New Executive Comes with Fourteen Years of Experience as Popular Educator, Organizer

UFE's Board of Directors issued this letter to supporters:

Over the past 9 months, Board and staff of United for a Fair Economy (UFE) have reflected together on what we need in a leader as we begin our 20th year and the second year of our new 5-year Strategic Plan. We compiled a list of qualities: visionary, motivational, inspirational, collaborative, risk taker – someone who embodies our work with grassroots social justice organizers around the country.

As we considered these qualities, and whether to conduct a national search, we realized that the leader we needed was already here, and serving as one of our interim co-executive directors.

We are pleased and excited to announce Jeannette Huezo as our next Executive Director, beginning February 1, 2015. Many of you already know Jeannette as a popular educator for UFE. Her expertise as a popular educator and facilitator are well known throughout the social justice community.

For 14 years, Jeannette has coordinated UFE’s Popular Education work and facilitated many workshops, particularly for Latino groups. She is also co-author of several of UFE’s State of the Dream reports on racial economic inequality in the U.S. In addition to her work with UFE, Jeannette currently serves on the Board of  Trustees of Access Strategies Fund and the National Executive Board of United Association for Labor Educators (UALE), and is a member of the Expert for Color Network at the Insight Center for Community Economic Development.

Originally from El Salvador, Jeannette came to the U.S. in 1989 and has spent her life working for justice and social change. In developing confidence and leadership skills in others, Jeannette has increased the number of activists in the movement for social change, and has empowered women, immigrants and others facing injustice to participate in the decision-making process around issues that affect their lives. We are proud to lift up Jeannette as a dynamic Latina woman who exemplifies the leadership qualities we need and who reflects the constituencies that we work with, as well as the changing demographics of the U.S.

While Jeannette is a dynamic leader in her own right, her appointment by the Board is guided by the transforming nature of our economic justice movement. Over the years, UFE has been known for raising awareness about economic inequality. Our future as an organization - as directed by our new strategic plan - is rooted in supporting the growing and dynamic worker-led movement to help build a fair economy.

We also want to express our deep appreciation to both Jeannette and Mike Lapham who have so capably guided us through this challenging period as interim co-executive directors.  We are excited about the future of UFE and our work together with all of you.