Maria Vanegas-Zea

Maria Vanegas-Zea, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, currently serves as the National Assistant Vice President of Human Resources at the American Lung Association, a position held since September 2000. In this role, Maria provides strategic leadership and direction for HR operations, overseeing a team of six professionals and managing services for over 500 employees nationwide. Previous experiences include roles as Director and Manager of Human Resources at the American Lung Association, where Maria focused on HR strategy, employee relations, and compliance. Prior to this, Maria worked at The Educational Alliance in various HR capacities, including Acting Human Resources Manager, where responsibilities encompassed labor relations, recruitment, and payroll for over 600 employees. Maria holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Labor Relations from Marist College and furthered education at Fairleigh Dickinson University.