Lupe Ramos-Silva

A passionate and versatile development professional, Lupe has been honored to serve multiple organizations. She entered the nonprofit sector more than 15 years ago as a Marketing Director for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Lupe was tasked with creating the “Promesa y Esperanza” (Promise and Hope), a national radiothon program, including conducting special events, with the objective of involving the national Latino marketplace in support of this internationally recognized biomedical research hospital. Her strengths in strategic planning and entrepreneurial expertise resulted in a new marketing division for St. Jude that, to date, has brought in more than $130 million dollars. She was promoted to Associate Director for the Pacific Region. As second-in-command, she managed a multiple-office regional staff of 16, along with numerous volunteers. She raised funds across ten western states and oversaw an administrative budget of 4.5 million dollars—producing 7 million dollars in revenues per year.

Most recently she served as Exceptional Minds’ first full time Development director, a vocational school for young adults on the autism spectrum. During her tenure, Ms. Ramos-Silva’s aggregated fundraising activities were over 7.5 million which includes annual appeals, special events, grants and major gifts.

A successful and well-rounded professional, Ms. Ramos-Silva has extensive expertise in developing marketing tactics and executing strategic programs to meet varied objectives. She brings authenticity to building relationships, has the demonstrated ability to manage multiple and diverse support staff, projects, and teams—and believes in empowering teams.

She is also a strong believer in “giving back” to the community. She works with the Los Angeles Police Department as CPAB member (Community Police Advisory Board). She formally served as Executive Director, volunteering for the LAPD’s PALS program in South Los Angeles. She provides pro-bono expertise to Plaza Comunitatia Sinaloa in Pacoima and is a founding member of the Executive Director’s Round Table in the San Fernando Valley.

A life-long learner, Lupe completed her certification as a specialist in Planned Giving in 2020 from the California State University at Long Beach. She enjoys educational reading, gardening, and drawing. She resides in the Tarzana, CA a suburb of Los Angeles, an area located in the San Fernando Valley with her husband David and rambunctious rescues, a cat named Tails, mutts Max and Sugar and Sierra, a sweet Pomeranian beauty.

Her work with Exceptional Minds opened her eyes to the many needs of those with disabilities. She is delighted to been provided the honor to support RespectAblity and looks forward to sharing and contributing to its growth and success.