Minerva Perez is the executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, where she centers her work on the protection, empowerment, and celebration of our Latino community through OLA’s mission to create a safer, healthier, and more equitable East End region for all. As an advocate and an artist, she relishes being in the uncomfortable spaces where love and understanding can grow.
Ms. Perez holds a theatre arts degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She founded and ran a theatre company for 8 years in NYC. In addition to acting in theatre, film, and television, she has directed and produced independent films and local theatre productions including the only Spanish language version of the Vagina Monologues on the East End as well as the English version featuring cast members Brooke Shields, Blythe Danner, and Julie White. She has curated more than 10 OLA Latino Film Festivals which feature Spanish language films with English subtitles meant to bridge cultural interests and create harmony and understanding. She has created and produces two OLA shows on LTV meant to highlight community members and guests of all backgrounds and disciplines: “Conversations with OLA” and “Sabor con OLA”.
OLA of Eastern Long Island works to create a more equitable East End for Latino immigrants through advocating for just and inclusive government and school policies; protecting families; nurturing power and unity among Latinos through leadership workshops and other programs; and building bridges among different sectors of the East End community through celebrating arts and culture.