Ramon Garcia, executive director of LARSO is the speaker for the Aug. 20 LWVLA Lunch With A Leader event. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
LWVLA NEWS RELEASE
The next League of Women Voters of Los Alamos monthly community event “Lunch with a Leader” will take place 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall on Sage Loop.
This month’s speaker Executive Director Ramón García of the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization (LARSO).
Attendees are invited to bring their lunch to eat during the presentation.
About the speaker
Garcia was born in La Madera, N.M. and spent much of his childhood in Chihuahua, Mexico, before returning to Northern New Mexico to complete his education. He explains that growing up in working-class communities on both sides of the border taught him the values of hard work, service, and the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Those experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to building strong communities and helping improve the lives of others.
Ramón earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. After college, he began his career washing dishes in a casino restaurant and quickly advanced through several promotions to become Marketing Manager at what is now Santa Claran Resort. Although he enjoyed the business environment, he discovered his true passion while leading a bilingual public awareness campaign on the effects of domestic violence on children for the Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico.
That experience led to a decade of nonprofit leadership, serving first as Deputy Director and later as Executive Director of the Crisis Center. Throughout his career, Ramón has focused on strengthening organizations, improving program effectiveness, expanding community impact, and applying sound business practices to mission-driven work. He has also worked with youth-serving organizations and nonprofit fundraising efforts throughout Northern New Mexico.
Ramón joined LARSO with a vision of building a sustainable organization while ensuring that older adults have access to high-quality programs and services that enhance their quality of life. He believes that improving the well-being of one population strengthens the entire community, a philosophy he calls “collective well-being.” Under his leadership, LARSO is focused on creating meaningful opportunities for older adults to remain active, connected, and engaged.
Ramón is the proud father of two children. Outside of work, he enjoys studying history, playing guitar, exercising, working on handyman projects, and visiting his father in Mexico, where he enjoys helping around the family ranch.
García shares a quote that reflects his approach to leadership and service is: “Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
He said he believes lasting change happens when communities combine a clear vision with the commitment to work together for the common good.