2015 Finger Lakes Region

Stephanie Paredes
Manager, Multicultural Programs
Rochester Institute of Technology
Stephanie moved to Rochester at the age of nine from Washington Heights in New York City with her mother and two brothers. Stephanie attended Lincoln School #22, Charlotte Middle School, and Wilson Magnet High School. Stephanie graduated with her Bachelors of Science from SUNY Brockport. Stephanie has been involved in giving back to the community since she was 15 whether it was by assisting in writing grants for non-profit organizations, tutoring, mentoring, siting on an executive board, fundraising, working with youth and the elderly. She believes in the power of giving. She recently traveled for her third time to the Dominican Republic on a church mission trip to serve the children in low-income neighborhoods by distributing food, medicine, and participate in VBS.

While in SUNY Brockport, she was very involved in campus clubs and organizations including the Association for Latin American Students, Brockport Student Government and the Theatre Department.

Stephanie is also excited to be involved in theatre. Stephanie and a small group of exceptional Latinos decided to create their own theatre company that focus on giving Latinos a voice, talent and presence. It was through many years, challenges and lessons learned that they were all able to bring Rochester’s first Latino theatre company to life. The Rochester Latino Theatre Company, Inc. continues to serve the community both on stage with shows like Sombras De Nuestros Rostros/Shadows of Our Faces, In The Heights and West Side Story and off stage working with Rochester’s youth through the West Side Story project and Art Life, amongst others.

In her first year at RIT in 2009, Stephanie was given the opportunity to join the 2009 class of United Way’s Latino Leadership Development program. During the program, she met some of Rochester’s finest Latino leaders that she always read about and looked up to. After graduating from the program and being voted the 2009 class representative, she really felt like everything was lining up and was realizing the power and responsibility of leadership. Years later in 2012, she became the Chair of the Latino Leadership Development Program Executive Steering Committee. This year Stephanie is part of a culturally diverse 9 woman team that created WOCHA (Women of Color, Honor and Ambition.) It is a one-year initiative developed for historically underrepresented women in a predominately technical university to enhance leadership ability, build camaraderie, access mentorship and open networking opportunities.

Currently, Stephanie is pursuing her Masters of Science in Service Leadership & Innovation at RIT. She hopes to pursue her doctorate in education in the future.

Where did you go to College and what was your focus/major OR what College are you attending and what is your major?
Undergraduate in SUNY Brockport and currently pursuing my MS in Service Leadership & Innovation at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

What is your Hispanic Heritage?
Dominican

How has your personal background helped shape the person you are today and the work you are doing?
My mother gave me an incredible foundation built with lessons in love, resiliency, ambition, drive and humility. I had an imperfect background that has perfectly placed me in the best places, surrounded by incredible people and have given blessings beyond my scope of understanding. I have learned to trust that each opportunity comes with a lesson-good, bad or indifferent. I am truly blessed to be working in areas I am passionate about, have invested in and will continue to do work for. The Rochester community has given me so much and I will continue to serve this community for as long as I am able and hopefully impacting lives along the way in a positive way.

What is your favorite quote?
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Mauricio Francisco Riveros
Vice President
The Pike Company
Website
www.pikeco.com
Mauricio serves as Chief Innovation Officer at The Pike Companies. His responsibilities include the development and implementation of all Shared Services for Pike-LECESSE. His department includes Project Controls, Virtual Design Construction, Leadership Development, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, and process and procedures improvements.

Prior to coming to United States and prior to working at the Pike Company, Mauricio was the National Director for the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO / Canada). His responsibilities included overseeing all operations of CESO in the Public Sector Reform Program with the government of Bolivia. He also directed the economic development programs such as the Institutional Reform, Sectoral Regulation, and Civil Service Reform.

Before working with CESO, Mauricio served as the National Director of Planning and Territorial Organization for the Bolivian Government. He was a leader in the strategic planning and oversaw the Municipality Consolidation Process (Mancomunidades) for the entire country of Bolivia.

Currently Mauricio serves on the following boards:

Pittsford Community Church (PCC): Deacon; Chair of the Missions Committee
Allendale Columbia School: Chair of Buildings and Grounds Committee
Center for Governmental Research
YMCA of Greater Rochester
St. Ann’s Community
New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council
La Cumbre “Hispanic Forum”

He has also received multiple recognitions and awards for his work in business and in the Hispanic community. In 2014, Mauricio received the Hispanic Businessperson of the Year Award from the Rochester Hispanic Business Association (RHBA) and he was recognized in the Rochester Business Journal’s (RBJ) “Forty Under 40” in the same year.

Mauricio obtained his formal education in Bolivia and holds a Master of Economic Law from La Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar and a Law Degree from La Universidad Catolica Boliviana. Mauricio resides in Fairport, New York with his wife Bess, and children Thomas, Oliver, and Wesson.

Where did you go to College and what was your focus/major OR what College are you attending and what is your major?
Master of Economic Law from La Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar and a Law Degree from La Universidad Catolica Boliviana.

What is your Hispanic Heritage?
Born in La Paz - Bolivia

How has your personal background helped shape the person you are today and the work you are doing?
This has helped me to develop a very high level of working discipline. Also to value others and develop leaders in my organization.

The most important role that I have in our companies is to help to lead the people process, this is helping us to develop leaders in The Pike Company and LECESSE Construction.

What is your favorite quote?
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:39