About the Latino Agenda
Our Mission
Our mission is to engage, empower, and mobilize our community year-round with expert political tactics and real investment in proven strategies.
Engage
We are committed to engaging Latinos beyond election cycles and become a household name that families can trust to be a credible source of information about election timelines, candidates, and opportunities to participate.
Empower
We will empower Latinos to run for office and level the political campaign playing field by providing air support whether it be through TV, direct mail, digital, texting, etc guided by experts.
Mobilize
End the vicious cycle of lackluster mobilization of Latinos by political parties and candidates by investing big in voter registration, Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns, and year-around engagement.
meet the team
The Latino Agenda IEPAC is built by and for Massachusetts Latinos.
We are a group of Latinos who are united to increase Latino voter turnout, elect more Latino leaders, and empower our community beyond a single election cycle. Combined we have worked on hundreds of candidate campaigns, SuperPACs, and ballot measures.
Cesar Ruiz | Chair
Cesar Ruiz is a trailblazing leader from Springfield, Massachusetts, whose career spans public service, business, and community activism. At just 25 years old, he became the first Latino and youngest person elected to the Springfield School Committee, serving from 1980 to 1986. His early passion for education and civic engagement laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to empowering others, especially within the Latino community.
After a successful 30-year career in finance, Ruiz co-founded Golden Years Home Care Services, inspired by caring for his own family members. As President and CEO, he grew the company from just 10 clients to over 500, building one of the region’s leading elder care providers. His approach centered on compassion and dignity, offering caregivers strong wages, benefits, and professional development long before industry standards required it. In 2020, Ruiz was named BusinessWest’s Entrepreneur of the Year for his leadership and vision. In 2025 he acquired Wyckoff Country Club, making it the first privately owned Latino Golf Course in New England.
Beyond business, Ruiz is a fierce advocate for Latino representation in politics and public policy. He founded the Hispanic Latino Leaders Now SuperPAC and later The Latino Agenda SuperPAC, using his own funds to support more inclusive leadership across Massachusetts. He also serves on several nonprofit and arts boards, including the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and actively supports local initiatives through the Ruiz Family Foundation. His work continues to uplift underserved communities, driven by a philosophy rooted in respect, equity, and opportunity.
Tomás Gonzalez | IEPAC Director
Tomás Gonzalez is a veteran of numerous city and statewide candidate and social campaigns in his defined career as an agent of change in Boston’s movements for social justice and empowerment. A native Latino Bostonian and a graduate of Boston College. He had multiple roles in the City of Boston under both Mayor Thomas Menino and Martin Walsh. He served as the Deputy Director for the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services (MONS), overseeing the day-to-day operations of MONS, the hiring and training of the Mayoral appointed liaisons and their supervision and coaching.
Tomás also served as an Assistant Commissioner for the City of Boston’s Inspectional Services department, where he oversaw the operations of the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, the department’s emergency response team, the call center and constituent services outreach and response. Tomás also served as the political director for the Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN), the state's largest faith-based advocacy and action group. He was also a founding member and an executive board member of Raise Up Massachusetts (RUM), which is the state’s largest social justice table that continues to be a force for organizing for progressive ideals.
Ingrid harik | Treasurer
Ingrid S. Harik, BSc, MBA is a seasoned finance professional with over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry specializing in financial analysis, risk management, and operational efficiency. With a strong foundation in managerial accounting and regulatory compliance, she has successfully led initiatives that streamline financial processes and enhance visibility into corporate profitability.
As an Assistant Vice President at Eaton Vance Investment Managers, Ingrid played a pivotal role providing executive leadership with in-depth profitability insights and optimizing reporting methodologies for a firm generating $1.3 billion in annual revenue. Her financial systems expertise was further demonstrated at Amundi Pioneer, where she spearheaded process improvements, automated accounting functions, and was a key contributor to implementing a global Management Information System.
Ingrid has extensive experience in enterprise risk management and financial controls, including Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, IT security audits, and financial systems implementation. Her tenure at Deloitte & Touche strengthened her ability to identify financial risks and develop data-driven solutions for Fortune 500 clients.
A highly adaptable and analytical leader, Ingrid excels in driving business transformation initiatives that strategically integrate Finance and Accounting with corporate objectives.
Ingrid holds a Master of Business Administration from Bentley University, along with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting Information Systems. A bilingual professional fluent in English and Spanish, she thrives in multicultural environments, leveraging her analytical skills and diplomacy to drive financial efficiency and organizational success.
Italo Fini | Senior Advisor
Italo Fini is a Brazilian-born, Massachusetts-based political consultant and lobbyist who has spent over a decade transforming the Commonwealth through policy, campaigns, communications, and representation. Undocumented and raised in Massachusetts after immigrating from Brazil at age two, Italo has turned his lived experience into a force for good.
With more than 13 years of experience in lobbying, campaign strategy, and training. Italo has built a reputation as one of the most effective political operatives in the state. Learning under mentorship of Massachusetts political legends like Roger Lau, and Chris Condon.
He has served as Political Director to Governor Maura Healey, where he helped lead her to a historic win. He later served in her administration as Legislative Director for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, representing the legislative agenda of eight agencies—like workforce development, labor standards, unemployment insurance, and labor relations—before the Massachusetts Legislature.
As a lobbyist Italo has represented some of Massachusetts’ most values-driven organizations, including the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, SEIU Locals 509 and 888, and the Student Immigrant Movement. His major wins include passing the Immigrant Driver’s License law, securing state financial aid for undocumented students, and influencing Governor Healey’s public testimony on wage theft.
Italo has worked on well over 100 campaigns in Massachusetts from school committee to U.S. Senate to issue ballot measures to SuperPACs. He has elected more Latino candidates in Massachusetts than any other consultant, won many historic firsts, and guided SuperPACs to make the difference in important races. Italo has powered wins for a new generation of leaders.
This year alone he won two 2025 special elections for State Representative: Hannah Bowen in the 6th Essex and Lisa Field in the 3rd Bristol.
Whether influencing legislation or building coalitions from the grassroots up or electing the new generation of leaders Italo Fini has reshaped what’s possible in Massachusetts politics—and who gets to lead.
Andrew Melendez | Senior Advisor
Andrew Melendez is a community leader based in Western Massachusetts with a passion for economic inclusion and advocacy. Melendez was an MIT Fellow in 2013 with the Urban Planning Department and graduated from Our Lady of the Elms College, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management. He has held impactful roles, including Western Massachusetts Director for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, where he helped businesses navigate HR, legal, and operational challenges during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
As Founder and Executive Director of the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), Melendez has been instrumental in building a robust infrastructure for aspiring entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, LEDC has raised nearly over $3,000,000 in non profit grants, supported the opening of nearly 15 downtown Springfield businesses in less than 18monts, and launched entrepreneurial cohorts that have helped 100’s of community members through hands‑on coaching. In addition, Launched the LevelUp! Program that has raised $200,000 for students in trade schools for in the job experiences.
Melendez is recognized for his inclusive, results‑driven approach, having been named a 40 Under Forty honoree in 2015 and an Alumni Achievement Award finalist in 2024. His work has attracted state and federal support—such as a $550,000 earmark championed by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Ed Markey—to boost Latino business programs in the region. Through LEDC, Melendez continues to elevate minority‑owned micro‑businesses, foster community revitalization, and champion economic equity across Western Massachusetts.
Thomas r. kiley | General counsel
Tom is a former Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General, having served as the First Assistant Attorney General between 1977 and 1987. He is a partner in the law firm, Cosgrove, Eisenberg & Kiley P.C. As an attorney, he brings his legal expertise to bear on all of the lobbying firm’s business activities. He continues to provide occasional counsel to state agencies and authorities, but his government practice now focuses on cases involving state, federal and local government for private businesses and citizens.
His practice covers all areas handled by the law firm, with an emphasis on administrative, constitutional and criminal law. Tom is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University Law School. Mr. Kiley has been on the Board of Arbella Mutual Insurance Company since it was founded in 1988. He won National Citizen of the Year awards from the United States Marshals Service in 1996 and the United States Department of Justice in 1997. He is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Attorneys.
