Luz Amparo Medina Gerena is an international consultant specializing in strategic partnerships, urban governance, equity, and sustainability, with more than 25 years of experience across the public, academic, and multilateral sectors.
Throughout her career, she has built international strategic partnerships, advised institutions on the global positioning of their agendas, and mobilized resources for development in fields including culture, education, science and technology, justice, and climate action. Her work is distinguished by a collaborative, results-oriented approach that fosters sustainable transformation.
From 2020 to 2024, she served as Director of International Relations for the Bogotá Mayor’s Office, where she led the city’s international engagement strategy and mobilized more than USD 87 million in international cooperation. Under her leadership, Bogotá assumed the presidencies of Metropolis and CIDEU, as well as vice-presidencies of C40, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI). These achievements positioned Bogotá as a global reference in the areas of care, climate action, and sustainability. Previously, she served as Director General of Culture at the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) in Madrid. She has also held senior positions within Colombia’s Ministries of Culture, Science and Technology, and Education, as well as at the National Planning Department and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
She is a Professor of International Urban Governance at the Faculty of Finance, Government and International Relations at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, where she completed her undergraduate studies. She also holds a Master’s degree in Development Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In 2018, she was awarded the Distinguished Humphrey Fellowship by the U.S. Department of State, which enabled her to pursue executive studies at Harvard University and Columbia University.
