Denise Maldonado

Denise Maldonado (she/her), formerly the 2024–2025 Dunn Fellow, now serves as the Special Projects and Communications Associate within the Office of Equity.

As a young professional in state government, Denise brings meaningful experience and a strong commitment to equity-focused policy, community engagement, and strategic communications. In her current role, she supports a broad range of administrative and programmatic functions, including managing agency communications, coordinating meetings with government officials and external partners, and leading the planning and execution of Office of Equity events. She oversees the redevelopment of the Office’s website to ensure content is current, accurate, and accessible. Additionally, Denise develops equity and accessibility guides, assists with data analysis and policy initiatives, and supports educational and training efforts.

A key focus of her work has involved expanding cross-agency collaboration. During her time as a Dunn Fellow, Denise led the development of a network map designed to visualize active and emerging collaborations across state agencies. This initiative—rooted in insights from the Illinois Towards Equity Strategic Planning form—works to identify shared challenges and existing resource gaps, with the goal of fostering more strategic, coordinated partnerships. Her efforts have contributed to a clearer understanding of how equity initiatives are being implemented statewide, promoting greater transparency and partnership between agencies.

Denise graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in Latin American and Latinx Studies, a minor in Politics, Law and Social Thought, and a Certificate in Civic Leadership. Her academic background reflects a sustained interest in education, labor, and economics, which informs her approach to social policy at the local, state, and federal levels. Denise's experience in community engagement and education in civic leadership frames her intention in serving the State of Illinois' mission to build capacity, accessibility, and inclusion within its diverse workforce.