People
Fernanda Cardenas
Executive Director
Maria Fernanda Cardenas is originally from Laredo, Texas, but currently lives in San Antonio with her husband and their two boys. Cardenas attended St. Mary’s University and, during her time there, received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Political Science.
Cardenas is very active in her community and has a passion for helping senior citizens. Currently, she is the Executive Director of The Gonzaba Foundation for Healthier Communities, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide resources and improve the lives of the elderly population in San Antonio.
Additionally, Cardenas is a board member of many organizations to include South Texas Adult Protective Services, Grandparents Raising Grandkids, Center of Independent Living, Silver Sabbath, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, and the VIA Transit Community Council. She is also a Vice Chair of the Bexar Senior Advisory Committee for the Alamo Area Council of Government. More recently, Cardenas joined the City and County Joint Commission on Elderly Affairs and is a San Antonio Public Library Board of Trustee.
Marina Flores
Communications Manager
Marina Flores was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. As a native San Antonian, Marina attended St. Mary’s University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English-Communication Arts in 2017. Soon after, she then pursued and received a Master of Arts in Literature, Creative Writing and Social Justice from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2019.
Currently, Marina is the Communications Manager for The Gonzaba Foundation for Healthier Communities and dedicates her professional life to advocating for older adults. More recently, she is also a committee member with the Healthy Living Committee with the Bexar County Agricultural Extension and member of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists (SAAHJ).
In her spare time, Marina enjoys exploring new coffee shops and bakeries, watching football, and reading.