Andea Bazán has been elected chairwoman of the board of the National Council of La Raza.

A longtime advocate for Hispanic issues in North Carolina, Bazán will now work at a national level in the new position at the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States. She succeeds the publisher of the country's largest Spanish-language daily paper.

"Being elected to serve as NCLR's Board Chair is truly a proud moment for me, both personally and professionally," she said in a statement.

Bazan is currently president of the Triangle Community Foundation, a charity in Durham. Previously, she was a co-founder and executive director of El Pueblo, a statewide advocacy and public policy group on Hispanic affairs.

She has master's degrees in social work and public health from UNC-Chapel Hill and has served on the board of La Raza since 2002, most recently as vice chairwoman.