Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Dulce M. Quintero (they/them) was appointed Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023. Quintero started with the agency in 2019 and their leadership at IDHS includes heading the department’s COVID-19 response with a focus on equity, managing operations that met the needs of New Arrivals with dignity and basic supports, and overseeing the development of IDHS’s new mission, vision, and strategic plan. Quintero’s accomplishments as a LGBTQIA and nonbinary activist and social change maker have earned them recognition, including induction into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and a congressional commendation. Before joining IDHS, Quintero was Director of Operations at Erie Humboldt Park Health Center, where they expanded operations to serve over 9,400 patients annually. They also founded the Casa Corazón Drop-in Program for LGBTQIA youth at La Casa Norte. Quintero is a board member of The Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action. Their prior community engagement includes leadership in the Chicago Dyke March and serving as a founding board member of Orgullo en Acción, where they co-organized the first-ever Chicago Latino Pride Picnic. They hold a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and a certificate in nonprofit leadership from The Center for Leadership.
