively engage in partnerships with our communities and universities to again invest in high-quality research and policies, working alongside elected leaders and institutions to build a new agenda for Latino prosperity.
The future of CLLARO is one where we actively work towards the hiring and election of Latinos in leadership positions, and proactively identify opportunities for our state’s institutions to diversify and embrace fresh perspectives.
The future of CLLARO is bright, and we are looking to our history and our beginnings as LARASA to guide us.
Colorado’s Latino community is viably self-sufficient, yet with increased funding and representation, there are no limits to what we can collectively achieve.
CLLARO is dedicated to tirelessly advocating for our community. Thank you for your support!
Meet our Team
Our bilingual and bicultural staff are acutely aware of Colorado’s local Latino community. Get to know them!
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Amazing partners that move us forward
CLLARO works with grassroots organizations across Colorado, emphasizing a non-hierarchical structure that gives power to individuals and the community, not special interest groups.
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Peña Federico & Cindy
Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña and his wife Cindy are longtime outspoken CLLARO supporters. As one of our primary financial backers, Cindy and Federico demonstrate an admirable commitment to future generations of Colorado Latinos.
Sherman & Howard
Sherman & Howard LLC is more than a law firm. They give back to help create stronger communities and as one of CLLARO’s largest donors, Sherman & Howard have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal sector.
Next50
Next50 is a private, national foundation based in Denver, Colorado, working toward creating a world that values aging. Next50 powers our ability to move CLLARO’s Research Institute’s “Innovation in Aging” project forward.