The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Irene Contreras, 38, will be one of the 40 honorees. Currently, she is the Deputy Director of Communications at the City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Communications.

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Irene Contreras’ responses:

My biggest professional challenge was starting from scratch in a different country, working in a different language, and learning how to navigate Corporate America as a newcomer and a professional with more than fifteen years of experience. Flexibility, tolerance, and being open to learning every day were key aspects to overcome this challenge.

As of now, my proudest achievement in my career has been able to handle the informational crisis produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep informed the Latino community in Spanish during this period about City's updates, policies, and guidelines; finding engaging ways to deliver this information and provide updates in Spanish on the press conferences held by the Mayor's Office, opening the door to the Spanish speaking media to ask their questions and get their answer from City's officials in our language.

I would say that every individual should open their minds and their hearts and truly embrace diversity and inclusion. We are in a multicultural world, and diversity makes it better. Also, as individuals, we should listen more and judge less, value all inputs, develop empathy with our peers, and be part of the change.

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to [email protected].

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].