Welcoming Verde’s New Executive Director, Izzy Meda!
By Desiree Williams-Rajee; Chair, Verde Board of Directors | March, 2025
Dear Friends of Verde,
On behalf of Verde’s Board of Directors, I’m honored to share that Ismael “Izzy” Meda has joined Verde as our new Executive Director.
Izzy brings more than 10 years of leadership experience in community-based nonprofit work, most recently serving as the Executive Director at Familias en Acción with programs dedicated to economic, health, and social equity in underrepresented Latiné communities. A visionary and collaborative leader, Izzy is known for centering community voices, building powerful cross-sector partnerships, and advancing health equity and racial justice. His leadership style is grounded in humility and care, focused on empowering others and putting the needs of the team and mission first.
His alignment with Verde’s values and his deep experience working alongside frontline communities made him a natural and inspiring choice to lead Verde into its next chapter. From the moment we began our search, we knew we weren’t just looking for a leader with a traditional environmental background—we were seeking someone who could continue to listen, build, and grow with our communities, someone who could steward Verde’s mission with heart, humility, and a bold vision for justice.
Izzy’s passion for economic equity, coalition building, and culturally grounded leadership stood out in every stage of the hiring process. His belief that the environmental justice movement must be rooted in community power, especially for communities of color and low-income communities, echoes the very purpose Verde was founded upon.
Importantly, Izzy is a leader leaning into the needs of now with an eye to the long game. The current moment is asking us all more than ever to consider ways of finding collective action and innovation in community to build sustained self-determined solutions. This has always been Verde’s way. As a Board, we are excited to have Izzy’s leadership help us navigate as we enter into these new phases of growth and strategy for the organization. Alongside our talented staff, dedicated partners, and powerful community leaders, we are confident in his steadfast ability to steward Verde’s future.
Please join us in welcoming Izzy to the Verde family. This is a moment of opportunity and transformation for Verde—and we’re so grateful to have you with us as we continue growing toward a more just, resilient, and equitable place.
With gratitude and excitement,
Desiree Williams-Rajee
Board Chair, Verde