Santiago Marquez - Latin American Association

Santiago Marquez, CEO

Santiago Marquez is the Chief Executive Officer of the Latin American Association, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals and families through education, workforce development, immigration services, and community engagement. Born in Cuba, Marquez immigrated to the United States in 1971 and has built a career focused on strengthening opportunities for communities across Georgia and the nation as a whole.

Marquez began his nonprofit career in 1998 with Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Inc., where he worked while attending graduate school at Georgia State University. He later joined the Latin American Association as the Director of Employment and Housing, where he launched the organization’s first housing department dedicated to serving the Hispanic community in Atlanta.

In 2004, Marquez moved to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, serving for four years as the Director of Latino Outreach. In this national role, he implemented a comprehensive Latino outreach strategy across multiple Clubs, expanding services to Latino youth and families while helping Clubs increase Latino representation among staff and board members. He later served as the Director of Development for the Northeast region, where he led fundraising and corporate relations efforts.

Marquez joined the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2008 as Chief Operating Officer and became President in 2017, strengthening the Chamber’s statewide reach and influence.

In 2020, he earned a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business. That same year, he returned to the Latin American Association as CEO—fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Marquez is a graduate of Georgia State University, an alumnus of the Buckhead Business Leadership Class, and a proud member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2013. He is the proud husband of a wonderful wife and the devoted father of two daughters.

Accolades and Honors