Meet our Leadership Team

Shari Campbell

President and CEO

Shari Campbell is the President and CEO of La Casa de Esperanza, providing vision and direction in advancing the organization’s mission under the guidance of our Board of Directors. She is also a member of the La Casa Village Board of Directors; La Casa de Esperanza’s Education Committee, which serves as the Charter School Board; and the Sueños Foundation Board of Directors.

The vast majority of her experience has been working in non-profit organizations, and she has been with La Casa de Esperanza for the last 23 years. When Shari first started, she was the Director of Children’s Education Programs at LA Casa. During her first 21 years at the organization, she served in multiple progressive leadership roles, including Director of Programs, Director of Development, Chief Operating Officer, and Interim President and CEO.

Raised in a small town in northwestern Wisconsin, Shari graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a double major in Human Development and Elementary Education. She later earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). Before La Casa, she owned a daycare center in Fairbanks, Alaska; served as Preschool Director/Clinical Coordinator for a rehabilitation center in Watertown, New York; and directed two daycare centers for the Salvation Army in Syracuse, New York.

Ailec González

Chief Administrative and Finance Officer

Ailec González is the Vice President of Finance for La Casa de Esperanza. With 14 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and 21 years of accounting experience, Ailec’s primary responsibility as VP of Finance is the overall financial and administrative management of the $16 million annual budget of the organization.

Patrick Larkin

Vice President of Weatherization

Patrick Larkin is our Vice President of Weatherization, with over 15 years of experience in the energy efficiency industry at non-profit organizations and government agencies. Most recently, he worked as the Lead Program and Policy Analyst for the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Administration (DOA) in the Division of Energy, Housing, and Community Resources (DEHCR).

Patrick began his career in the field, completing hands-on weatherization work that included energy audits, state weatherization training, technical assistance, quality assurance, utility management, Department of Energy (DOE) evaluations, and presentations at national conferences. He has contributed to energy efficiency programs and weatherization studies in Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Pascual Rodriguez

Executive Principal

Pascual Rodriguez joined La Casa de Esperanza’s Charter School program in August 2021 to oversee day-in-and-day-out operations. He has over 25 years of experience in education, including 19 years as principal for one of Milwaukee’s top independent charter schools, Bruce Guadalupe Community School. As a Milwaukee native resident, he understands the dynamics of the educational landscape while appreciating the diversity and importance of the public, public charter, and private sectors. Through his tenure as principal, Pascual helped to establish a welcoming and caring environment where parents and families felt empowered to use their voices, time, and energy to support high-quality teaching and accountability. He has also served as a mentor to students and teachers alike. Pascual graduated from Marquette University in 1998 and from National-Louis University in 2000 with a Master of Science in Educational Leadership. He has been married for 30 years and is the proud father of four children.

Gina M. Sanchez Juarez

Director of Center for Financial Stability

Gina M. Sanchez Juarez began working for La Casa de Esperanza in 2008 and heads the Financial Stability Initiative of United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. She holds six certifications from the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC) in Financial Capability; Pre-Purchase Homeownership Education; Post-Purchase Homeownership Education; Homeownership Counseling; Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling; and Homeownership Counseling for Program Managers and Executive Directors.

Gina is also an Advanced IRS-certified tax preparer, a licensed title examiner in the State of Wisconsin, and a notary. She currently serves as a commissioner for the Waukesha Housing Authority (WHA) and has previously served on many boards and councils that focus on the needs of hardworking families and individuals in the Greater Milwaukee Area.

Gina has been awarded the 2009 UMOS Hispanic Woman of the Year; the 2009 Prevent Child Abuse of America Award; the Parents Place Award of Waukesha for work in strengthening families; a Congressional Award; and a proclamation by the City of Waukesha for “Gina Sanchez Day.”

Maria del Pilar Wadina

Vice President of Community Engagement

Maria del Pilar Wadina joined the La Casa de Esperanza team in October 2020 as our Vice President of Community Engagement. Serving on La Casa’s Board of Directors for four years prior to this position made it a natural transition for her. Maria’s passion for La Casa’s work throughout Waukesha is evident; as an immigrant herself, she relates to many of the hardships that the people in our community face every day. She continues to serve as Chair of the Charter School Education Committee at La Casa.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College.

Cindy Retzak

Director of Operations

Cindy Retzak, our Director of Operations, has been managing apartments for over 26 years. For almost seven years in each location, she and her husband were the resident managers for two different complexes: one in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, with over 100 units, and one with 128 units in Brookfield, Wisconsin.