Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation Announces New Executive Director, Luz Schemmel 

Cincinnati (Ohio), April 27, 2026. Alfonso Cornejo, President of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA, announced today that effective May 15, 2026, Luz Elena Schemmel will be the new Executive Director of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation (HCCUSA Foundation).  She succeeds Daniel Minera, who held the position for 11 years. 

Luz Elena Schemmel is an economist from Puebla, Mexico, with a master's degree in public administration from Indiana State University. Luz Elena has experience working with grassroots organizations in Cincinnati. She has represented marginalized communities and helped families access after-school programs, healthy food, health services, and banking services.  

As a leader and member of the community, Luz Elena received the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award from the Ohio Commission on Latino Affairs in 2016, the LULAC Community Award for Community Outreach in 2016, and the Ohio Commission on Latino Affairs' Everyday Heroes Award in 2020. In 2023, she received the Theodore E. Smith Award, which recognizes the contributions of individuals who have made a significant contribution to educating and/or promoting the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation for communities of color. Luz Elena has been a member of the Board of the HCCUSA Foundation, the Board of the Cancer Justice Network, the City of Cincinnati Primary Care Board of Governors, the Casa de Paz Board, and the Healthy Moms and Babes Board. 

Daniel Minera has served as Executive Director of the HCCUSA Foundation for the past decade. He is departing to assume the position of Executive Director at Su Casa Hispanic Center, a program of Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio. Daniel Minera, a native of Guatemala and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, has emerged as a prominent advocate for education.  His unwavering dedication to community, civic, and social services, as well as nonprofit organizations, has provided invaluable support to the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation’s mission. This mission is to support the Greater Cincinnati Hispanic community by addressing their critical needs and raising awareness of their contributions to the broader community. 

The HCCUSA Foundation, a 501(c) (3) organization, was formed in 2004 to build awareness and cooperation between the emerging Hispanic population and the general community. To help advance the Greater Cincinnati Hispanic community by being a catalyst in meeting key needs of Hispanics and creating awareness and appreciation of the contributions of Hispanics to the overall community. As a consequence, Hispanics will be a positive and meaningful force in the progress of the Greater Cincinnati community.  

The HCCUSA Foundation has the following programs: Cincy-Cinco Latino Festival, Fiesta Salsera (Amateur Dancing Competition), Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations, Hispanic Volunteer Day, Hispanic College Scholarships, Summer Camps, Cincinnati: A City of Immigrants (Booklet), H-100 Volunteering Activities: Anti-Bullying Training, Anti-Drugs Program, Domestic Violence, and the Annual Posada (Christmas Celebration). 

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Written by Lorena Mora-Mowry, host of the Latina Today Podcast and a board member of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati Foundation, and coordinator of the “Kudos Corner” on the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati’s website.