Gale Castillo’s son was a junior in high school when a friend turned to him and asked, “What gang are you in?”
A class discussion had prompted the boy to talk about his Mexican heritage, and he was perplexed by his friend’s question.
They’d known each other since kindergarten, Castillo said, and the girl should have known he didn’t affiliate with any gangs.
The episode was one of many that Castillo said pushed her, in the early 1990s, to cofound the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, in a bid to switch up the narrative around Latinos and empower the community’s young people.
“The reason we started the chamber was because the public opinion in writing and the media … was very negative about Latinos,” Castillo said.
Now, the longtime power broker in Portland’s business and education circles is stepping down as board chair of the chamber, which has become the largest Hispanic chamber in the Northwest. She will remain board chair through the end of December and attend board meetings in an advisory role for another three months, she said.
Over three decades, the organization has disbursed more than $3.3 million in scholarships to some 1,200 students and served more than 5,800 businesses, according to internal tallies.
Castillo served as the chamber’s president, executive director and board chair. She also previously served as a trustee at Portland State University.
She’s leaving now, she said, because the organization, its finances and board are all in good hands with the next generation of leaders ready “to take it forward.”
Nicole Davison León, the chamber’s executive director, touted Castillo’s sweeping legacy and the impact she’s had on every Latino entrepreneur the group serves in Oregon and southwest Washington.
“On a personal level, she has been a mentor and a source of guidance that I deeply value,” the executive director said in a statement. “We are thankful for all she has given and honored that she will remain close as a supporter, donor and advisor as we carry her legacy forward.”
Until earlier this year, Castillo co-owned Canopy, a privately held company that provides employee assistance programs and staff development to organizations around the world. She said her family sold the company in June for an undisclosed sum.
In past roles, Castillo worked as an assistant to late Gov. Neil Goldschmidt and at the Oregon Economic Development Department, now called Business Oregon. In the private sector, Castillo worked in management, marketing and national sales positions for AT&T, Pacific Northwest Bell and RESTOR Communications.
Castillo was the first in her family to graduate from college, receiving a bachelor’s degree from Linfield College and a master’s in education from Portland State University. Castillo also completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education Program.
Castillo said she is proud to have highlighted the contributions of Latinos. Despite those examples, however, she said members of her community remain regular targets of discrimination today.
“All I can say is, it’s extremely sad. But like everyone else, we’re resilient,” she said. “We will get through this.”
