Connect
To Top

Meet Mariela Romero of Univision Communications in Buckhead

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariela Romero.

Mariela Romero is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. As a child of a diplomat father, she grew up in France, Mexico, and Argentina. Mariela was on an upward trajectory in her career back home. She was working as a producer of the highly-rated talk show “Tu y yo Con…Carlos Omobono” for the Televen national network in Venezuela. Mariela immigrated to the United States in June of 1996 after her husband received an offer to work for LAPTV in Atlanta, GA.

Her first job in the media industry in the U.S was at Georgia Public Broadcasting, where she was a language consultant and lyricist on the Children’s educational series SALSA.

In 2000, she took a break from her career to focus on her son Mateo who was born in February of that year.

Her first journalistic assignment in the United States occurred on September 11, 2001. Working as a producer for CNN en Español Radio, her job was to find and deliver the facts to the audience. When she arrived home and was able to experience the news as a viewer, she cried at the horror and gravity of what transpired that day. Covering events such as the war in Iraq and Afghanistan made her question the type of journalism she wanted to do. She decided again to take some time off from to reassess her career and spend more time with her son who was now three years old. When Mariela reentered the workforce she took a position as an interpreter for the court and hospital systems in Georgia, a role she served in for seven years. During that time, she learned about the other side of immigration to the U.S. thanks to the stories of the many inspiring yet vulnerable Latino immigrants she met.

In 2010 she was offered an opportunity to return to the world of media and journalism at the local Univision Atlanta as Public Affairs Director. Since then, she has made her mark in the Atlanta community and beyond. Mariela is a distinguished and highly recognized journalist who has received 23 Emmy Awards from the Academy of Television Arts – Southeast region and was named one of the “50 most influential Latinos in Georgia” by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2018 and 2019. She has interviewed distinguished public figures such as former President and Nobel Prize Laureate Jimmy Carter, Civil Rights leader and Presidential Medal of Freedom Award recipient Reverend C.T. Vivian, American labor leader and civil rights activits Dolores Huerta, and Dr. Bernice King, among others. She is currently the Regional Community Empowerment Director for Philadelphia, Raleigh, and Atlanta for Univision Communications. “My role at Univision today allows me to work with organizations that are working to make this a better world and in particular in the Latino communities we serve. I have the honor of serving on various boards where I represent the voice of a community that is not often heard and where I can bring to light the organizations’ work and efforts. It allows me to recognize people that are contributing positively, and that gives me a lot of satisfaction”.

Mariela Romero is an Emeritus board member of the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia. She serves on the following boards: The Hispanic Organization Promoting Education, The Boys Scouts of America – Metro Atlanta, The New Media Education Foundation of Georgia, Corners Outreach, and was the first Latina to serve as President of the League of Women Voters of Gwinnett County. In 2020 Mariela Romero joined the board of the National Juvenile Defender Center in Washington, D.C. She is a past board member of the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia and the American Heart Association – Metro Atlanta.

Mariela Romero holds a degree in Journalism from Universidad Católica Argentina and a degree in Social Communications from Universidad de Belgrano. She has studied T.V. Broadcasting and Production at Buenos Aires Centro de Estudios de la Comunicación”. In 2019 she obtained The Cultural Mastery ™ Certification for Diversity & Inclusion leaders.

Her 20-year-old son Mateo is currently pursuing a degree in Sound Engineering from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.

In 2009 her work as a lyricist was recognized by the Latin Grammys, obtaining a nomination for her work with acclaimed singer-songwriter Claudio Corsi.

Twitter @MarielaUniv34 – Instagram @marielaromerotv – Facebook MarielaRomeroTvPersonality

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t know anyone who would say that their life has been easy. In many ways I have been blessed but I have also worked very hard—from my early career in Venezuela to immigrating to this country and essentially starting over. Along the way I’ve experienced two divorces, each one posing their own very difficulties, I’ve raised a beautiful son as a single mother, and faced several other life challenges but thankfully I’ve been able to navigate these obstacles by giving myself grace. Today I’m proud of the life I live, of my career serving my community and most of all of my son Mateo.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Univision has been the leading voice for Hispanic America for nearly 60 years. Our connection to our audiences has been the centerpiece of Univision’s identity and purpose. We know our community has many choices when it comes to who they welcome into their homes and we’re honored that Univision is their #1 destination. Our news teams provide precise, hard-hitting reporting that reflects our communities. Our global, national and local journalists have earned the trust of our viewers and we don’t take that for granted. We make sure the stories we tell are compelling, accurate, engaging, and understood in today’s social, political, and cultural context. Our news team brings our audience the stories they need to know and care about in a rapidly-evolving media landscape where unlimited information is available 24/7. Univision is proud to help Hispanic America Be Seen, Be Heard, and Be Counted through our robust corporate social responsibility, social impact, and philanthropic efforts. These efforts stay true to the Company’s mission of informing, empowering, and entertaining the communities we serve. We also know that our strength comes from our local markets across America. We measure our success through our ability to identify and address critical issues and challenges facing our local communities. Also, by presenting local programming, campaigns, and events that better those communities. Lastly, as a company, we know strong partnerships with community and grassroots organizations in our communities that serve people day today are critical to our success.

What were you like growing up?
I was a timid child. I never wanted to stand out, but being the oldest of seven siblings made it nearly impossible to remain shy. Also, having to adapt to other cultures and learn other languages forced me to come out of my shell. I was always interested in learning; I loved reading, watching television, and daydreaming. My first ambition was to be an astronaut. By fourth grade, as unfortunately happens to many young people, when math became a bit more complicated, I let myself believe that I should not follow a career in a scientific field. It’s a reminder to me that we should continue to support and champion kids, especially young girls, who feel passionately about careers in science.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Eduardo Segovia Photography

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in