Today, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) announced that Dr. Lisette M. Garcia is rejoining the organization as its Chief Research Officer on March 20. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Garcia back as she took the organization’s research to the next level of excellence while supporting the organization’s mission-driven growth,” Cid Wilson, President and CEO of HACR, stated.  

He added, “In her returning capacity, Dr. Garcia will lead all HACR’s research operations including expanding our research outcomes, driving thought leadership, and producing original content data that will illuminate challenges and opportunities for advancing Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America.”

Dr. Garcia had previously worked at HACR for 8 years, with her last role being that of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In those roles, she built its research institute and created the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index^TM, the leading research tool for Hispanic inclusion used by the corporate sector. It covers four areas of economic reciprocity: employment, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.  

She then joined Penn State as Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in 2020. 

Dr. Garcia stayed at Penn State for over 2 years. While there, she created a diversity and inclusion strategy for the school’s 20,000 employees. She also changed the way Penn State approached affinity groups and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). 

“As the Hispanic population continues to grow and more of us participate in the workforce, it’s more important than ever to design research that will uncover the gaps in our knowledge of the Hispanic experience in Corporate America,” said Dr. Garcia.  

“I’m so excited to return to HACR, because the organization is uniquely positioned to use its own research to fine-tune its leadership advancement programs. This coupling of knowledge and execution is what’s really going to drive progress towards full and equitable Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America,” she continued. 

Prior to working at HACR the first time, Dr. Garcia was the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admission at Virginia Tech, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology at Montclair State University, and a Study Director of the Women of Color Policy Network at NYU. 

She received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Labor Industrial Relations. Dr. Garcia also holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Virginia Tech and a doctorate degree Sociology from The Ohio State University.

HACR is the leading corporate advocacy organization that represents 14 national Hispanic organizations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Its goal “is to advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America at a level commensurate with our economic contributions.”