About Leonora
Volunteer, Educator, Legislator
My work as a legislator is an extension of my lifelong devotion to digging into facts to understand complex issues, to empower and educate people of all ages and backgrounds, and to lead with heart, humor, and humility.
I was born in the United States to immigrant parents from Mexico and Ireland. I spent most of my childhood in Montreal and Mexico, speaking Spanish at home and attending school in French and English. I moved to Massachusetts on a scholarship to get my B.A. from Williams College and my graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where I garnered a Mellon fellowship, a Ford grant, and a Fulbright scholarship.
After living or studying in large cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, and Spain, my husband and I got to live in McIndoe Falls, near St. Johnsbury, while Will clerked for a law firm. That summer, I worked alongside devoted and loving early childhood educators at a child care center; I completed translation work in the stunning St. Johnsbury Athenaeum; and hiked, biked, and swam all around the NEK. We fell in love with the people and the landscape, immediately accepted a job offer in Burlington, and have not looked back since.
After 25 years here, I feel very fortunate to call Vermont home. I have tried to give back to our Brave Little State in several ways, working and volunteering with diverse populations of every age group to build connections.
I served as an AmeriCorps member at HomeShare Vermont and then got hired as staff to match home providers (often people needing assistance at home), with home seekers (often young people seeking caregiving opportunities and affordable housing). When I had my babies, I ran several weekly Spanish playgroups in preschool spaces through Building Bright Futures and I also recruited volunteers and coordinated the children’s activities for the annual Burlington Latino Waterfront Festival. When my children entered the Essex Westford School District, I taught Four Winds, coached Odyssey of the Mind, and chaired the Essex-Westford International Potlucks that brought together hundreds of families, local restaurants, and performers to celebrate our diverse community. I have been a long-time volunteer with Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante, and with the Chittenden Asylum Seeker Assistance Network, supporting our immigrant populations who come to Vermont eager to work and raise families.
I have worked as a teacher for several years, as well: I taught Spanish at Vermont Commons High School and at Champlain College, and most recently I was a para-educator and intervention assistant at the Jericho and Richmond Elementary Schools' K-4 Spanish Immersion programs. My favorite hobby is dancing; I have taught fun and inclusive multi-age Zumba® classes for many years and fundraised thousands of dollars through Zumbathons® for COTS, Steps to End Domestic Violence, the S.D. Ireland Cancer Research Fund, and many other worthy causes.
I have been in the legislature since 2023, serving on the House Transportation Committee, where I have worked diligently and across party lines to support public transit, walking/rolling accessibility, targeting electric vehicle incentives towards those who need them, improving road safety, and adjusting our transportation budget to meet the challenge of extreme weather, changing technology, and to leverage federal dollars.