Important Announcement Regarding our executive Director, Tony DeFalco.

Verde Community and Friends –

We have bittersweet news. Verde’s Tony DeFalco has been tapped to become the next executive Director of Latino Network. We will miss Tony and his passionate and impactful leadership at Verde. And we are thrilled to see him take on a new challenge, where he can continue to build power as a community champion and coalition builder.

Verde, and our communities, are stronger today thanks to Tony’s leadership – including turning big ideas from possibility to reality. He joined the organization in 2008 and became our executive director in 2017. During his tenure, Verde has accomplished so much in partnership with our communities, including:

-       Taking a leading role in bringing the Portland Clean Energy Fund to fruition, with years of advocacy and coalition building that resulted in a winning ballot measure – which now generates $40 million to $60 million in annual investments in low-income and people of color communities;

-       Implementing the vision to develop Cully Park, converting an abandoned 25-acre landfill into a vibrant park and open space and achieving 70% minority- and woman-owned contracting on a $14 million project;

-       Nurturing the Living Cully coalition, a decade-strong effort to build community power, drive investment and prevent displacement, which has achieved big wins such as passing legislation to protect mobile home residents, and organizing to shut down the Sugar Shack and instead create 142 units of affordable housing to be developed by Hacienda CDC;

-       Growing community leaders through the Lideres Verdes program, which is still going strong after 15 years; and

-       Securing Oregon’s first ever community benefits agreement between a private developer, public jurisdiction and the Verde-led Healthy Communities Coalition, which included environmental, social justice, and labor organizations. This agreement guarantees affordable housing, high wage standards, and environmental benefits on 14 acres of prime real estate.

Tony would be the first to say that these accomplishments represent collective effort, and that belief is at the heart of who he is and how he shows up every day. Tony’s last day at Verde will be Jan. 22. In the weeks ahead, Verde’s Board will be working to identify interim leadership and map out our recruitment plan.

As Verde’s executive director, Tony encouraged, empowered, and made space for many leaders within Verde to grow and flourish. Our committed and capable staff has pulled together to truly support each other and our communities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and they are now collaborating with the Board to ensure that Verde’s next executive director will continue our tradition of collaborative, community-based, servant leadership.

Please join us in congratulating Tony and thanking him for his outstanding leadership at Verde. While he is leaving his position as executive director, he is not leaving our community.

With gratitude,

Desirée Williams-Rajee and Juan Muros

Co-Chairs, Verde Board of Directors