Maricarmen Estrada: Heads FIU, UN-linked partnership to train region’s leaders

With more than 25 years of experience spanning international development, public health, governance and humanitarian assistance across Latin America and the Caribbean, Maricarmen Estrada now leads one of Miami’s emerging hubs for global training, collaboration and capacity building.

As founding executive director of CIFAL Miami, Ms. Estrada has played a central role in building the center since its establishment in 2024 through a partnership between the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Florida International University (FIU) and Outreach Aid to the Americas (OAA), a nonprofit founded in 1994 to advance humanitarian relief, sustainable development and advocacy for vulnerable communities across Latin America and the Caribbean.

CIFAL Miami is part of a global network of training centers designed to deliver applied, research-informed learning for public officials, private sector leaders and civil society representatives working to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The center brings together leaders from the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen institutional capacity in emergency preparedness, environmental resilience, sustainable development and social empowerment. Through executive training, workshops and cross-sector convenings, CIFAL Miami focuses on translating global policy frameworks into practical tools for local implementation and impact.

Ms. Estrada’s leadership at CIFAL Miami builds on more than two decades with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government’s lead foreign assistance agency established in 1961 to support international development and humanitarian response in more than 100 countries.
At USAID, she managed large-scale, multi-million-dollar programs across Latin America, beginning in public health, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, before expanding into rule of law, migration, citizen security and violence prevention. Her work included coordinating complex regional initiatives across multiple governments, international organizations and local partners.

She also leads OAA’s Community Port Resilience Program (C-PReP), which strengthens coordination and emergency response capacity across airports, seaports and surrounding communities. C-PReP has advanced training and preparedness efforts across more than 150 ports and airports in over 80 countries, working with public and private sector partners to improve coordination, accelerate recovery and maintain critical infrastructure during and after extreme events.

Her work carries direct relevance to South Florida, where climate risk, coastal infrastructure and global connectivity make preparedness and coordinated response an ongoing regional priority.

Now, through CIFAL Miami, Ms. Estrada is focused on expanding access to practical training and cross-border collaboration for leaders across the hemisphere. Looking ahead, she aims to further position Miami as a regional center for applied learning and capacity building, strengthening the systems and partnerships needed to address shared challenges across the Americas.

Ms. Estrada spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen.

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