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Lourdes Montes-Greenan is vice president in the Community Development Banking division at PNC Bank.  She has been with PNC for over nine years. In her role, Lourdes helps bring financial solutions to social problems. She engages with different community partners to bring human, intellectual and fiscal capital to revitalize our underserved communities. Prior to PNC Bank, Lourdes managed a financial services program for Latinos in a local non-profit organization and before that she was a professor of foreign languages at Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in her hometown Guadalajara, Mexico. Lourdes has been a board member of numerous non-profit organizations in Baltimore for the past fifteen years. Currently, she is a member of groups such as the Enoch Pratt Advisory Council and the Caroline Friess Center.  She lives in Baltimore City with her husband and two girls.

Here are some tips from Caylin Young, Public Policy Counsel at ACLU of Maryland:Keep your comment brief, efficient, and on topic.Introduce yourself and give your affiliation, such as student, parent, community advocate. Tell the Commission which county you are from and the name of your school (if applicable).Identify 3 main points maximum for your comment. You can break down each point, but stick to 3 main ones.Structure your comment by telling the Commission what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.Tell a personal story that is relevant to the specific point you are trying to address. A personal story will maximize your effectiveness.Thank the Commission and provide your contact information along with a few printed copies of your written testimony.Submit an electronic copy of your comment in advance of the hearing.Double-check details for submitting your public comment to make sure you have checked off everything on the list of instructions.Practice, practice, practice! Practicing saying your comment will not only build confidence, but will help you keep it within the allotted timeframe (3 minutes!). They may cut you off if you go over.Relax and don’t forget to breathe!Time to flex your advocacy muscles! Thank you for making your voice heard.Stay updated on the Kirwan Commission, get action alerts, and other critical education news. Sign up to get our Education Advocate newsletter in your inbox.