Gladys M. Ilarregui is currently teaching at George
Washington University in Washington D.C. Her research and personal
interests range from indigenous cultures in the Americas and their
oral and textile traditions to the new and challenging narratives of
women writers in Latin America and Spain. Her previous work
experience includes a number of jobs including the design and
selling of mirrors in Buenos Aires as well as selling flowers in
markets close to cemeteries for special holidays. For many years she
was a volunteer in a number of organizations including a home for
the mentally ill where she learned something about compassion. All
of this life experience nourished her poetry aiding her in winning a
number of awards, including the Plural Prize (1993) in Mexico,
Federico García Lorca Prize (1994) in the USA, and the
International Jorge Luis Borges Prize (1999) in Argentina. She
received her Ph.D in Latin American Literature at Catholic
University in Washington D.C.(1995). In 1997 she created "Iberoamerican
Cultural Foundation (FCI) ". The purpose of the FCI is to honor
women and their contributions in the fields of art and thought,
including everyone whose creativity enriches the passion that is
felt for the Iberoamerican world.
Gabriel del Rio is a visual artist whose paintings and
drawings have been exhibited in several group shows in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. He has studied drawing and painting with Hermenegildo
Sabat for several years. A founding member of FCI, he is art
director of Imagen, a graphic design and multimedia studio in
Washington, D.C. He is also working as a director in the production
of his first feature film.
Lucia Garces Fickenscher: holds a Masters of Arts degree
in Latin American literature. She taught Spanish at George Mason
University for a number of years and worked as an independent
language contractor for several international language companies.
She has significant experience in working for federally funded
educational programs intended to benefit disadvantaged and minority
students of all races, such as the "Community College
Consortium," created to improve the chances of success in
college for Mexican American and other minority students. Mrs.
Fickenscher was employed by the Migrant Student Program in
California to assist parents and community groups in meeting the
special educational needs of the children of migrant workers. She
served as coordinator of student health and educational child
services and as an interpreter/translator for the office of the
Superintendent of a large California school district. She has
extensive experience in presenting student and community needs to
School Boards, school administrators, and educational program
directors. Mrs. Fickenscher has a long history of volunteer work
with the American Red Cross, Navy Officers’ Wives organizations,
the Navy Relief Association, the Girl Scouts of America, and the
Learning in Retirement Institute in Fairfax, Virginia. She is a past
president of FORALCO, the Colombian Cultural Forum of greater
Washington, D.C.
Cristina Iglesias Kinczly is a writer whose work has appeared
in several publications in Latin America and the United States. Her
first book of poetry, God’s Oblivion, was published in Washington,
D.C., in 1998. She has been the editor of several books of Hispanic
poetry in the United States. A founding member of FCI , she is the
director of Media and Film at the foundation. She is currently
working on her second book of poetry and on the film production of
one of her scripts.
Madhu Aggarwal holds a degree in Accounting
from the University of Virginia. She is in charge of finances at FCI,
advises on legal aspects of the foundation, and informs about the
regulations that pertain to the organization. Madhu, born in India,
is a multitalented individual: practicing the rites of the Hindu
religion, cultivating a flower garden, distilling rose waters and
fragrances, baking special breads, and brewing delicate teas are but
a few of her favorite occupations. Mrs. Aggarwal has been with the
Foundation since its beginnings, always contributing her unfailing
vision and her support. Shanti.
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