Christian Lara 

Christian Lara is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s deputy director of human resources for recruitment and training. Lara has led the development and implementation of a hiring process based on the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She also provides organization-wide trainings about harassment and unconscious bias in hiring. Lara has led several of the SPLC’s executive searches and has developed training and professional development initiatives for the organization.

Lara is a Mexican immigrant who was undocumented for most of her childhood. The challenges she experienced early in life due to her immigration status, a disability and financial disadvantages fueled her passion for social justice and the SPLC’s work.

Previously, she was the national trainer of career development for a college. She developed and managed a training program spanning 72 campuses across the United States. Her career in human resources began as a bilingual recruiter for a staffing agency. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in human resource management.