Mujeres de la Tierra

Irma Muñoz is a community organizer, activist, advocate, and the instiller of confidence and hope. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Irma is one of Josemaria and Josefina Muñoz’s seven daughters.  She was brought up in a home with strong family values, an unwavering commitment to education and a deep respect for their Mexican heritage and cultural traditions.

As a young girl, her father once told her that she should use her smarts and energy to help the community so that he could read about her in the newspaper.  He said, “Don’t just focus on reading history but also on making history.  Irma listened to his advice and has since worked on accomplishing it. As a result, she creates opportunities for community participation and action in her professional and volunteer work.  She figures out a way to engage community so that they become involved stakeholders and advocates. 

Her work history is multi-dimensional that includes positions with San Diego State University’s Housing Office, chief of staff to a senior ranking state legislator, public relations and community affairs executive with Centre City Development Corporation, a presidential appointee with the Clinton Administration serving 7 years at the U. S. Small Business Administration and senior manager with the Los Angeles-based environmental organization-TreePeople.

Some of her accomplishments during her tenure in these positions include the creation of the first small business incubator in Southern California, the naming of a highway in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, the first ever AIDS organization focused on families and children of color, the development of a national small business partnership program between a federal agency and over 500 state and national Hispanic organizations and the development of a corporate branding campaign designed to launch at the grassroots community level.

Her proudest achievement is the launching of the environmental equity movement through the founding of Mujeres de la Tierra - a social entrepreneurial non-profit in Los Angeles.  Her work with Mujeres de la Tierra was featured in the November 2008 issue of O, Oprah Magazine, was named in Hispanic Business Magazine’s 100 Influential Hispanics in October 2008 and La Opinion’s Mujeres Destacadas 2007 community award for leadership.

She currently serves as co chair to LA Green’s Urban Ecosystems work group, Chairs the Alianza de los Pueblos del Rio, a board member of  the Southwest Voter Registration Project and an Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles’ Environmental Affairs Commission. 

Irma Muñoz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.