STAFF AND INSTRUCTORS

Verónica Escámez Mártinez

Founder/Executive Director

Veronica Escámez is originally from Mexico City, where she began her career as an educator, youth theater director, and social worker working as a teacher and then school principal. She is the founder of Casa Círculo Cultural, an organization that works with immigrant families, offering a wide range of free classes and cultural activities. Under her direction, more than 100 volunteers from the organization create all the necessary elements for their participation in the annual San Francisco Day of the Dead Community Concert, thus giving the low-income community the opportunity to be part of the elevated experience, magic, and solemnity of the celebration of life that is the tradition of Día de los Muertos. Ms. Escámez and her family are the recipients of the 2017 La Familia Award, given by The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley to families performing extraordinary community activities through volunteerism in community engagement. In 2022 she received the Ohtli Award given by the Mexican government through the Institute for Mexicans Abroad and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco.