Alejandra Castillo

Alejandra Y. Castillo stands as a committed public servant with expertise in the fields of public policy, legislation, regulation and federal programs. She is an accomplished leader who has served with distinction in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors where she advocated for economic development and job creation. Castillo is the immediate past CEO of YWCA USA, where she led the 163-year-old organization and its 204 associations serving over 2.3 million women and families across 1300 communities in the United States. With more than two decades of professional experience in Washington D.C., Castillo has served in senior leadership roles in two previous presidential administrations with a specific focus on international trade, minority entrepreneurship and economic development. In 2014, she was appointed by the Obama Administration to serve as national director of the Minority Business Development Agency, becoming the first Hispanic American woman to lead the agency. In that role, she helped secure financing and capital in excess of $19 billion and created or retained more than 33,000 jobs. Castillo is an active member in various civic and professional organizations, and she currently serves on several national nonprofit boards. She considers herself an embodiment of the American Dream, and she is committed to expanding opportunities for all Americans. On a personal note, she is also proud to have raised two amazing nieces who she calls her daughters. Castillo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a Master’s in Public Policy from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a Juris Doctorate from American University, Washington College of Law.