Nominee #1-Local Latino Leader Gladys Pineda-Loher
Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Business Diversity Coordinator Gladys Pineda-Loher was born in Colombia, but she has been an advocate for Latinos in East Tennessee for more than a decade.
In her native Colombia, Gladys completed degrees in accounting and health care administration. She made the move to Knoxville to work as an accountant in 1999. There she participated in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, while helping create the region’s first bilingual legal rights manual and hosting educational workshops for the Latino business community. She was also the chairwoman for the Latino Task Force, a division of the Community Economic Development Network of
East Tennessee.
Gladys moved to Chattanooga in 2009 with husband Terry and their four children. She decided to approach Chattanooga’s Chamber of Commerce about developing an International Business Council after going door-to door talking with people from the international community about what kind of organization they wanted to see in our area. The Chamber liked her idea, and she is now working on putting together a multi-cultural council representing more than 20 countries.
Gladys and Terry live with their four children, Tommy (age 10), Shiloh (age 9), Aiyana (age 7) and
Matthew (age 2) in Signal Mountain.
When not working, Gladys enjoys salsa dancing with her husband and practicing Taekwondo with her
kids. She loves cooking Colombian recipes and making memories with her family and friends. We’re proud to feature Gladys as a Local Latino leader and are excited about the passion she holds for Chattanooga’s Latino business owners and families.
