2001: Gabriela Zabala #LT30for30
Since 1992, Leadership Triangle has been a convener, educator, advocate, and amplifier for some of our region’s most engaged leaders and organizations. To celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re telling the stories of 30 Fellows from 30 years of programs. Each Fellow highlighted will represent one year of impact: from 1992 to 2001 to 2022.
Gabriela is the former Director of the Governor’s Office of Hispanic/Latino Affairs in North Carolina. For 13+ years in this role, she advised the Governor on policies that impact the Hispanic/Latino communities, collaborated with organizations to improve the quality of the Latino population, and spoke publicly on behalf of the Governor. She is originally from Ecuador and is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. In retirement, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and relaxing in her garden. Gabriela is a 2001 Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow.
“In the beginning I was the type of a leader who thought that I had to do everything myself. I did not delegate. The other thing that I learned was self-awareness — in leadership and in life. If you don’t know yourself you are incapable of having compassion for yourself or others. And that is the reason that we have so many problems in the world right now.” — Gabriela Zabala, 2001 Goodmon Fellow
Lana: Thank you so much for joining me this morning, Gabriela. Can you share a little bit about yourself? What is your story?
Gabriela: Yes, I am originally from Ecuador, from South America. I arrived here in 1980, so I’ve lived in the United States for 42 years. I moved because I married a Peace Corp volunteer, and that’s where he wanted to live. I was initially going to medical school in Ecuador. I started in Brazil, actually, then transferred to Ecuador, then got pregnant, then went back to school. When I got pregnant with my second, I decided to quit school and focus on my children. By the time I came to the United States and wasn’t interested in medical school anymore. I have a strong artistic side to me and wanted to focus on that. So when I came to this country, I studied Literature and Spanish at Meredith College. Then I enrolled at Duke and studied Health Policy. I had studied medicine back in Ecuador because I wanted to help poor children. Later I realized that studying Health Policy would be more effective because, as a leader, I would be able to help more people. I started as a Teacher Assistant at a public school and then worked as the Interpreter with Wake Co Health Department. I liked that job because it allowed me to help people but also had a social aspect. After that, I applied for a job at the Office of Minority Health with NCDHHS. I was very blessed to start as the Director of Cultural Diversity Training. I was there for 18 years, doing a lot of work for the Latino population, developing programs, and becoming a leader. After that, I finished the program at Duke and became the Director of the Governor’s Office for Latino Affairs. And now I’m retired. I make sterling silver jewelry; I have a lovely garden with vegetables and flowers. I have a dog. I like to read and just relax. I have two sons and four grandchildren, and I love to spend time with them.
Lana: How did you hear about Leadership Triangle?
Gabriela: I think I had a friend who was already going, and she recommended it to me. I decided it would be good for me to learn more about how to be a leader because it is not easy. I already had the drive — I was a leader with my brothers, and with my cousins, and I always organized everything. I enjoyed it very much. I remember meeting — and I liked this a lot — there was this personal interaction with other leaders. We met and had the opportunity to talk and share experiences. They gave us challenging work to do in class; we had to problem-solve. And then I remember I liked it so much that I recommended it to Winkie La Force and Juvencio Rocha-Peralta. He started Amexcan. He’s the best leader that we have right now in our community.
Lana: You were already a leader when you started the program. Do you feel like it had an impact? Did you transform as a leader?
Gabriela: Oh yeah. Just seeing the leaders. In the beginning, I was the type of leader who thought that I had to do everything myself. I did not delegate. The other thing that I learned was self-awareness — in leadership and in life. If you don’t know yourself, you cannot have compassion for yourself or others. And that is the reason that we have so many problems in the world right now.
