Bethlehem Commencement Speaker
Victoria Montero
Victoria Montero, MPH is the Network Director of Community Workforce Development at St. Luke’s University Health Network. During her 20-year tenure at St. Luke’s, Ms. Montero has demonstrated a commitment to advancing health equity through workforce development and career mentoring initiatives. She currently oversees the management of nearly one million dollars on grant funds and actively plans, implements, and evaluates in-school youth, out-of-school youth, and adult workforce development initiatives to break the cycle of poverty for vulnerable populations. Most recently, she was instrumental in developing and launching the Linguistic and Cultural Workforce Development Centers (WDC), a joint venture between the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and St. Luke’s University Health Network. The WDC aids individuals at any stage of their career path to access employment opportunities. The model employs evidence-based practices to promote cultural competency, support linguistic development, provide education and training, and provide equitable employment opportunities for the members of the community.
In addition to her work at St. Luke’s, Ms. Montero served as the Interim Executive Director of the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley (HCLV) from 2018 to 2023 as a St. Luke’s priority partnership. Under her leadership, HCLV underwent a strategic expansion and restructuring to focus on serving the Lehigh Valley’s Latino community using a comprehensive, data-driven, health equity approach. Due to Ms. Montero’s vision, hard work, and persistence, today HCLV takes pride in its improved financial health, fiscal responsibility, effective programs, structured agency operations, and staff capacity. In addition to launching HCLV’s Fowler Community Wellness Center, which provides integrated social services, job training/employment, and physical/behavioral healthcare, Ms. Montero was also instrumental in administering the agency’s COVID-19 response. This response was nationally recognized by the Centers for Disease Control Foundation through their support of HCLV’s community-based approach to improve vaccination rates among the Lehigh Valley’s Latino community.
Ms. Montero has received various accolades throughout her career, including the Community Partner Award (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Lehigh Valley); Power 100 Latino Award (PA Latino Convention); Community Leader of the Year Award (Latino Connection); Golder Star Award (Gold Credit Union); and St. Luke’s PCRAFT (Pride, Caring, Accountability, Flexibility, Teamwork) Award. Additionally, she has been highlighted on billboard campaigns, TV commercials, magazines, newsletters, and has been invited and participated in public speaking engagements with former First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden.
Ms. Montero served on the boards of the Latino Leadership Alliance of the Lehigh Valley and the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District. She holds a Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from East Stroudsburg University. In her spare time, Ms. Montero enjoys being a mother to her three beautiful children, Miguel, Esmeralda, and Alejandro and creating meaningful childhood memories for them. Ms. Montero dedicates today’s speech to her parents, Margarita and Modesto Montero, and her mentors, George Maunz, Dr. Bonnie Coyle, Hollie Gibbons, Dr. Rajika Reed, and Donna Taggart for their continued mentorship, support, and guidance.
