PATRICIA BARELA RIVERA, WOMEN ARE THE SAVORS OF THE WORLD

Patricia Barela Rivera was born and raised in Corales, New Mexico where she completed high school and college. Patricia was then presented with the opportunity to work with the U.S. Forest Service as a secretary. She moved to Idaho for the position and there she was exposed to racism and sexism for the first time. Patricia moved to Pueblo, Colorado about a year later and became one of the first Equal Employment Opportunity Specialists in the country where she was devoted to recruit a very diverse set of employees. Eventually she was giving keynotes addresses and training secretaries in leadership, time management, and conflict resolution, etc. Patricia came to a breaking point when the U.S. Forest Service was promoting all the men and not the women. This could not stop her from empowering women on her own so she started her own business and began traveling to give keynote speeches and train in about 2 to 3 cities a week. When she started applying for job positions again she applied for the Small Business Administration and got the position of director. Patricia retired in 2008 but whenever an opportunity to uplift another woman arises she always takes it. She believes in women and the Latinx community.