Celina Domiguez Garcia

Celina Dominguez Garcia was born into a large family in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Her father, a professional fisherman, instilled in her early on the values of cooperativism and the social solidarity economy. Celina joined the National Fishermen’s Fisheries Cooperative Society of Abulon, S.C. by R.L. in 1987 and leveraged the Cooperative Education Fund to pursue university studies. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Trade and Customs from Tecnológico de Baja California in June 2000.

Upon graduating, Celina proposed the creation of a Marketing Department within the cooperative to market fishing products directly in both national and international markets. She has pursued various courses and diplomas to enhance productive projects within the fishing sector and has spearheaded numerous initiatives to develop new marketing strategies and product offerings with added value, aiming to establish a strong brand presence for the cooperative.

Celina has represented her cooperative on various international trade missions across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. She has also participated in numerous national and international trade fairs to promote the exportable fishing products of Baja California and Mexico, effectively establishing robust marketing channels for fishing cooperatives and promoting regional and national fishing producers.

Her pioneering efforts were recognized when she became the first woman appointed as a delegate to the Federación de Cooperativas de la Industria Pesquera Baja California FEDECOOP (the Federation of Baja California Fishing Industry Cooperatives). Celina has held multiple leadership roles, including State Manager of the Baja California Lobster Product System Committee, President of the Board of Directors of the Baja Seafood Expo, AC, and the National Network of Women Cooperatives and the Social Economy, AC. She has also served as a counselor and vice president of CANACINTRA and was appointed the Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the State of Baja California.

A respected speaker, Celina has delivered conferences and workshops at cooperative federations, universities, government institutions, and business organizations in Mexico and Costa Rica. She has been honored with several awards, including the “Opportunities for Women” from the Soroptimist Club and the Gilberto Alvarez Macías Medal for “Cooperative Merit and the Social Economy” in 2014. That same year, she was named Person of the Year by the newspaper La Frontera.

Additionally, Celina was invited by UN Women to the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Consultation Forum for the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment held in Costa Rica, further highlighting her commitment to promoting women’s economic empowerment and participation within various sectors.