The Enlace Chicago Board of Directors is pleased to announce Katya Nuques as the incoming Executive Director of Enlace Chicago. She will commence her duties on December 7. We congratulate our outgoing Executive Director Michael D. Rodríguez for eight years of work with the organization, and nearly six as Executive Director.
Katya Nuques was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Prior to joining Enlace, she worked in the international development field, first as an intern with the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development in New York, and then as a project coordinator for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Peru. Katya joined Enlace Chicago in 2005, where she has played an integral role in expanding the organizations involvement in education, immigration and community engagement.
In 2014, Katya was recognized by the Illinois Federation of Community Schools with the Community Schools Leadership Award. She is a board member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and serves on the Advisory Council for the City of Chicago’s Office of New Americans. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow with this year’s class of 2016, and a member of the 2015 Cultivate Women of Color Leadership cohort.
"I am very excited, and feel very privileged to be entrusted to lead this organization. I also feel honored to be the first female executive director of Enlace. As we face the future, I will bring to the table the values and principles that make me who I am, and invite our community leaders, partners, friends and supporters to join me and our team as we continue to make a positive difference in the lives of Little Village families” says Ms. Nuques about the upcoming transition.
The Board of Enlace Chicago would also like to congratulate Mike Rodriguez. Mike solidified the organizations’ finances and resources to create a strong and sustainable organization. As our former Director of Violence Prevention he has strengthened our work in the area and is proud of the over 120 graduates of the organizations leadership development academy.
Due to his work with Enlace, Mike has been recognized by President Barack Obama, as a Champion of Change in Youth Violence Prevention. He was a 2012 Fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago and is a current W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network, National Fellow. He was also the recent recipient of the Elizabeth Butler Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration.
For Mr. Rodríguez the transition is bittersweet, "working to improve the quality of life of residents in the community I have lived in for all of my life has been a dream come true. Enlace is a strong and vibrant organization that believes in bringing people together to create change. I am proud that my name will be forever associated with such an amazing institution. I am excited to stay on as a volunteer co-chair of our Casa Destino Capital Campaign and see this project through to its completion".
"The Enlace Chicago Board is proud to name Katya as our Executive Director. She knows the organization, its programs and partnerships better than anyone. We congratulate Mike Rodríguez on his outstanding work with us. While Mike will be missed we know he’s not going far. We are excited about our future." Maurice Sone, Board President, Enlace Chicago.