Harvard Business School Graduate Alicia Maciel Joins THINK Together

Online, April 18, 2011 (Newswire.com) - THINK Together has hired Alicia Maciel as Director of Strategic Initiatives. In joining the largest nonprofit provider of extended learning time programs in the United States, Alicia will oversee the development of the organization's infrastructure, as THINK Together is poised to double its size in the coming years.

Immediately prior to joining THINK Together, Alicia worked with nonprofit and for-profit executive and interdepartmental project teams to develop thorough strategic and leadership development plans as Principal of On the RISE, Inc. Her clients included the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Center for Spiritual Development, UCI Medical Center, Cal State Fullerton, Community SeniorServ, Grandma's House of Hope, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, National Latina Business Women Association of Orange County, Paramount Farming Co., KRAFT Foods, Creative Memories Corporation, and over a hundred other start-up to mid-sized businesses in Orange County.

Before operating her own business consulting practice, Alicia worked for the Walt Disney Company as a Strategic Business Planner at The Disneyland Resort. Among her many duties and accomplishments at Disney, she conducted financial evaluation of potential real estate acquisitions, developed a synergistic business plan for the resort's diverse photo merchandise opportunities, managed the proforma for the Tarzan Tree House and Chevron Autopia renovation projects, and facilitated a new business plan for the Annual Cast Member Holiday Party.

In addition to her professional experience, she taught as an adjunct professor in the Entrepreneurship program at Cal State Fullerton, and was the first Co-President of The Drucker Society in Orange County. She is a Trustee and Chair of the Board Excellence Committee of the nonprofit, Community SeniorServ.

Alicia has a degree in accounting and finance from Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Alicia is one of four children of a migrant farm worker. At the age of seven, Alicia and her family moved from Mexico to California. In the years that followed, her family moved frequently as they found work at different farms. Although the constant moving and living circumstances were not ideal, Alicia found stability at school. She was a part of California's MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program, which exposed her to California's college and university campuses. She was elected student body president at Delano High School, and graduated as one of the students at the top of her class.

Alicia sees her involvement with THINK Together as, among other things, a way of paying forward the opportunities she was provided to achieve her own full potential.