The CHLI Alumni Association was founded in 2016 to help CHLI alumni reach their professional goals and connect with the nearly 300 accomplished alumni nationwide and abroad who have pursued esteemed careers in the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors.
CHLI Alumni Association
Meet The President
Keith Fernandez
Keith Fernandez is currently the Senior Manager of Social Impact Communications at DoorDash. He is of Cuban descent and grew up in Miami, FL. There he studied Political Science at Florida International University before earning a J.D. in Law at the University of Florida. He was a CHLI alumnus who participated in the Congressional internship program interning for then-Senator Mel Martinez in 2006.
Alumni Association Presidents
Wendy K. Martinez
CHLI Alum 2005 | The Wendy Martinez Legacy Project
Wendy Martinez led the effort to formalize the CHLI Alumni Association Bylaws and Charter. She would have been the first president of the CHLI Alumni Association.
Vision
A premiere resource in advancing the professional and leadership development of future Hispanic leaders.
Mission
The CHLI Alumni Association was founded by the CHLI Alumni to foster a culture of leadership, community, and continuing investment in advancing opportunities for the development of future Hispanic leaders.
Purpose
Founded in 2016, the CHLI Alumni Association is dedicated to fostering a broad awareness of the diversity of thought, heritage, interests, and views of Hispanics in the U.S.
CHLI Alumni Association Board
About CHLI Alumni Association South Florida Chapter
Founded in 2024, the South Florida Regional Alumni Association Chapter was the first of its kind for those who have completed CHLI fellowships or internships. The inaugural leadership is President Amanda Venedeo and Vice President Sophia Jaimes. The South Florida Alumni Association Chapter focuses on community engagement activities such as volunteering, donation drives, clean-ups, and events to stay connected with the CHLI family and South Florida community.
The aim of the chapter is to help South Florida alums reach their professional goals and increase CHLI’s visibility in the community.
As CHLI Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has said, “…once a member of the CHLI familia, always a member of the CHLI familia.”
About
Wendy Martinez Award
The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Board of Directors presented the first CHLI Wendy Martinez Alumni Community Engagement Award posthumously to Wendy Martinez at the annual CHLI Leadership Awards Gala in 2019. The award is named after the late Wendy Martinez, who led the effort to formalize the CHLI Alumni Association’s Bylaws and Charter. The award is presented to an alumnus to recognize their ambassadorship of CHLI’s mission, purpose, and focus. The CHLI Alumni Association selects the honoree and presents the award at the Annual CHLI Future Leaders Conference in the summer in Washington, DC.
About
Wendy Martinez Scholarship
In alignment with the CHLI Alumni Association’s mission to empower alumni across the country after their internship experience, the Wendy K. Martinez Scholarship was established in 2022. Scholarships assist CHLI alumni currently enrolled in an accredited educational institution to pursue their academic goals. CHLI Board of Directors, CHLI Advisory Council Members, CHLI alumni, and sponsors provide the funds for the annual scholarships.