Central to our commitment to advance equity for all children and families, we are excited to announce three new members have joined our Board of Directors: Diego Corzo, Jilla Tombar and Shelley Katz.
Diego Corzo is a Forbes-featured millennial realtor/investor and TEDx speaker living in Austin, TX; Jilla Tombar is the strategic partnerships officer for the Greater New Orleans Foundation; and Shelley Katz is chief operating officer at Victor Community Support Services/Victor Treatment Centers in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
“Broadening the diversity of our board is critical for American Children’s Campaign to continue staying abreast of challenges faced by everyday children and families,” stated Leon Russell, chair of American Children’s Campaign’s board of directors. “This is especially important as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues into its third year, have been particularly difficult on children – especially children of color who have been disproportionately impacted.”
According to Roy Miller, president of American Children’s Campaign, Florida will continue to be a strategic advocacy focus for the nonprofit organization, although half of its board of directors now reside outside state lines. “Florida is not only the third largest state in the country, but also has an ethnic, citizen and voter make-up that has moved it closer to being an epicenter of the growing national conversation and media attention about children,” he explained.
Get to Know Our New Board Members
Diego Corzo: Having been born in Lima, Peru, Diego moved to the United States with his family at age nine. He was told that America was the land of opportunity, and through hard work, all his dreams would be possible. As a Dreamer and DACA recipient, Diego has been a prominent advocate in the push for immigration reform. He shared his story several times in Washington, D.C. with members of Congress, participated in press conferences, answered news interviews, and much more.
Diego is one of the co-founders of Rat Race to FL, an organization which teaches real estate investment and financial independence; the organization’s knowledge is supplemented by his work as one of the top realtors in Austin, TX, leading the #1 team in his Keller Williams office. Diego graduated in the top 1% of his class from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems in December 2012. While he was a student, Diego worked at American Children’s Campaign as a Web Designer.
Jilla Tombar: Jilla Tombar is a philanthropic strategist and advisor who uses the platform of philanthropy to catalyze community-led solutions which advance equity, increase economic opportunity, and inspire climate action. Her career spans 20 years in both the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors in which she helped leading-edge organizations in Washington, DC, Louisiana, and Florida meet their missions through program administration, strategic leadership, and fundraising.
Jilla has great experience in her field, having raised and moved more than $75 million on behalf of organizations such as the Latin American Youth Center, Earth Conservation Corps, the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. She is also an ardent supporter of the arts, the environment, equitable health care, and adoption. Jilla is a Trustee for the IMH Foundation and serves on the board of directors for the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the Uptown Music Theatre, and the NeuroCritical Care Foundation. She earned her Master of Philanthropy & Development from LaGrange College and is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) candidate.
Shelley Katz: Shelley Katz is a mission-driven nonprofit leader with 30 years of progressively responsible positions delivering quality services for children and families. She’s well-known for her strong leadership skills, demonstrated ability working across systems in order to improve lives, and especially her passion for helping vulnerable and at-risk populations. Shelley currently serves as Chief Operating Office with Victor Community Support Services/Victor Treatment Centers, overseeing all program operations for this California children and family services agency with an operating budget of $88 million.
Shelly’s prior experience includes leadership positions with LSF Health Systems, Florida’s managing entity for the state-funded behavioral health system in Northeast and North Central Florida, and also Children’s Home Society of Florida, one of Florida’s oldest and largest providers of child welfare services. She was selected to participate in Miami Herald’s Influencer Project and has served on numerous boards including Florida Coalition for Children, Florida Association of Child and Family Agencies, and United States Selective Service. She is a graduate of Leadership Florida and Leadership Gainesville and served as a training peer reviewer for Council on Accreditation.
For more information about American Children’s Campaign’s Governance and Leadership Team, click here.
This Top Story brought to you by Andrea Bonsignori, Daryn Mink, Roy Miller, and Karen Bonsignori.