Luis Alberto Sevillano Boya is the chief of party of the Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Colombian Empowerment (IPACE) Activity (also called Juntanza Étnica) in Colombia, leading the implementation of this participatory and sustainable program aimed at closing social gaps for Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations. Prior to joining ACDI/VOCA in 2022, Luis led public policies, research, and transformative initiatives that significantly improved the lives of vulnerable populations. He holds a master’s degree in government from ICESI University (Colombia) and a specialist degree in social management and electronic engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Cali (Colombia). Luis is pursuing a PhD in development and territory studies from the Universidad de la Salle (Colombia). He received honorable mention from the Presidential Advisory for his support of the rights of people with disabilities and their caregivers and received the Medal of Civic Merit by the Mayor’s Office of Santiago de Cali for his contributions to social policies and cultural development in the city. Luis is fluent in Spanish and English.
