CPMCC Board Members

Josephine Talamantez, Chair

Josephine S. Talamantez (Chicana/Yaqui) is an Organizational Management, Public Policy and Governmental Relations consultant with a specialization in Arts, History and Cultural Public Programming, Historic Preservation, Cultural Resource Management and Public History. Founder and Board Chair of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (CPMCC ) San Diego, CA; Former Chief of Programs/ Legislative Liaison, California Arts Council, a State agency; Executive Director, La Raza/Galeria Posada-Sac, CA and Centro Cultural de la Raza-San Diego—nonprofit arts organizations, CA; Past executive board member, National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC); and Co-founder of Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC) a national organization. She has served as an Advisor to the California Office of Historic Preservation for the development of the Ca. Latino American Theme Study and Multiple Property Registration Form (MPRF.) Co-founder—Chicano Park & Chicano Park Steering Committee (CPSC), and member of the Royal Chicano Air force (RCAF). She authored Chicano Park and the Chicano Park Monumental Mural’s successful National Register nomination and co-authored its successful National Landmark nomination. In addition, she serves on Barrio Logan Planning Group; Barrio Logan Association/Maintenance Assessment District; Air Pollution Control District Portside Communities Steering Committee; Latinx Advisory Committee for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and was inducted to the California Women’s Museum, San Diego’s Women’s Hall of Fame-2022.  She has a Master’s degree in History focusing on Chicano civil rights era and on public history programming.

Diane Armenta

Diane Armenta has been a community member all of her life and loves living in Logan Heights. Since 1970, Diane has been an activist and participated in the take over of Chicano Park in 1970. She is a member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee and worked at Non-Profit- Barrio Station beginning February 1980 and continued working as Administrative Assistant until she retired in 2014.Currently, she is a Board Member of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center as well as a member of the South East San DIego Planning Group.

Ted Martinez Jr., PhD

Helen Gonzales

Helen “Elena” Gonzales is a Chicana/Mexicana community member and educator who advocates for educational equity and access for all children, youth, and adults: ensuring the highest quality of learning within institutions of education and community-based organizations. As a retired educator, counselor, and administrator with over 35 years of experience in pre-K-12 education, university level and expanded learning opportunity programs she has worked within urban and rural school districts with diverse communities.

Ms. Gonzales professional career has included experiences as Outreach Coordinator, CSU Fresno/UCSF Medical School Health Career Opportunity Program, Volunteer Coordinator, Part Time Faculty, CSU Sacramento, Counseling Department. Principal/Vice Principal Administrator in Elementary /Middle Schools, Elk Grove Unified School District, Sacramento, CA. Most recently she served as the California Statewide Region 9 Coordinator for Expanded Learning Programs representing over six hundred schools in San Diego, Orange, and Imperial Counties for the San Diego County Office of Education.

Originally from Stockton, California as the daughter of Salvador and Carmen Gonzales, her parents instilled the values of family and community, love, respect, cultural traditions, and the importance of education. These values and beliefs have impacted her efforts in both personal and professional paths. Ms. Gonzales has presented classes on her personal interest in cultural art, history, literature and provided trainings on the topics of Educational Leadership/Cultural Diversity, Counseling Latinos and Families and Supporting English Language Learners.

She has served on local and statewide educational committees and community board memberships. She is currently a Board Member of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, San Diego, CA., and former board member of the La Raza Galleria Posada, Sacramento, CA, and Sacramento City College PUENTE Mentor Project. 

Ms. Gonzales’ Education Degrees and Credentials include a Master’s Degree, Educational Counseling, Community College Counseling and Clear Administrative Credential K-12.

Staff

Monica's headshot

Monica Hernandez, Executive Director

Monica Delgadillo Hernandez is the Executive Director at Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center. She is a Xicana raised in the San Ysidro/Tijuana borderlands, bringing over 15 years of experience working at the intersections of art, social justice & community. Monica graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Chicano studies and an interdisciplinary focus on social justice, cultural studies, and multimedia. She began her professional career at Casa Familiar where she co-founded the Front Arte y Cultura — a community-based cultural center amplifying voices of Latinx, Chicanx, Indigenous, and local artists.

Monica is also an interdisciplinary artivist, writer, curator, and cultural strategist. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the San Diego County Arts Commission, representing District 1 where she strives to implement equity outcomes that address current and historical barriers to arts and culture resources for underrepresented communities.

Additionally, she co-founded the xikanx collective, whose mission is to elevate historically marginalized artists and cultural bearers by disrupting systemic racism and inequitable access to resources and decision-making spaces.

  • Roger Talamantez, Chief Financial Officer
  • Ariana Arroyo, Executive Administrative Assistant/ Exhibition Manager
  • Lulu Urdiales, Archivist
  • Diego Jimenez, Archive Assistant
  • Terri Steele, Via Verde Grants and Programs Manager
  • Tony Moreno, Construction Projects/Contracts Manager
  • Fernando Lucero, Community Programs Coordinator
  • Marielle Tellez, Outreach and Engagement Associate
  • Abdiel De La O, Museum Store Manager
  • TrèDesiderio Simmons, Guest Services Associate
  • Alysia Tellez, Guest Services Associate

Consultants

  • Jasmine Zavala, Marketing and Communications
  • Luis Valdez, IT Specialist