About Civil's founder
A strategist reshaping the future of
mission-driven leadership.
With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of public, private, and philanthropic leadership, Midy Aponte-Vargas is a strategist known for turning bold ideas into action. As the founder of Civil Strategies, she partners with mission-driven enterprises and foundations to create sustainable growth models, elevate strategic communications, and advance transformative change.
A career built on addressing complex issues through community collaboration.
Early Career: Public Engagement and Crisis Solutions
Midy began her career in Miami, tackling public health challenges at Golin and the American Legacy Foundation (now the Truth Initiative). She played a critical role in advancing nationwide tobacco prevention and cessation efforts, collaborating with more than a dozen state health departments. She co-designed and helped to implement public health campaigns that significantly reduced youth smoking rates nationwide. Her work leveraged behavioral science, targeted messaging, and community engagement to ensure interventions resonated with different populations and led to measurable public health outcomes.
Building on this foundation, Midy transitioned to The Walker Marchant Group in Washington, D.C., where she honed her expertise in crisis and litigation communications. In this high-stakes environment, she provided strategic counsel to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, and public figures—guiding them through reputational challenges and complex legal disputes. Her work involved navigating high-profile litigation, and corporate crises, equipping organizations with proactive strategies to maintain public trust and credibility.
Professional Highlight: Preserving Latino History & Heritage
As the founding executive director of the American Latino Heritage Fund (ALHF) at the National Park Foundation, Midy led a groundbreaking initiative to ensure Latino history was fully recognized within the national park system. Through direct collaboration with the Obama Administration, the Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service, she shaped national efforts to preserve and elevate Latino heritage across the country.
Under her leadership, ALHF played a pivotal role in securing National Historic Landmark designations, ensuring that critical pieces of Latino history were recognized, protected, and woven into the national narrative. These designations included the César E. Chávez National Monument in California, honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader and labor activist; Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals in Michigan, highlighting Mexican artistic contributions to American industrial history; and the home of Puerto Rican poet and scholar Concha Meléndez, reinforcing the importance of Afro-Caribbean and Latin American literary traditions.
Beyond landmark designations, Midy spearheaded national engagement initiatives through the American Latino Expedition, fostering deeper connections between Latino communities and the national park system. Through storytelling and advocacy campaigns, she amplified the overlooked histories of Latino leaders, activists, and cultural icons—shifting national narratives and securing lasting policy change. Her work mobilized philanthropic investments, cultivated corporate partnerships, and strengthened grassroots efforts to ensure that public lands and cultural heritage sites became more inclusive and representative of the nation’s diverse history.
She also launched youth engagement and education initiatives, opening pathways for Latino students and professionals to pursue careers in conservation, historic preservation, and public service—cultivating the next generation of environmental and cultural stewards. Through collaborative initiatives with the park service, educators, and local organizations, she helped bridge the gap between heritage preservation and public engagement.
Expanding Horizons: Leadership in Strategy & Global Impact
At Spitfire Strategies, where she joined in 2014 and became Chief Experience Officer in 2018, Midy played a key role in the firm’s growth, operational strategy, and global expansion. She led the development of integrated operational systems, bringing together financial modeling, resource management, and strategic growth frameworks to enhance Spitfire’s long-term sustainability.
Building on this foundation, Midy established Spitfire’s Denver office, anchoring the firm’s presence in the InterMountain West and expanding its communications and coalition-building clientele. In this role, she partnered with organizations addressing public health initiatives, climate adaptation and carbon sequestration, and transnational migration and refugee support, helping them to strategically navigate complex challenges and strengthen stakeholder engagement.
She also expanded Spitfire’s global portfolio, forging high-impact coalitions focused on digital rights, data protection, and civil society engagement. She collaborated with advocacy groups across Mexico, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and China—guiding organizations and coalitions through complex policy frameworks, global advocacy efforts, and strategies for addressing digital and human rights challenges.
Founding Civil: A New Ethos for Consultancies
In 2023, Midy founded Civil Strategies to redefine how philanthropy, nonprofit consulting, and strategic advising translate vision into action. Too often, organizations invest in strategies that remain disconnected from execution. Civil was built to change that—offering a hands-on approach that strengthens financial resilience, enhances operational efficiency, and equips mission-driven enterprises with the tools to grow sustainably. By integrating strategic planning with real-world implementation, Civil Strategies helps organizations navigate complex challenges, build long-term sustainability, and drive meaningful, systemic change.
Under Midy’s leadership, Civil has become a trusted partner for foundations and mission-driven enterprises, providing tailored solutions that optimize operations, strengthen financial resilience, and enhance organizational effectiveness. Her expertise in multi-entity structures, strategic planning, and operational efficiency positions the firm as a leader in helping organizations navigate growth and long-term sustainability.
Beyond Civil, Midy serves on the board of Hispanics in Philanthropy, contributing to efforts that strengthen organizational capacity, expand funding strategies, and drive sustainable impact. She previously served on the boards of the Alaska Wilderness League and the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, supporting initiatives focused on organizational growth, strategic development, and environmental advocacy.
Personal Life and Education: Championing Community & Sustainable Impact
Midy is a proud graduate of Florida International University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications—a foundation that has shaped her ability to bridge ideas, people, and systems to drive meaningful change. Born in New York City to Cuban immigrants and raised in Miami, her lived experience informs a deep commitment to cultural preservation, operational excellence, and equity-driven leadership.
A recognized writer and speaker, Midy has published thought leadership on philanthropy, equity, and organizational strategy. She is frequently sought after for her ability to cut through complexity and provide actionable pathways for sustainable impact. Through her work, she amplifies the voices of communities, mission-driven leaders, and organizations striving to create lasting change.
Midy splits her time between Washington, D.C., and Dallas, where she engages with national and regional leaders to advance strategic initiatives in philanthropy, sustainability, and economic development.