A former U.S. diplomat with deep experience at the intersection of energy, mining, and government across Latin America. Norma served with the U.S. Department of State from 2017 to 2023, most recently as Energy and Mining Attaché at U.S. Embassy Quito, where she advanced U.S. policy in Ecuador’s energy and mining sector and helped bring the U.S. Ambassador into the seven-nation Ambassadors for Responsible Mining Group. As Political Officer in U.S. Embassy Caracas, she co-drafted the Embassy’s Oil Sector Recovery Plan for Venezuela, which became the blueprint for the White House’s interagency “day-after” strategy.
Before joining the State Department, she founded Afinidad Americas LLC, a consultancy supporting U.S. companies entering the energy markets of the U.S. and Mexico, following roles in the oil and gas, renewable energy, and software sectors. A former board member of WorldDenver, the Chamber of the Americas, and the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association, Norma holds a B.S. in Mineral Engineering Mathematics from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.S. in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado Denver, and is bilingual in Spanish and English.