Dr. Rosa Maria Gil (on the left) is the founder, President and CEO of Comunilife, Inc., a health and human services agency founded in 1989 to improve the quality of life and create a healthier tomorrow for children, adolescents, adults, seniors and families living with mental illness and/or HIV/AIDS in New York City’s under-served, diverse communities. Comunilife helps them achieve self-sufficiency and a better quality of life in the community through, safe and affordable housing, behavioral health and social services. Comunilife has been recognized for developing Community-Defined Best Practices for Latinos.

Dr. Gil served as Health Policy Advisor to the Mayor and Health Administrator of New York City and is the former Chairperson of the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation.Dr. Gil is the former University Dean for Health Sciences at the City University of New York.

Dr. Gil has published numerous articles on mental health, ethnicity, and child welfare and gender issues. She is the co-author of the “Maria Paradox,” the first authoritative book on self-esteem and Hispanic women.

Dr. Carmen Inoa Vazquez (on the right) is a noted authority on Latin American mental health, bicultural life styles. She is the author of three books, Parenting with Pride Latino Style, The Maria Paradox (with Dr. Rosa Gil), and Grief Therapy with Latinos (with Dr. Dinelia Rosa).

She has also published numerous chapters and articles in professional journals focusing on gender issues and mental health and lectures internationally in the areas of training, supervision, assessments, neuropsychology, health psychology, developmental psychology, and cross-cultural psychology. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Los Angeles Times, El Diario-La Prensa, The New York Post, Daily News and other major publications throughout the United States. She has also been featured in Si, People en Español, Latina and Moderna magazines and has also been featured on major television and radio stations across the country.

Dr. Vazquez is a Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. She has a private practice in New York City.

Dr. Vazquez is married and the mother of two sons, a financial analyst and a computer specialist. When she manages to take a break from her busy work schedule, she enjoys traveling, Pilates, playing tennis, gardening, swimming and relaxing at the beach.