Gissela A. Mera Lourido is the administrative manager at Cornell Tech, where she leads the Administrative Services Department and supports the campus’s operational and academic mission. In this role, she develops and sustains the administrative infrastructure needed to support central operations and facilitate instructional and research assistance for faculty. She works closely with Cornell Tech department directors and partners across the university to advance initiatives and collaborative projects. She also supports the chief administrative officer in driving key administrative, operational, and strategic campus priorities.
Before joining Cornell Tech, Mera Lourido served as associate director of engagement in the Cornell University Alumni Affairs and Development division’s Northeast Corridor Regional Office, where she strengthened alumni engagement and regional partnerships. Earlier in her career, she led the administrative support team for district operations at Macy’s Herald Square, the company’s flagship store.
Mera Lourido’s professional background also includes several years of executive leadership in primary and secondary education. She served as deputy head of school and elementary school principal at Unidad Educativa Bilingüe Leonardo da Vinci, a leading private K–12 school in Ecuador. During her tenure, she also chaired the English for Speakers of Other Languages Department, contributing to bilingual education and curriculum development.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja in Ecuador and a master’s degree in business administration from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
Mera Lourido currently serves as a board member and philanthropy co-chair of NYC Cornellians, the local Cornell alumni regional club. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, exploring New York City, and is an enthusiastic fan of Broadway theater.