DARA MARQUEZ VENEGAS NAMED Director of Community Engagement for La Casa de Amistad

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dara Marquez Venegas as Director of Community Engagement for La Casa de Amistad.

In this new role, Dara will be an executive leader for the organization by managing front-line staff, leading advocacy and community engagement efforts, and supporting marketing and fundraising efforts. This is a new, pivotal position for La Casa de Amistad and we believe Dara will do an outstanding job setting the bar for success. 

Dara joins La Casa de Amistad in a career shift from chemical engineering after experiencing a renewed passion for immigration policy as a volunteer community organizer throughout the state of Indiana. As a board member of Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance (IUYA), Dara created a scholarship fund and mentorship program to empower undocumented youth to attend college. She is skilled in grassroots organizing for the purpose of improving access to higher education among youth and improving the overall quality of life of undocumented families through her work for Movimiento Cosecha. She has additional leadership experience in advocacy at the Statehouse on topics ranging from college affordability to the implementation of Driving Cards.

Dara has a diverse skill set with experience in fundraising, events, marketing, people management, and small business operations. As a trained engineer, she has a keen eye on problem-solving and improving detailed processes from a big-picture vantage point. She and her family own and operate a successful dance club in Elkhart called The Arena. She is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College (BS, Chemistry) and Purdue University (MS, Chemical Engineering) and attended school as a DACA student.