Candelaria Silva is a writer, trainer/facilitator, and cultural economic development activist.  She is founding director of ACT (Arts, Culture & Trade) Roxbury Consortium (www.actroxbury.org), the cultural economic development program of Madison Park Development Corporation.  ACT Roxbury uses arts and culture as vehicles for economic development by sponsoring the Roxbury Arts Series, which includes the Roxbury Film Festival); Roxbury Open Studios and Roxbury Literary Annual; the Danette Jones Business of Culture Series, an annual series of professional development workshops for artists; and such publications as the Roxbury Is Rich Arts Holiday Shopping Guide.

A skilled speaker and facilitator, Candelaria has 20+ years of experience designing and presenting parenting education and professional development programs to parents, educators, and other staff from a wide range of cultural, educational and economic backgrounds.  She has facilitated staff retreats, train-the-trainer seminars, and given diversity training and presentations to dozens of groups at numerous conferences.  Clients have included Families First Parenting Programs, Department of Public Health, Berklee College of Music (City Music Program), The Children’s Trust Fund, Northeastern University, Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan, among many others.She has been published as a short story writer, reviewer and essayist in such publications as the Bay State Banner, The Boston Globe, Glue magazine, and The School/Library Journal.

Candelaria is a board member of Wheelock Family Theatre, Discover Roxbury and Goddard College.  She also served on the boards of StageSource, Arts Service Coalition and Roxbury Cultural Network.  She received the Top of the Arts Award for Individual Leadership in 2003 from The Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston, the Drylongso Award from Community Change in November 2005, a 2006 Community Service Award from the Boston & Vicinity Club of the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., and the Community Catalyst Award from Madison Park Development Corporation at their fortieth anniversary gala.  She was a member of the Lead Boston Class of 2006 of the Boston Conference for Community and Justice and continues to be active in its alumni network.

She has been profiled in the Christian Science Sentinel, The Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, Boston Business Journal and many other papers.   She has also been the subject of two editorials in The Boston Globe.