Before founding XAS, Xiomara was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Society for Hispanic Professionals (NSHP), where she strengthened NSHP’s infrastructure and solidified NSHP as a viable and noteworthy presence in the Hispanic professional community. NSHP’s members include high ranking executives from all government, private and public sectors of the Americas, such as NASA, the military, corporate America, small businesses, doctors, judges, lawyers, and nonprofits to name a few.
Xiomara’s career began at the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board and continued on to Goldman, Klasfeld, Horkey and Ferraro, P.A. There she began to develop significant administration and management skills. She later served in the United States Air Force Reserves and in the United States Army, where she was selected to serve in a prestigious position at The Pentagon in Washington, DC. There she worked directly for the Brigadier General at the United States Army Research Institute for Behavioral and Social Sciences, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Personnel Programs Analysis Office, and Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. Through those positions she polished her executive management and leadership skills. After her military tours of duty she worked for SWL, Inc, a private military contractor. She then transitioned her career to the nonprofit sector and quickly moved up the ranks incrementally, achieving high level positions at various nonprofit organizations, such as the Academy for Education Development, the National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations, MANA, A National Latina Organization, NLGJA, Inc., and National Student Partnerships. Through these leadership positions and experiences she became an expert in the particulars and ins and outs of the nonprofit world and was responsible for advocating on behalf of diverse communities across the board.
Xiomara served as a member of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Media Campaign’s Partnership Development Expert Panel. She also served on the Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs Advisory Committee. She was a participant in the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse Treatment Month Planning Group, and the Social Security Administration’s Outreach Planning Group. Xiomara was appointed to serve on the Arlington, VA Multicultural Advisory Commission, was a member of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s Latino Survey Planning Group, served on the Arthritis Foundation’s Speaking of Pain Advisory Council and Diversity 2000 Committee, and was a member of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc. Xiomara also served on the HandsNet Editorial Board, the Newspaper Association of America’s Diversity Committee, and was a member of the Center for Media Education’s Children Media Policy Network.
Her professional affiliations include prior membership in the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, the American Society of Association Executives and the Florida Society of Association Executives.
Her community service activities include prior membership in MANA, A National Latina Organization, and past service on MANA’s Northern Virginia Chapter Board of Directors. She was involved in the Eurocentres Foundation Homestay Program and was a member of The Women’s Center in Virginia. She was also a certified Northern Virginia Family Services Special Foster Care Mother.
Xiomara has also served the LGBT community by serving on the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League’s (SMYAL) Board of Directors, a SMYAL Youth Group Facilitator, and as an appointed member of the Whitman-Walker Clinic’s Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services Board of Directors on behalf of SMYAL. She also served on the Bridge Builders Fund Board of the Directors and the Gente Latina de Ambiente Board of Directors. Ms. Sosa was a Cultural Competency Trainer for the Mautner Project for Women with Cancer, a member of the Potomac Executive Network, and the Women’s Health and Wellness Network.
Her commitment to serving these diverse communities has led to her recognition, which includes having been awarded the Campaign Air Force Training Ribbon, the Army Achievement Medal for Meritorious Service, the Campaign Army Service Ribbon, and the Department of the Army Certificate of Achievement for Meritorious Service. She was also awarded the Northern Virginia Family Service Special Foster Care Certificate of Approval and a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of valuable contributions as a Therapeutic Foster Parent. She was named “Latina de la Semana” by El Tiempo Latino and was featured in the Latinas Today section of Latina Style Magazine. Her reputation has attracted media commentary by such outlets as the Sun Sentinel, Catalina Magazine, and Careerjournal.com/The Wall Street Journal Executive Career Site. She’s also been sought after to review books written by Hispanic authors such as Profound CrossRoads by Anthony Ramos.