Pronouns: she/her/ella
Roots: Guatemala and Costa Rica
Job Title: Deputy Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Office of NC Governor Roy Cooper
Community Leadership: Office of New Americans Network, DEI State Officer Network - Hunt Institute, Board Member LatinxED, Board Member Lecole French School of Raleigh, NC Commission on Inclusion (Deparment of Administration=Digital Equity and Literacy Core Team, N.C. Department of Information Technology, NC DEI Interagency Working Group for New Americans, Statewide Municipality Working Group for New Americans, Governor´s Advisory Council for Hispanic and Latino Affairs, and Municipality Language Access Network
Cristina España
Deputy Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Office of NC Governor Roy Cooper
Cristina España, a Guatemalan born in Costa Rica, is Governor Roy Cooper's Deputy Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Leading efforts for New Americans' inclusion, as the first appointed for this purpose, representing NC at the Office of New Americans National Network. Cristina helped establish the Interagency Working-Group and co-founded the Municipality Working-Group, supports the cabinet DEI Leads, the Governor's Advisory Council for Hispanic-Latino Affairs, and serves on inclusion boards. Cristina was a Guatemalan diplomat for 12 years, opening the Consulate in Raleigh, leading in Atlanta the Protection Department, and interning in Madrid. Holds a Master's in Neuromarketing and a Bachelor's in advertising from the University Latina of Costa Rica, with formal studies in fine arts. Art is part of her family’s daily life, with her husband Nathanael Sperger, and their children, Isabella and Olivia. Her art has been displayed at the NC Museum of Art, SECCA, and the Museum of History, and is a 40-under-40 TBJ 2023 list award winner.