Kim Victoria Ruiz | 2024 Latina of Influence
Hispanic Lifestyle is pleased to honor Executive Director and CEO Puerto Rican Association for Human Development, Inc., Kim V. Ruiz as a Latina of Influence. Ms. Ruiz will be recognized for her leadership in our community during Hispanic Lifestyle’s Connecting Latinas of Influence | New Jersey to be held on September 26, 2024.
Kim Victoria Ruiz was born in Spanish Harlem, which is commonly known as El Barrio, and is of Puerto Rican descent. Her parents were born and raised in Puerto Rico and made sure that Kim knew her roots, culture, and, of course, her language. Kim was an ESL student until second grade. She is a proud product of the Jersey City Public Schools. She attended Rutgers University where she was a James Dickson Carr Scholar and earned a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice with a double minor in Spanish Literature and Puerto Rican Caribbean Studies. In 2003, Kim earned her law degree from Rutgers School of Law. Following her law school graduation, Kim served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Harvey Weissbard on the New Jersey State Court–Appellate Division. She then began her legal career at a well-respected, regional, New Jersey law firm as a civil litigator, eventually specializing in employment law litigation. Throughout her years practicing law, Kim represented a diverse group of employers ranging from large international corporations to local non-profit organizations, including the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development, Inc. (PRAHD). Kim was also a member of the New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics, Fee Arbitration Committee, District 12, where she served as a Panel Chair.
In 2018, Kim joined PRAHD as the Executive Director and CEO. PRAHD is a non-profit social service agency located in Perth Amboy. It offers fifteen programs to residents of Perth Amboy and Middlesex County. As the CEO, Kim has spearheaded the design and implementation of several innovative programs for the community. Specifically, Kim led the initiative to start Entre Mujeres, an after-school leadership and empowerment program for teen girls. Kim also launched Latinos in Tech, an after-school coding program for high school students. Seeing a need for citizenship education in the community, Kim created a Citizenship Education course at PRAHD for individuals who are preparing to take the United States naturalization exam. Additionally, Kim sought and secured a capital investment to create PRAHD’s Home Health Aide Training Academy. Her pride and love for her culture always shows, and it moved her to launch PRAHD’s Bomba Academy, an arts program that focuses on teaching the oldest form of music in Puerto Rico.
Having practiced law for nearly two decades, Kim is a natural advocate. She fiercely champions PRAHD and its clients in both her grant writing and her outreach efforts. As a result of her grant writing in the last four years, Kim has more than doubled the grant portfolio by securing an additional $1 million in funding. In her outreach efforts, Kim has advocated for PRAHD, the community it serves, and Latino rights at the local, state, and federal levels.
Kim recently completed a three-year term as a commissioner on the New Jersey Puerto Rico Commission, appointed by Governor Murphy in 2021. She is also a member of the Middlesex College Advisory Committee. In 2018, Kim ran a successful campaign and was elected to the Board of Education for the Township of Union Public Schools serving over 7,200 children. In that role, she chaired the Education and Discipline Committee for two years. During her tenure as a Board of Education member, Kim worked diligently to ensure equitable access for students of color.
In 2022, Kim was recognized by the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research, and Development at its “Hats Off” to Women Celebration for her work in the community. In 2023, she was a recipient of the Espiritu Latino Award given by the New Jersey Re-Entry Corporation for her work at PRAHD and her initiative to combat food insecurity during the pandemic. In 2024, Kim was honored as a Puertorriqueña Ilustre by the Comité Patriótico Cultural Puertorriqueño. Kim is a sought-after panelist and speaker at both private and public sector organizations advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and employment.
On a personal note, Kim is married and the proud mother of two sons, one who is a junior at the University of North Carolina—Greensboro, and the other who is a freshman at Michigan State University. As a mother, she has served as a Little League team mom and PTA member and committee chair. While Kim’s first loves have always been her family and the law, she is honored to serve the Latino community and is grateful for the amazing team at PRAHD.
