Jessica Cliche
La Paz Chattanooga announced three internal promotions, as well as the addition of one new hire to the organization’s full-time staff. Two of the three promotions elevated longtime team members into director and senior director roles, while the additional promotion and one new hire were made to accommodate a growing need for education and outreach services.
Jessica Cliche, who began her career with La Paz more than 15 years ago with a focus on community health, was promoted to senior director of education & engagement.
Lily Sanchez, who has been with La Paz since 2017 and has held several communications-related roles throughout her tenure, was promoted to communications and development director.
Splitting a single education and outreach role into two positions as its workload grew, La Paz promoted Ashley Valencia to senior outreach coordinator and hired Gabriela Bellot as its education coordinator.
“When I think about where we were when this organization was founded over 20 years ago and compare it to where we are today, I am truly awestruck,” said Stacy Johnson, CEO at La Paz.
“We could not have continued to grow and evolve to meet our clients’ needs without the passionate, hardworking people who make up our team. These promotions and additions to our staff are just another step in our growth as an organization and our effort to provide critical services to our Latino friends and neighbors.”
About - Promotions
Jessica Cliche joined the La Paz team in 2009. Prior to being promoted to senior director of education & engagement, Cliche has focused on health and wellness, as well as community education and engagement, and has earned a variety of health management and leadership-focused certifications during her tenure with the organization. In addition to her work with La Paz, Ms. Cliche is involved in a wide range of community service and volunteer efforts and is a current member of the 2024-2025 Leadership Chattanooga class.
Lily Sanchez joined the La Paz team in 2017 as communications coordinator and was promoted to communications and development manager prior to being elevated to communications and development director. Ms. Sanchez earned a BA in communication from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and an MA in mass communication from the University of Florida. An active member of the Chattanooga civic community, Ms. Sanchez was named a 20 Under 40 by Chatter Magazine in 2023 and earned a GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Excellence Award from UTC in 2024.
Ashley Valencia joined the La Paz team in 2021 as a bilingual case manager and then served as the organization’s program and outreach coordinator before being promoted to her current role, senior outreach coordinator. Ms. Valencia is a graduate of both Protégé Chattanooga and Leadership Chattanooga and serves as program committee chair for the Chattanooga Food Center and Trustee for the UNFoundation, among other civic endeavors.
About - New Hire
Gabriela Bellot served as outreach support for La Paz on a contract basis before being hired full-time as the organization’s education coordinator. Ms. Bellot attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and earned a BA in political science. Prior to joining the team at La Paz, Ms. Bellot served as an English teaching assistant at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, where she was a Fulbright Scholar.
Lily Sanchez