CommunityWorks Chief Community Officer, Ana Parra, has been recognized as one of TALK Greenville’s 25 Most Beautiful People for 2024, an honor awarded to individuals who embody the kind of beauty that shines through compassion, strength and dedication to the community.
TALK Greenville Magazine | October 2025
Ana Parra is focused on creating community and getting others to commit to doing the same. “My current role at CommunityWorks says it in the job title ‘Chief Community Officer’ and at my 9-to-5 that means creating community through the funding and development of small businesses and affordable housing,” she says. “But creating community follows me outside of work too. I am committed to finding out what it means to live in community in the macro and micro levels; how do I develop a smaller community of friends and family that support each other in good and bad times and how do I work to create systems that support and uplift us all?”
Maybe that starts with joy. Parra sings a Mexican folk song called “Cielito Lindo” to her son every night. It has become a motto she lives by. “Canta y no llores, porque cantando se alegran, which means ‘sing and don’t cry, because singing brings joy,’” she says. “Simple stuff, but for me it’s about the gratitude I have for both the ugly and beautiful parts of my life.”
Around the Upstate, Parra has a few spots where she is a regular. “I don’t leave my house as much as I used to but if I do, I’m going to work at CommunityWorks, drink a glass of wine at Community Tap, hang out and buy yummy things at Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery, eat a perfect burrito from Comal 864, visit family and have an empanada and morcilla at Sacha’s Café, have my favorite meal at Pita House or go to one of son’s performances at Mosaic Educational and Arts Program.”
Plans for the future? Well, of course, there’s service and more joy — and some other favorites too. “I want to make sure I live fully, which can look different every day,” she says. “Today it looks like showing the people I love how much I love them and showing up for them as much as possible. It also looks like creating more opportunities for people to embrace and celebrate their differences and fighting for communities that are marginalized. And also, I would like to see Beyoncé’s Act II.”
