Carolina DiGiorgio Steps Down as Congreso’s President & CEO

After serving for over six years, Carolina Cabrera DiGiorgio is stepping down as President & CEO of Congreso. Carolina, a local Philadelphia attorney and government leader, joined Congreso as CEO at the conclusion of a national search in 2017. Previously, she had served as Montgomery County’s Commerce Director overseeing economic and workforce development and was a business attorney with the law firm of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP during which time she served on Congreso’s Board of Directors for eight years.  

During Carolina’s tenure, she focused heavily on legal and business acumen, sophisticating the agency’s processes and operations, all with a human and employee centered lens. Under her leadership Congreso has earned the regional Top Workplace Recognition four years in a row, as well as Top Workplace USA. Congreso has also been recognized for its culture as a women led business, innovation and work life balance. She has focused heavily on culture, establishing the agency’s values statement, DEIB Council and, as a mother of five, setting the tone for balancing work life with family. Carolina’s leadership also earned her personal recognitions as one of Philadelphia’s Most Admired CEOs, Power 100 Latinos and Non-Profit Leaders amongst others. Through her leadership, Carolina has created the space for Congreso’s leadership team to drive innovation and design, leading Mission 2 Impact – a strategic plan for the agency adopted in 2018 – focused on performance management and impactful outcomes. 

Carolina, an immigrant from Honduras, has been a strong advocate of equity and opportunity focusing on Congreso’s five pillars – housing, education, workforce, health and parenting. Since her start, the agency has grown from a $17M dollar organization to $25M, serving as a go-to agency for our community’s most challenging work. While at Congreso, she has served on a number of community and civic boards, including the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity and BLOCS.   

“It has been my honor to serve as Congreso’s President & CEO, an organization that shines bright and brings hope to so many. I am grateful to have learned so much from Congreso and to witness the strength and power of the community we serve. I have been fortunate to have been surrounded with such a talented team and I leave feeling proud of our legacy and recognizing how much work there is still left to do by all of us.” 

At the conclusion of Carolina’s tenure at Congreso on March 10, 2023, Jannette Diaz, Congreso’s current Chief Experience Officer, will assume the role of Interim CEO and support the agency during the time of transition. Previously serving as Vice President of Health Promotion & Wellness at Congreso for five years, Jannette brings extensive programmatic and leadership experience to the interim role as well as a valued, community-centered perspective having proudly been born and raised in Congreso’s neighborhood.  

Reflecting on the transition, Miguel Alban, Chair of Congreso’s Board of Directors, shared, “We are so proud of Carolina’s leadership and immense contributions to Congreso over the last 6 years. We extend our gratitude for her extraordinary service and look forward to working closely with Jannette as Interim CEO to lead Congreso into its next chapter and to identify a leader that will further Congreso’s strong mission and values that have been established over the last 45 years.” 

The Congreso Familia extends its gratitude to Carolina for her leadership and looks forward to celebrating the news of her next professional journey in the coming days.  

Please direct all questions to Julia Rivera, Chief External Affairs Officerriveraju@congreso.net.