Rewired, Not Retired Lorraine Yglesias is on a new mission in her fourth act, helping community organizations. By Agata Popęda One look at Lorraine Yglesias, 63, and you know she is a force of nature. Elegant, t and beautiful in her red top and tasteful jewelry, she says she prefers the term “rewiring” to “retiring,” two years after she left her post as director of multicultural and inclusive marketing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Yglesias, who spent formative years—from age 2 to about 12—in Costa Rica, says she is just starting the fourth phase in her life and career. When she moved to Los Angeles with her family, her rst priority was to learn English and nd her footing in a country that knew nothing about the Latin culture she was raised in. e immigration experience is at the core of her strength; Yglesias credits American TV—Sesame Street and old Hollywood lms—for learning English. Even though they lived in a rough neighborhood, she could see the Hollywood sign from her home, and becoming an actress was her childhood dream. “ en I realized that the real action happens behind the camera,” she says. Her rst career was in international lm distribution in Los Angeles, a job in which she thrived, traveling and licensing content. As the anthem of those years, she o ers “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” the iconic 1983 feminist hit by Cyndi Lauper. “ at was our song.” Yglesias considers motherhood—her children are in their late 20s now—her second career, after she moved with her husband to the Central Coast; they live in Carmel Valley. She found her job (phase three) at the Aquarium in 2003, and spent the following two decades making Monterey County’s number-one attraction more welcoming to Spanish-speaking visitors. anks to her e orts, the Aquarium is famous for being inclusive and is recognized as a Latino-friendly brand in the Bay Area. Since retiring from the Aquarium in 2024, Yglesias has been spending time working with local nonpro ts, such as the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Big Sur Land Trust. She also works with Ventures in Watsonville, especially the nonpro t’s Futuro program, a worker-owned cooperative business structure and network that provides wealth-building opportunities for Salinas Valley working-class families. Yglesias’ interest is in economic justice and helping small and medium-size organizations that foster this ideal, and she has observed progress. “I see pride in culture and less fear in expressing this culture,” she says. “A new generation of Latino leaders grew, strong and uni ed. I see Latina women at the economic table, opening small businesses and furthering their dreams.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Healthcare Services Servicios de Salud 70 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® LIVING WELL 2026-2027 Valley Health Associates Asociadas de Salud del Valle • Substance use disorder prevention and treatment • Prevención y tratamiento de trastornos por consumo de sustancias M-F/L-V 6:30am-3:30pm www.valleyhealthassociates. com (831) 424-6655 VA Palo Alto Health Care System Sistema de Atención Médica del VA de Palo Alto • Acute care facility and outpatient clinics for veterans • Centro de cuidados agudos y clínicas ambulatorias para veteranos Available/Disponible 24/7 www.paloalto.va.gov/ (650) 493-5000 (650) 849-0302 (Mental health care/Cuidado de salud mental) Veterans Crisis Line Línea de Crisis para Veteranos • Suicide prevention hotline for veterans. • Línea directa de prevención del suicidio para veteranos. Available/Disponible 24/7 www.veteranscrisisline.net (800) 273-8255 9-8-8, Option 1/Opción 1 838255 Text/Mensaje
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