After serving more than 6 years as President & CEO of Congreso, Carolina Cabrera DiGiorgio announced today she will be stepping down from the role, effective March 10.

During her tenure at the helm, DiGiorgio has focused heavily on legal and business acumen, sophisticating the agency’s processes and operations, all with a human and employee-centered lens.

With that approach from its top executive leader, Congreso has earned regional Top Workplace Recognition four years in a row and Top Workplace USA recognition. It has also been recognized for its culture as a women-led business, innovation and work life balance. 

“I have focused heavily on culture, equity and opportunity establishing the agency’s values statement, DEIB Council, and, as a mother of five, setting the tone for balancing work life with family,” said DiGiorgio in a statement. 

She added, “I am proud of who Congreso is today and the team I have been lucky enough to work with.”

DiGiorgio was first introduced to Congreso in 2009, after career arcs that saw her both practice law and serve in the government.

While serving 8 years as a member of its Board of Directors, she became more and more drawn to Congreso’s mission, eventually being selected as the organization’s new CEO after the conclusion of a national search in 2017. 

Originally from Honduras before coming to the United States as a child, DiGiorgio has dedicated herself to being a strong advocate of equity and opportunity. Both of those elements stood at the forefront of Congreso's five pillars — housing, education, workforce, health, and parenting. 

Since she began her tenure, Congreso has grown from a $17 million organization to a $25 million one that serves as a go-to agency for Philadelphia Latino community's most challenging work. 

Her impact has led her to a number of personal recognitions as one of Philadelphia's Most Admired CEOs, Power 100 Latinos and Non-Profit Leaders. In 2020, she was named as an AL DÍA Archetype in the Nonprofit category. 

“It has been my honor to serve as Congreso’s CEO,” said DiGiorgio. “I am grateful to have learned so much from Congreso and to witness the strength and power of the community we serve. I have been fortunate to have been surrounded with such a talented team and I leave feeling proud of our legacy, recognizing how much work there is still left to do by all of us.”

DiGiorgio's roles prior to joining Congreso include serving as Montgomery County's Commerce Director, overseeing economic and workforce development; and several years as a business attorney with Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP. 

After DiGiorgio concludes her tenure with Congreso on March 10, current Chief Experience Officer Jannette Diaz will assume the role of Interim CEO and support the agency during the transition period.

Diaz is “a passionate, effective, and community-driven leader whose extensive programmatic and leadership experience will serve Congreso immensely well during the time of transition,” Congreso wrote in a statement. She previously served as Congreso's Vice President of Health Promotion & Wellness at Congreso for five years before getting promoted to her current role in March 2021. 

As DiGiorgio reflects back while looking forward, she notes that “the journey continues for Congreso, but this important work cannot be done alone.”

“I leave inspired and motivated for my next chapter, knowing that all I've learned and experienced at Congreso will remain in my heart wherever I go,” she continued.