Why My Commitment to Communities is My Best Investment - Desiree Mieses

I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and studied my bachelor’s and Master’s in Business Administration at Bentley University in Massachusetts and worked over 29 years in the financial industry.

In 1996, I started working with non-profit organizations in Puerto Rico. I have served on various boards and as a volunteer for others. As a board member, I have been able to provide my financial expertise to help non-profits maximize their budgets, improve financial programs, and create strong fundraising programs. I believe it is vital to invest in non-profits in Puerto Rico because there is a social marginalization. 

There are marginalized communities in Puerto Rico that need aid to flourish. The government is not able to help all vulnerable communities, but through non-profit organizations the help can go to the communities directly. In my opinion, Puerto Rico has the most resilient people. We have gone through hurricanes, earthquakes, change of leadership, droughts, and pandemics. The Puerto Rican people deserve to have quality of life. 

Many people barely have to make ends meet, there are still people without roofs from Hurricane Maria in 2017, and professionals are leaving the island making it an elderly, vulnerable community.  Due to the financial crisis in the island many people have had to move to the mainland, we called them “La diaspora”. 

Right now, “la diaspora” is larger than the population in the island and I would love to create a space for them to get involved in helping their roots through organizations such as Friends for Puerto Rico. My goal as an Advisor is to be able to support, learn, contribute, and provide my knowledge to spread Friends of PR, Cafe Ama, and Seeds. These programs educate and create economic development in PR, which is vital in our marginalized society.

Desiree Mieses is the Managing Partner at Lumiere Bay, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation and is an Advisory Board Member to Friends of Puerto Rico.