News and Stories

Our Center's Executive Director, Blanca Melendréz, was honored with the 2026 Latina Community Legacy Award, presented by The Latina Expo, a national platform that celebrates Latina leadership, entrepreneurship, and community impact. The award recognizes Latina leaders whose vision, service, and lasting contributions have strengthened their communities and inspired future generations.

For more than 25 years, Blanca has worked alongside communities to advance health equity through trusted, authentic partnerships grounded in respect, shared leadership, and community voice. As Executive Director of our UC San Diego Center for Community Health, housed within the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, she has helped build lasting collaborations that expand access to care, strengthen the public health workforce, improve food security, and support community-led solutions across California.

For Blanca, leadership has never been about leading alone. It is about listening first, building trust, creating opportunities for others to lead, and recognizing that the most meaningful and lasting change happens through partnership. As a Latina leader, she believes leadership is measured not only by what we accomplish ourselves, but by the opportunities we create for others, the relationships we nurture, and the communities we help strengthen for future generations.

Blanca shares this recognition with the many community leaders, partners, colleagues, students, and organizations whose trust, dedication, and collaboration have made this work possible.