Those who have the pleasure of meeting Michael Toledo will quickly pick up on his reference to “family” in his messages to the community he has been serving for the past 16 years as President and CEO of Centro Hispano in Reading. The concept of family is deeply rooted in his early beginnings as a child. Raised in the Oakbrook Housing Project, and later moving to 13th Street in Reading, Michael reflects on the good memories of his childhood.
“I have two sisters and a brother. I am the oldest of four. I have good memories growing up in Reading, and remember that there was always a sense of family; not only at home, but in the neighborhood. I recall neighbors being around and a sense of community working together, going into one another’s homes, everyone looking out for one another.”
Michael credits many of the opportunities afforded him during his youth, for setting him on a pathway to success as a young adult. “The opportunities for youth growing up in Reading were plentiful. I became involved with the Olivet’s Boys and Girls Club, where I met new kids, and learned new things. It helped me to socialize with the diversity in Reading, which is so rich; it was great to know that I had friends who were Latino, Afro, and from all of the other cultures that made up our city. I loved learning about other cultures, and considered the diversity of Reading as such a gift. Reading stands out for its richness of diversity, its sense of community, family, and opportunity to explore and expand.”
Michael developed interests through exposure to the many facets of his city life. “I developed a love of sports; particularly baseball and basketball. I also enjoyed the arts. I would get involved with theatre locally. Those opportunities in sports and on stage provided me the foundation to be part of a team, team building, and being part of something larger than myself. It provided an opportunity for self-improvement; working on myself for a show, or practicing free throws on the basketball team, helped me to acquire skills that I still use today. Each of my children were involved in both sports and the arts. There was so much potential in exploring different opportunities growing up. I was very fortunate that my family allowed me to take advantage of it. Growing up in this environment helped shape who I am today.”
Following graduation from Reading High School, Michael attended Shippensburg University, where he majored in Business Administration with a concentration on Finance. With his degree in hand he began the journey which led toward the role he serves in today. “Initially, I was an intern in Washington, DC at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, in the Finance Department. It was there that I gained experience in non-profit finance. I then had an opportunity to come home and enter into the Management Training Program with Meridian Bank. In January 1994, I started with Meridian Bank, where I worked for the next 16 years. It was there that I gained experience in various areas of financial management, which was very helpful when it came to leading the Hispanic Center with the financial challenges they were facing. I was serving as a board member and on a search committee which was conducting a national search for a candidate to lead the organization. In reality, it was becoming apparent that to identify someone local would speed up the process of filling the position. The committee decided to ask if I would be interested in taking the position. I spoke with my wife, and made the decision to accept their invitation.”
In sixteen years, under Michael’s direction, Centro Hispano has become a solid resource and support system for the Latino community. “I went into the job with the mindset, give me three years to turn things around. Here I am sixteen years later, and things are going very well. I am very blessed. I took a look at programs and what we should be doing. I formed partnerships; where can we be partnering, and how can we be agents for positive change. Support from across the community helped us to put the organization on a clear path and in the position to be a change agent. We have been really blessed in Greater Reading and Berks.”
Michael has been a remarkable advocate and voice for the Hispanic community, and a bridgebuilder between the many cultures that make up our very diverse Berks County. He struggles with some perceptions in the community and works toward correcting these viewpoints.
“It is unfortunate that these perceptions exist, and we are in it every day. We have to be story tellers. Every day there are students graduating, families buying homes, there are so many volunteers working for good. Reading is more than just its challenges. It is filled with hard working people trying to create their successes all around them. We are investing in our youth who are here today, and not just our future. We need to continue to provide them access to quality education. I am amazed whenever I see the talent in our youth. Reading belongs to all of us, and I have a love for the city I work in. Reading succeeds if we all work together. If you are only seeing the challenges, you are truly missing the heart of it.”
Recently, the Hispanic Center was honored with a declaration on the Pennsylvania House floor for 60 years helping and supporting the growing Latino population in Berks County.
Outside of his work leading Centro Hispano, Michael Toledo is a dedicated husband, father of three children, and grandfather of three. His positive outlook shines through his family and the relationships he has formed in the Greater Reading community.
