This week we welcomed José Galarza as our newest NAL Team member! As a Johnson Justice Fellow, José will serve as our New York Regional Program Manager and aid us in cultivating the next generation of New American leaders. Born and raised in the Bronx and with roots in Puerto Rico, his upbringing fueled his passion for creating change. He has been involved in various electoral campaigns and was a camp counselor the past two summers. And if he looks familiar, that's because he is already a member of the NAL fam! José previously worked with our C4 affiliate, New American Leaders Action Fund, on our vote tripling effort to help New Americans in the Bronx make their voices heard.

During his first week, he's already hit the ground running with other members of the Johnson Justice Fellowship, including a discussion with NALpista and New York City Council Member Amanda Farias! Please join us in wishing José a happy first week and welcoming him to the team! 🎉

#NALpistasDidThat

Here are some pretty awesome things our alums have done recently:

• Vanessa García Polanco made the 2023 Grist 50 Fixers, a list that honors climate leaders who are driving solutions to our planet’s biggest problems. Vanessa was 1 of 8 leaders recognized for her advocacy in the food justice field.

• Michigan State Representative Ranjeev Puri’s bills designating Diwali and Vaisakhi as official state holidays in the state of Michigan were officially passed; additional bills also designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha; Lunar New Year; Rosh Hashanah; and Yom Kippur as official holidays. 

• New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan supported a number of bills that were successfully passed to improve water safety and access to pools, and make NYC greener & more resilient. 

Know someone who should be included in this list? Let us know! We're so proud of our NAL fam for taking action to create a stronger, more inclusive democracy and would love to give everyone a shoutout!