Shirley Ronquillo

Shirley Ronquillo is a first-generation Ecuadorian American born in the Near Northside, Houston, TX and raised in East Aldine, both historically underserved communities. Shirley has a Master of Public Administration from UT San Antonio, Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Romance Languages from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts, French from the University of St. Thomas. 

Shirley worked in the public sector for 25 years. At 14, she began working at the St. Stephen’s Federal Credit Union where she had an insight into the inequities residents faced because they did not have a Social Security number. That experience led to a career attempting to help residents connect to resources that were difficult for them to access.

Shirley is an experienced community organizer helping residents to elevate their voices, request support, or demand change. As a certified Community Health Worker. Shirley has created programs and facilitated trainings in the community to address health disparities in English and Spanish. 

Shirley’s advocacy work focuses on community outreach, community engagement, and community leadership development. Her language justice initiatives include English and Spanish simultaneous interpretation and facilitation for community meetings. In an effort to create inclusive community spaces, Shirley co-facilitates community trainings so culturally competent residents can work as community interpreters. 

Shirley’s certifications include Texas Community Health Worker since 12/02/2014, Language 4 Justice Graduate, Facilitator, and Interpreter (Spring 2022), TSU Community Environmental Leadership Program (2021) and LISC Houston T4T Ambassador (2018). 

Shirley’s experiences and trainings resulted in opening Ronquillo Consulting Group with the intent to scale the business, create employment opportunities and continue to break down barriers