Hispanic Heritage Series Part III
Alex Renteria-Aguilar has fond memories of waking up to the smell of chorizo and eggs in her parent’s southwest Denver home.
On Sundays, her family, which she described as Chicano, would attend church at St Cajetan Catholic Church. And during the week when her parents would work, Renteria-Aguilar would spend time with her grandparents who she said played a big hand in raising her.
Her grandparents spoke Spanish but chose not to teach the language to family, believing that by doing so, they were protecting their children, she said. So eventually, Renteria-Aguilar learned to speak Spanish during her time at Kennedy High School and the University of Northern Colorado —a skill that has helped lead her to a successful career in communications. “It’s something that is very important — going back to our roots by knowing our native language,” said Renteria-Aguilar.
Today, Renteria-Aguilar serves as the Director of Communications for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office. Her previous roles within Denver include working as the Director of Communications at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Manager of Media Relations for Denver Public Schools.
“The mayor’s office is overseeing an actual city with all the departments that keep the wheels turning. If one thing fails, the rest could fail,” said Renteria-Aguilar. “It’s a really interesting job in that we are all working together and collaboratively. What’s been most interesting is I’m part of a new administration.” “It was coming into an organization where people were used to what the city was like for 12 years. A new administration means changes, updates, and a mayor with a brand new vision.”
Already in her role with the city, Renteria-Aguilar has worked on projects involving migrants, the city’s effort to curb homelessness, and a social media campaign for Mayor Johnston highlighting Latino-owned businesses for Hispanic Heritage Month. One of her favorite memories throughout her career was creating a viral moment in which Denver International Airport installed a talking Gargoyle that would talk to people walking by.
In the past, Renteria-Aguilar was named in Airport Business Magazine’s Airport Business Top 40 Under 40. She also graduated from the University of Denver’s Latino Leadership institute and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from the University of Northern Colorado.
Outside of work, Renteria-Aguilar and her husband are raising a two-year-old daughter Renee and her five-month-old twins Pascal and Ricardo.
For Renteria-Aguilar, Hispanic Heritage Month means passing on her cultural traditions and pride to her children, and hopefully their children, and on and on.
“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is about finding moments to really celebrate our culture,” said Renteria- Aguilar.
