One of the nation’s longest-running independent Latina-owned public relations agencies is entering a new era.
After nearly four decades at the forefront of multicultural PR, VPE Communications announced that CEO Patricia Pérez is retiring and transitioning ownership of the Los Angeles-area agency to President Maricela Cueva and Senior Strategist Lorena Alamillo.
Alamillo told Hispanic PR Blog the ownership transition becomes official at the end of July. The succession, however, has been years in the making, with planning underway since Cueva became president in 2019.
Pérez has been a driving force behind VPE for more than three decades. She helped build the agency into one of the country’s most respected award-winning multicultural communications firms while earning recognition for her leadership in both the public relations profession and civic organizations throughout California.
Following John Echeveste’s departure in 2014 to become CEO of the Los Angeles museum LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Pérez assumed sole leadership of the agency. Over the past decade, she guided VPE through its next phase of growth.
“Leading VPE Communications has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” said Pérez. “I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished and grateful to the clients and partners who have trusted us with their communications needs. I have every confidence that Maricela and Lorena will continue to build on our legacy while leading the agency into an exciting new era of engagement and impact.”
Pérez will retire from her leadership role and will no longer be involved in the agency’s day-to-day operations. Alamillo said she is expected to remain a trusted resource should the agency seek her perspective in the future.
VPE advises corporations, nonprofits and public agencies. Current and recent clients include Disneyland Resort, the Weingart Foundation, Los Angeles County Parks, LA Metro, HOPE, the City of Azusa and the California Department of Public Health.
The agency’s new leaders aren’t newcomers.
Cueva joined VPE in 2002 as a vice president and became president in 2019. Alamillo joined the agency in 2012.
Neither is an outsider. Both have spent years helping shape the agency. Now they will write its next chapter.
“Communities are navigating complex issues and need trusted, culturally relevant information more than ever. That’s what VPE has done for nearly four decades. As we look ahead, we’re committed to building on that legacy by strengthening community connections, expanding our reach, and helping organizations and businesses communicate with authenticity, purpose, and impact,” said Cueva.
That forward-looking approach is already evident in VPE’s educational programming. Earlier this year, Cueva led a webinar titled How to Pitch a Podcast, reflecting the growing importance of podcasts as part of today’s media landscape. Readers can watch the presentation here: How to Pitch a Podcast
Alamillo echoed those themes, saying VPE’s future will be built on the same principles that have guided the agency for nearly four decades.
“At VPE Communications, our work has always been grounded in understanding people, culture, and community,” said Alamillo. “As we look ahead, we’re excited to build on that foundation by creating bold, integrated campaigns that help our clients navigate change, build trust, and foster meaningful connections with the audiences they serve.”
The agency’s name reflects its history.
VPE traces its roots to Valencia, Pérez & Echeveste, the firm’s original name and the surnames of its founding partners—Manuel Valencia, Patricia Pérez and John Echeveste.
Neither Valencia nor Echeveste remains affiliated with the agency. According to Alamillo, neither has held an ownership or advisory role with VPE for more than 15 years. Pérez’s retirement marks the first time that none of the firm’s three namesake founders will serve in a leadership role. It also completes a generational transition nearly four decades in the making.
Today, that story comes full circle.
VPE enters its next chapter with two leaders who know the agency, its clients and its culture.
The names have changed. The mission continues.
Bill Gato is CEO and a partner of Noticias Newswire, the nation’s only Latino-owned and operated press release distribution service specializing in the U.S. Hispanic market. He is also co-editor of Hispanic PR Blog and a former Miami Herald journalist. He can be reached at bill@noticiasnewswire.com.