Christian LaraÂ
Christian Lara is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s director of human resources for recruitment and training. Lara has led the development and implementation of a hiring process based on the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She also provides organization-wide trainings about harassment and unconscious bias in hiring. Lara has led several of the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½â€™s executive searches and has developed training and professional development initiatives for the organization.
Lara is a Mexican immigrant who was undocumented for most of her childhood. The challenges she experienced early in life due to her immigration status, a disability and financial disadvantages fueled her passion for social justice and the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½â€™s work.
Previously, she was the national trainer of career development for a college. She developed and managed a training program spanning 72 campuses across the United States. Her career in human resources began as a bilingual recruiter for a staffing agency. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in human resource management.