USC Price School of Public Policy alumna Laura Peralta is currently the vice president of community development at Citi. She earned her Master of Public Administration from the Price School in 2010.
Peralta’s career spans several leadership positions in government and community relations, including: director of local government relations of the California Grocers Association; assistant vice president of community affairs for BNP Paribas; program manager at the U.S. Department of Labor; and policy deputy for the City of Los Angeles.
An active member of the USC Price community, Peralta contributes her time and leadership as a member of the school’s Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Can you explain your scope of work as vice president of community development at Citi?
Among my range of responsibilities, I maintain strong connections with local municipalities; develop initiatives and innovative partnerships; support the development of financial products and services that benefit low-to-moderate income consumers; work closely with the Citi Foundation on their local initiatives; create and deepen a portfolio of local relationships and community development organizations; and manage the contribution and grant budget for the L.A. market to develop innovative solutions in several priority areas including: financial inclusion, financial capability, small business, youth economic opportunity and urban transformation (among other duties).
In addition, I represent Citi at public events, community meetings and press conferences, and I convene community partners and influencers to identify community needs.
What events and initiatives have you led, or taken part in, that you’ve especially enjoyed?
“Cities for Citizenship Initiative,” where Citi partners with local government and nonprofit organizations to provide citizenship workshops and financial literacy education to immigrants in Los Angeles County. The goal of the program is to empower recent immigrants to naturalize in order to become integrated into society through voting and access to financial assets such as savings, education and home ownership.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work?
The most rewarding part of my job is that through my every day work in partnering with nonprofits and local government, I have the opportunity to fund and develop programs that will make a deep impact in communities that are disadvantaged and need resources to have an opportunity to thrive.
What do you hope to accomplish in this key leadership role?
I hope to be able to establish strong and long-lasting relationships with organizations that have innovative and impactful programs and to be able to support an organization’s capacity to expand and grow to continue providing critical services to families and individuals who need it most.
What sparked your interest in community relations/development?
My passion for community relations/development stems from my experience growing up in this country in a low-income immigrant family. I myself was the recipient of community services that made a huge difference in my family’s ability to budget and save money to send me and my siblings to college. I can personally relate to the families that receive the services that the nonprofits Citi supports offers, and I understand what a difference it makes to know you have options.
How did your experiences at USC Price prepare you for the work you’re doing now?
One of the reasons I decided to attend USC Price over other graduate school programs was the practicality and applicability of the coursework and the team building skills. Every job I’ve had since graduation has required that I work well as part of a team to lead and support projects and I feel like I have the training and preparation to succeed in that type of environment. Additionally, it goes without saying that the USC network is beyond strong – I work closely with nonprofits and local government and in both areas there’s an overwhelming number of Trojans in positions of leadership. The first week that I started at Citi I received two welcome emails from Trojans who had graduated from the Price School and were working for Citi in New York – having those relationships as a new team member has been incredibly valuable. That is definitely the Trojan network!
What was your favorite part of being a USC Price student?
There’s no feeling like being part of the Trojan Family! Going through the MPA program was very challenging at times, but through those experiences I developed long-lasting friendships that carry to this day. Anywhere I go in the City of Los Angeles, I’m always reminded that I made the right choice in selecting USC because the Trojan network is so strong, and it has translated into personal and professional opportunities!