Representative Leonora Dodge was born to Irish and Mexican parents and grew up in Montreal and Mexico City. She moved to the US as a young adult. She earned a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Williams College, and an M.A. in Latin American History from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed a college semester in Chile, and a semester in southern Spain, and studied in Guatemala for a month. She is the recipient of a Mellon Fellowship, a Ford grant, and a Fulbright.
Since moving to Vermont in 2000, Leonora has sought to build community connections, both professionally and as a volunteer for many organizations including HomeShare Vermont, Music Contact International, Justicia Migrante/Migrant Justice, and Essex B.E.S.T. (Building Equity, Solidarity, and Trust. Prior to running for office, she taught Spanish at Vermont Commons High School and at Champlain College, and worked as a classroom paraeducator in the Spanish Immersion Elementary program in Jericho. Her community service includes running Spanish playgroups, coordinating children’s activities at the annual Burlington Latino Festival, coaching world championship Odyssey of the Mind teams, and initiating the Essex-Westford School District International Potluck dinners.
Leonora also shares her love of Latinx culture by teaching inclusive and multi-age dance fitness classes and dance events through which she has raised several thousand dollars for local non-profits such as COTS, SD Ireland Cancer Research, and Steps to End Domestic Violence. She lives in Essex town with her husband and two children. She is fluent in both French and Spanish.