William Noe Vela, aka Billy, M.A., Director
Billy Vela was born and raised in Highland Park, Los Angeles. He just recently joined El Centro as the Director in May 2005. His parents are from Guatemala, Central America and he attended Franklin HS, as well as Occidental College with a BA in Psychology. Afterwards he went to NYC to attend Columbia University, Teacher's College and received a MA in Student Personnel Administration with an emphasis in Multiculturalism. From 1996-2000 he worked at UC Berkeley as a Resident Director, and from 2000-2005 he served as the Director of Chicano Latino Student Services at Loyola Marymount University. He has been involved with numerous Diversity & Leadership Training sessions, workshops and retreats. As a student leader on campus he was highly involved in various cultural organizations/clubs, lived in the Multicultural Residence Hall for three years and studied abroad in Mexico.
He greatly enjoys a variety of music genres to fit the various moods of life. On the side, he occasionally DJ’s and enjoys playing basketball on the weekends, while also exploring the various cultural resources/events and diverse restaurants that Los Angeles offers. He is the oldest sibling, with three younger sisters and a wonderful mother. And his family, friends, and faith are very important to him, while finding opportunities to make a difference in this world truly guide his life.
Leticia Delgado – Special Events Coordinator/Office Manager, El Centro Chicano
Leticia Delgado considers herself a proud member of the Trojan Family. As the special events program coordinator/office manager for El Centro Chicano, she plans and oversees many of the programs and services offered by the center.
Before coming to USC, Ms. Delgado was immersed in the business world. A native of Los Angeles, she studied business administration at Cerritos College and worked for an international trading company, traveling frequently to Asia and Latin America.Through these international experiences, Ms. Delgado fell in love with learning firsthand about other cultures, a passion that she’s brought to USC.
“I’m very much a people person, and working at USC has afforded me the opportunity to interact with a very smart and diverse group of students,” she says. “I’m dedicated to enhancing the Latino undergraduate experience at USC.”
In her free time, Ms.Delgado likes to go to the beach, spend time with her family and travel. She hopes to visit the Caribbean before the end of the year.