The Million Dollar Admiral

I am an engineer, its one of my core identities. I also like being a consultant, either formally hired to do a project, or by serving on a board or just being asked by a friend for input. 

My social media handle says, "I use OutSight and creativity to solve community problems." 

In early 2013 a friend suggested I go work at La Casa de Amistad. They were hiring a new director, and while I had volunteered there a little and loved the mission, but I was not sure I was the right fit. I had worked the previous 11 years in higher education, and I knew very little about being an Executive Director. I applied. 

In 2016 the La Casa board of directors approved "Vision 2020 and Beyond" the document to guide the future of La Casa de Amistad. It was the product of about a year long process of focus groups, interviews, surveys, etc. We still didn't know where we were going (physically), but we knew it was up, we knew it was bigger, we knew it had to be what our community deserved. Email me if you want a copy. 

We got to work. We planned. We plotted. We went BOLD. 

During the project, and many of you might of heard this speech, but I often called the new La Casa center the battleship. The analogy played out in a few ways, from that ship we could keep people safe, from that ship we could reach farther, do more, and be a bigger force for good.

I am an engineer. La Casa hired an engineer to help build a battleship. I wrote a little more in a previous blog post about that process, Battleship Engineer. 

I knew, that when the project was done I would transition to something else. I knew my mistakes of the past could set us back, I knew my skills and what I could provide had been used, I knew that La Casa needed a new leader, with different skills, with a changed focus to usher in the next age of La Casa de Amistad. Its the nature of things; you love something, you want better for it, let it go. 

La Casa now needed an admiral to steer that battleship. 

They found that admiral in Juan. I have meant to write this blog of appreciation to La Casa for the opportunity to serve, and to congratulate him and the org overall, on their next big success for over a year. With each big win, they accomplished the things in the strategic plan, in our dreams and in our vision of success. Each time, before I get to write something, they are onto the next big thing. 

CONGRATS

Juan you are an inspiration to many and as we all know, the work of the entire team at La Casa makes a difference in the lives of so many. To those who ask, yes I absolutely miss the work, but I absolutely know it was the right decision to leave, knowing La Casa would do bigger and better things than I ever did. 

I tell you this a lot Juan, but I am proud of you. You probably just think I use that word a lot, but I don't. I also know, that you know, that people think this is about personal glory and gain, and I know that its not for you, and its why you are so damn good at that job. I also know you must feel the weight of being perfect, and the stress of being out front is tiring, I know. I hope you know the number of people backing you, supporting you, lifting you when you are tired, and know that every fight you are in with the battleship, you are not alone. 

La Casa Battleship Engineer

People ask me a lot; do I miss working at La Casa, why did I leave, am I proud of what they have accomplished (with each new big announcement)?

Posted two blogs, this one as I reflected on my path and journey with La Casa. The struggles the successes, and I thought I would document and organize a little around what it was like and why I thought it was the right thing to do to leave. I posted Million Dollar Admiral first on social media, and saved this one to share later. Here goes...

In early 2013 a friend suggested I go work at La Casa de Amistad. They were hiring a new director, I had volunteered there and loved the mission, but I was not sure I was the right fit. I had worked the previous 11 years in higher education, in undergrad I studied engineering, and I knew very little about being an Executive Director. 

I applied. 

During the application process I was clear about my skills, things I do well, but also things I don't do well or at least didn't have experience in doing. During the interview, on a tour of the building, the president of the board while squeezing around corners, stepping over supplies, ducking below pipes in the basement teen space... told me that same day they want to expand the center. 

My favorite photo outside of the old center. 

I made the final round, and I started my time discerning and doing research on if I thought I was the right person for the job. I researched other similar centers, I reached out to people with non-profit experience (both local and around the country), and said, I can do this, and we can build a new center, the center this organization, and the community deserves. 

The job was a massive pay-cut, I refinanced my house to afford the mortgage, I started doing more consulting and speaking, and I put the Z in storage as I knew I wouldn't have money to finish getting her ready to race (Me and My Z)... 

As background, I am engineer by education, worked briefly as an automotive design engineer. Luckily it didn't stick, but I nicknamed the new building our battleship during the process. I thought of the design, the input, the outputs, the campaign and the fundraising as building a battleship. 

I won't go into the all the details of my work there, our campaign, why I loved it, but I can reference a few milestones that I did blog about here (click links later if you have time, quick overviews below): 

Labor of Love (2013)
My blog announcing my job... Novalí holding the paper and me proud to talk about the announcement making it into TWO news articles... start of a trend. 

I sat between Two Giants (2013)
About sitting a local rally, between two long time Latino community leaders. One namely Gregorio Chavez, my dear dear friend, who a year later I played a part in his induction into the South Bend Hall of Fame and who I miss, and this community missed and we will never be the same without him. 

Walk with Father Jenkins
Many, many, many leaders came alongside this work. I wrote this when I got to chat with Father Jenkins (ND President) one on one, and a few months ago I did the same with Father Dowd the incoming president. I have been blessed with leaders and people I got to meet because of this job, from Dolores Huerta to Greg Chavez, from Anderson Cooper to Lou Nanni (ND Development)... the people who came alongside my work humbled me and lifted me up. 

No Longer the New Guy (2014)
Two years in... and you can feel my inspiration knowing we were on the path to success. Also one of my favorite pictures of Cruz with his Yo Puedo Leer classmates. I said click these later, but for real click this one and check out my dude now quick...

One Million for La Casa (2016)
It took my first three years to raise over a million dollars... with annual budget of $300k when I started, it was a process to grow. I knew we couldn't have a successful campaign without growing the organization naturally and sustainably. 

Not Just About Tacos Sometimes (2017)
When my dear friends at Taqueria Chicago were a finalist for Taco Wars. I was reminded of some of my roots in doing my current job. I have been working with minority owned businesses and advocating for their success well before I joined CDFI Friendly. 

I am that Latino, but I am not that Latino 
I wrote a few blog posts, The Quechua Gringo and others, as I reflected and grew into better and fuller and prouder thoughts on my Latinidad. 

I Can't Dance (2019)
Blog about being in the cast of In The Heights... one of the more fun, and very big stretch for me, that was caused by my connection to community and wanting to be a good role model for others on doing hard things. I did it. 

I Am Sorry 
The blog I never posted. I was not sure if it would help. I wanted to apologize for things I did wrong, to ask for forgiveness, to ensure that my mistakes didn't make my family, or my work, look bad. There is a demand for leaders to be perfect, it is stressful, I didn't want my mistakes to hurt La Casa. I kept it in, went about my grind, and after that I didn't blog much. 

WHEW... OKAY... 

If you are ever bored, go to my blog and search for Amistad, Chavez, La Casa, or Latino and find some fun reflections. I always say I need to get back to writing more and I keep wanting to and as you all know I have a lot to say... just often no time to document it. 

So again where was this blog going? It started as a set up to congratulating Juan and La Casa, but kinda turned into a trip down memory lane. So I made two blogs. 

A part of the story is missing on my timeline and in blogs, I stopped doing media interviews, I stopped posting, and I focused the attention away from me in 2019. I knew I would be transitioning in a year or two, and I went more behind the scenes. I left just before the official ribbon cutting, and it was hard not speaking at the ribbon cutting, hard not being in a staff picture while receiving their latest big grant... but it is what was best for the organization, and I was right, look at them! 

Check the other blog, I left because my work there was done, the next phase, would be better served by someone else. Like I tell people, La Casa hired an engineer to build the battleship, and then they needed an admiral to drive it around... they found that admiral in Juan Constantino. Read that blog here.

Thank you to the people who still sending me notes of appreciation, and a great donor friend who emailed me congratulating me... so many people made this work possible, it was my blessing to help design and be a cog in that machine. 

Like the quote says, "If you love something, set it free." It has never left me, just is in my life in another way and is flourishing more than I ever imaged. 

I am still a part of it, and always will be.