About

Honorable Delia Garcia is an award-winning executive public servant, author, and leadership coach with over 25 years of distinguished service in federal and state government, national nonprofit leadership, and strategic advisory roles. She currently serves as CEO of Garcia Strategies LLC, guiding organizations in leadership development, equitable workforce expansion, and public affairs, following her federal service at the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau where she served as Administrator for South-Central United States.

Garcia has made history multiple times—elected in 2004 as the first Latina and youngest female to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives, where she served six years, and later appointed and senate-confirmed in 2019 as the first Latina Cabinet Secretary of Labor for the State of Kansas. In that role, she led the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched the Kansas Anti-Labor Trafficking Initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, and collaborated with other states on workforce development strategies. Her leadership extends beyond government. In Washington, D.C., she served as CEO of two national nonprofit organizations—ReflectUS, a coalition advancing women’s representation in public service, and the National Migrant Seasonal Head Start Association, serving farmworker families. She has also held senior leadership roles at the National Education Association.

As a best-selling author of Latina Leadership Lessons: Fifty Latinas Speak (2023), Garcia is a sought-after executive coach and trainer, working with elected/ appointed officials and leaders across federal agencies, nonprofits, higher education, the military, and corporate sectors. She is a graduate of the Harvard University Executive Leadership Program, the Aspen Institute Executive Leadership Program, the National Hispana Leadership Institute Executive Leadership Program, and holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification from the University of Southern Florida. She earned her M.A. in Political Science from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and her B.A. from Wichita State University in Kansas.

Recognized nationally for her trailblazing servant leadership, Garcia’s honors include the Women’s Foundation Changemaker Award, the MALDEF Matt Garcia Public Service Award, the National Latina Trailblazer in Government Award, and induction into the Kansas Historical Society Museum as the first Latina elected to the Kansas Legislature. Her work has been featured by NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Latina Style Magazine.

A transformational leader, Garcia brings an extraordinary blend of vision, strategy, and humanity to every role, empowering leaders and organizations to turn disruption into opportunity. She serves on the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project National Board and Advisor/ Co-founder of the National Latina State Legislative Caucus with the Board of Latino Legislative Leaders. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, spending time with her nieces and nephews, and—aspiring—learning to play the accordion.