Friend --

OCCORD
http://www.occord.org/

Dear Partner, Ally, and Supporter,

As Orange County communities continue to face the pandemic and unprecedented economic impacts, OCCORD is beginning a new chapter in our fight for working families. The board of directors is proud to introduce Ely Flores as our new Executive Director after an extensive search. Together with our strong team of staff, board, community leaders, volunteers, and supporters, Ely’s new leadership will move us forward with a renewed commitment to our mission: bringing workers, families, and community partners together to organize and advocate for good jobs, strong neighborhoods, and an inclusive democracy in Orange County. 

Ely comes to us with a strong background in campaigning, organizational leadership, and community development. In his most recent role as California Director of Civic Engagement for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, he led state-wide citizenship, voter engagement, and 2020 Census efforts. Ely was instrumental in leading the largest census outreach program in California to ensure that Latinos get accurately counted. He holds a Masters in Social Impact from Claremont Lincoln University and a Bachelors in Organizational Management from Ashford University. (To learn more about his background, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ely-flores-6a3a7315/) 

Since our founding 15 years ago, OCCORD has always been a community-labor partnership. Now, as we continue this legacy, we are keeping the same commitment to build and shift power in Orange County. Following a wave of staff and board transitions over the past year, Ely joins all of us on OCCORD’s board of directors in affirming our aspiration to center justice, leadership, and accountability in everything we do.Together, we will rebuild, renew, and transform OCCORD into the next version of what’s needed for the future of Orange County.

As we look ahead, the board would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of the OCCORD family over the years. In particular, we appreciate the leadership of Maggie Valenzuela as acting Executive Director for the past year, and her continued participation during this transition. We also recognize our dedicated staff who have moved their work online in the midst of the pandemic -- continuing to provide citizenship education, Leadership Academy training, access to resources, and a powerful voice on urgent economic issues facing working families. And, we send our gratitude to all of the past board members, staff, community leaders, volunteers, and supporters who have contributed so much to our mission and impact. 

We’re glad to share with you this message from the new Executive Director: 

“Dear Friend, Ally, and Partner, 

Changing the world and our community starts at home. I take on this new role with the utmost respect and humbled by the legacy of those who have led before me. We are at a time where healing, growth, and transformation is necessary for us and our community, and it starts with me. When we are inspired, we can inspire others. My commitment to the mission and the communities we serve is to continuously learn, improve, and evolve as individuals and an organization. The values that will guide my leadership are mindfulness, dialogue, collaboration, and change. I invite you to join me in this new beginning for the organization. Your mentorship and allyship is needed during this time. As we enter this phase of a revisioning process, your support, no matter how big or small, is greatly appreciated. I would like to thank Margarita “Maggie” Valenzuela for her leadership as interim Executive Director and everyone who has contributed to the legacy of OCCORD. Thank you to those who will join us and make history together.” - Ely Flores

We hope you will join us in welcoming and working with Ely. Thank you again for being part of the OCCORD community. 

In solidarity,  

Cesar Covarrubias, Board Chair - Executive Director, Kennedy Commission 

Eric Altman, Board Treasurer - Owner/Consultant, Eric Altman Consulting Inc., founding Executive Director of OCCORD 

Amanda “Andie” Byrd, Board Member - Vice President Membership & Sustainability, Southern California Grantmakers 

Alejandra Ponce De Leon, Board Member - Policy & Research Analyst, Advancement Project California 

Marisol Ramirez, Board Member - Council Aide, City of Anaheim 

Dr. Carolina Sarmiento, Board Member - Board member, El Centro Cultural de Mexico, Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison