Meet the Team

Jose Pérez, Publisher/CEO

Nancy Zarenda, Editor in Chief

Isela Perez, Executive Reporter

José Pérez, is the Founder & Publisher of Latino Journal, co-founder and Chairman of the California Utilities Diversity Council and co-founder Chairman and CEO, Hispanics In Energy. José earned his degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento and a Certificate on Corporate Governance from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. 
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Mr. Pérez has provided visionary leadership in promoting diversity in the new energy economy from Sacramento, California to Washington, DC. José is a national speaker on diversity, public policy, community and business partnerships, and finance in the energy and utility industries. He has presented at the National Association of Hispanics Publications in Washington D.C., National Association of Regulated Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Denver and San Francisco, National Council of La Raza in New Orleans and the Mexican American Engineering Society in San Diego. In 2014, José was featured in as one of the nation’s “Most Influential Latinos in Energy” in Latino Leaders, a national printed publication.

Nancy Zarenda is co-vice chair of the California Utilities Diversity Council (CUDC) and was a charter member of the National Utilities Diversity Council. In 2014, she was a key contributor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first-ever Spanish language energy literacy publication titled Conocimiento de Energía. Nancy served as a subject matter expert for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on limited-English proficient consumer issues and led the development of the CUDC Language Access Principles adopted by the CPUC. Nancy is a member of the U.S. DOE Minorities in Energy Community Planning Team.

A nationally recognized leader in language policy development and Spanish language instruction, Nancy is founder and director of the Spanish Language Academy. Clients include state and national elected and appointed officials, utility and energy companies, law firms, private industry, government agencies, and chambers of commerce. She previously developed and directed Spanish language training for the Rio Hondo Police Academy in Whittier, California and assisted in the design of Racial Profiling Curriculum for Peace Officers. Nancy has authored articles on language access and language policy for national magazines, and participates in international projects and organizations. 

Ms. Zarenda is a recipient of the U.S. Congressional Special Recognition as Outstanding Hispanic American Educator and Community Partner. 

Isela Pérez, Latino Journal reporter and multi-media journalist, holds a B.A. in Journalism from CSU, Sacramento. After four years as a professional dancer, brand ambassador and social media coordinator for the Sacramento Kings, she joined the family business full-time and now works to produce each hard copy of the Latino Journal. She manages many facets of the business from developing content to graphic design, from interviewing to getting each edition to blue line.

In addition, Isela is an advocate for local arts and performers. She offers communications solutions such a social media marketing, public relations services, developing website content, event photography and business networking. 

Isela continues to broaden her cultural knowledge by traveling to at least one new country annually. Her most recent trip was a five-month relocation to Nicaragua in 2015. She hopes to encompass a more worldly perspective of all Latino and non-Latino cultures.