Dr. Iliana Neumann
For the past four years, Dr. Iliana Neumann of Waco's Family Health Center has maintained a steady, calming, and energetic presence within the Waco community. Medically trained in North Carolina, Dr. Neumann currently serves as the faculty physician at the Family Health Center where she teaches current residents, in addition to her work as a physician, seeing patients for a range of services both in and outside of the hospital setting. Outside of her career in medicine, she serves with numerous boards and organizations such as United Way, Transformation Waco, and Greater Waco Legal Services. She does this all with the support of her family, her husband, Leo, and two beautiful children Sofia and Leo, who inspire her to dream bigger every day.
When asking about her "why" for deciding to pursue medicine, Dr. Neumann shared the following. "My mother was an immigrant from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, who made great personal sacrifices to come to the US to give her children the opportunity for a better future. She died of breast cancer at age 44. I have since dedicated my life to the service of vulnerable populations in the hope that together, we can build a world where every person has the opportunity to reach their full potential in health, love, and justice."
Upon arriving in Waco, Dr. Neumann was able to participate in the Race Equity Institute two-day workshop sponsored by the Cooper and Waco Foundations. This experience continues to be Dr. Neumann's fondest memory of Waco and why she remains committed to bettering the city. "I was amazed to see members of all segments of the Waco Community doing the hard work of examining the difficult history of Race in the US. Most amazing, it was not a one-day event but continues to inform the work we do in almost every organization I am involved in."
Of the many things to enjoy in Waco, Dr. Neumann loves the people above all else. While there is much work to do, she remains energized by the large number of Wacoans who have rolled up their sleeves and are ready to do it. "I feel so fortunate to be in a community with so many like-minded individuals that are working for a better future and having a profession that allows me to serve in very personal ways. I continue to invest in Waco because since arriving here, I have felt tremendous hope at seeing the sincere desire of people to work towards a better community." Waco is genuinely grateful to have Dr. Neumann, thus we are honored to highlight her for all that she does as a Solid Gold Neighbor.