IIHHS staffer selected for National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship Program

The National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship Program offers training and coaching through a partnership with the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC).

Futuro Latino Coalition coordinator Onesimo Baltazar Corona has been selected to be part of the 2022 program, where he will participate in 11 interactive, virtual training sessions over a nine-month period. While learning about topics related to leadership, diversity and behavioral health, Baltazar Corona will also be making connections with other professionals in his field. 

On their website, ATTC states that the goal of this partnership program is “to increase the participants’ leadership skills to not only to become effective and transformational leaders but also to build upon strengths and talents to further their leadership capacity in order to pursue executive level leadership positions in behavioral health and integrated health settings.”

“Programs like this are so important because they help community leaders be more active in their roles,” Baltazar Corona said. “They offer training and opportunities for leaders to make connections in their communities.”

As coordinator for the Futuro Latino Coalition, Baltazar Corona is in charge of serving Latino youth in the Harrisonburg area through alcohol and substance use and misuse education and prevention. The coalition is part of the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services which aims to bring students, faculty and the community together to educate about health and equity.

He said at the Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship Program, he hopes to become better equipped at helping these individuals and to become more educated on topics related to substance abuse and behavioral health. 

“I hope to increase my knowledge on these topics,” Baltazar Corona said. “But the most important question is how do we connect the information to the community? It’s important to have leadership skills so you can take your work to the community. I think that’s the way you can help people in a real way.” 

College of Health and Behavioral Studies Associate Dean, Linda Plitt Donaldson said she is proud that Baltazar Corona was selected for this prestigious program, and she looks forward to seeing how he grows as a leader. 

“Onesimo is an amazing leader and colleague,” Plitt Donaldson said. He deserves to be in a fellowship program like this to recognize his leadership skills and his potential.”

Plitt Donaldson also said that programs like the National Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership and Fellowship Program are so important because they create diverse leaders who are going to go out into the health field. 

“We must be prepared to have professionals who can serve the population and who look like the population we have,” Plitt Donaldson said. “There needs to be diversity in the health profession so that everyone can feel comfortable.” 

While taking part in the program, Baltazar Corona said he hopes to further expand his leadership skills so he can help the local community. 

“Every time we have the opportunity to learn something new is a chance to increase our knowledge on a subject,” Baltazar Corona said. “I consider myself a person who likes to work with the community and for the community. But we always need more people, more knowledge and more skills. I think this program will increase my skills and will allow me to do more for the community.”