July 13, 2026
The Latinx Education Collaborative is excited to welcome Carmen Eppright as Executive Director, effective July 13, 2026.
Carmen brings the kind of program-building experience that fits LEC’s next chapter. For over a decade in Kansas City education, she has built school partnerships, strengthened family support systems, led staff and teaching artists, and helped programs grow without losing sight of the students and families they serve.
At Kansas City Young Audiences, Carmen led school and community programs reaching over 70,000 students each year. Her non-profit experience and deep roots in the Northeast of Kansas City allows Carmen to bring established, rich relationships within LEC’s own neighborhood. As a co-founder of Harmony Project KC, she helped grow the program from 30 students to over 350 while building the partnerships, staff structures, and multi-site programming needed to support students and families well.
Carmen joins LEC at a strong moment for the organization. In 2025, LEC delivered 18 cohort-based programs and 25 community events, supported approximately 300 educators, reached approximately 480 students, graduated 178 EducaTec participants and 17 GED earners, and distributed $20,000 in direct assistance to immigrant families through the Adelante Fund.
As Executive Director, Carmen will work with LEC’s staff, board, educators, families, and partners to expand the pipeline of future Latinx educators, support educators already leading in classrooms, and strengthen the community networks that help students see themselves reflected in their schools.
“LEC is entering this transition from a position of strength,” said Irene Caudillo, Board Chair of LEC. “Over the past eight years, the organization has built programs, partnerships, and trust across the educator community. Carmen brings the operational experience, program judgment, and steady leadership needed to carry that work forward.”
“I am honored to join LEC as Executive Director and to work alongside the educators, students, families, staff, board, and partners who have built such a strong and inspiring community. It is a privilege to lead an organization whose mission I deeply believe in, and I am especially excited to once again work with and for the Latino community—a community that has been at the heart of my career and purpose.” said Eppright. “Building on LEC’s remarkable foundation, I am committed to strengthening the Latinx educator pipeline, supporting educators already leading in our classrooms, and expanding opportunities for every student to thrive. I look forward to listening, learning, and working together as we continue creating opportunities that empower educators, uplift students, and strengthen our communities for generations to come.”
—As a co-founder of Harmony Project KC,
