Beatriz “BB” Otero is Founder and Executive Director of CentroNía (formerly Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center) in Washington, DC.

Ms. Otero founded CentroNía a children, youth and family services organization in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington DC, in 1986. As its executive director, BB presently oversees a multi-million dollar budget, and a staff of over 150 teachers, counselors, administrators and youth who serve some 600 families and their children each year. In 2004 CentroNía received a charter to operate the DC Bilingual Public Charter School, was awarded the prestigious Families Count award from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and recognized as one of the top 21 child development centers in the country by the Doris Duke Charitable Trust.

A highly recognized community leader, BB has received a number of awards including Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Southeastern University, Leadership Washington’s Betty Whaley Leadership Award, the Association of Hispanic Employees 1994 Leadership Award as well as Washingtonian of the Year in 2000. In 2003 BB was appointed to serve on the Child Welfare Panel of the State of New Jersey responsible for oversight of its Child Welfare Reform Plan. Additionally, BB serves on numerous boards including AppleSeed, Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc. Columbia Heights / Shaw Family Support Collaborative, the Mayor’s Committee on Early Childhood Development and is a past member of the DC Public Charter Board.

Beatriz Otero, a native of Bolivia, South America is a 40 year resident of the District of Columbia and the mother of three children. A graduate of the University of Maryland, Ms. Otero has over 25 years of experience in designing, implementing and directing community-based bilingual multicultural educational programs.