Casa Latina appoints three new Co-Executive Directors

The following is from Casa Latina:
(Para leer en español, haga clic aquí.)

SEATTLE (April 6, 2022) — Casa Latina, a nonprofit that has worked with Latino immigrants in Seattle for over 25 years, welcomes Vania Adasme, Cariño Barragán Talancón, and Jessica Salvador as the new Co-Executive Directors.

(From left) Salvador was the Associate Director of the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Adasme was the Organizing Director for Lorena González’s mayoral campaign, and Talancón was formerly a community organizer for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. Collectively, they bring over 36 years of leadership experience to Casa Latina, where they started on April 1st.

“We are thrilled to welcome the new Co-Executive Directors,” said Casa Latina’s board president Pilar Pacheco. “They are each talented leaders and bring their own unique experience to the team. We are excited to see how this powerful team will complement each other and collaborate to lead Casa Latina in this new chapter.”

Casa Latina began the search for a Co-Executive director in January after internally announcing that they would adopt a new share-leadership model.

“After collecting input from across the organization, a committee of board members and staff researched shared leadership models and developed one tailored to Casa Latina,” said Rae Levine, who chaired the search committee. “All of Casa Latina’s staff and members, the day laborers and domestic workers who participate in our programs, were invited to meet the candidates and provide their input. I believe that this inclusive process with multiple rounds of interviews including members, staff, and board helped us hire a great Co-Executive Director team.”

Adasme, whose parents moved to the US from Chile when she was four years old, has deep political organizing experience connecting with BIPOC and Latinx voters. Notably, she was the Deputy Organizing Director in Florida for the Biden-Harris Campaign, a Deputy Organizing Director for Pete for America, and a Field Director for Stacy Abrams.

Talancón has been a community organizer for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, which lead a coalition of organizations including Casa Latina to secure over $440 million in COVID-19 relief funds for Washington immigrant families.  Prior to working at WAISN, she was an organizer for UFCW21 and a Worker Rights Program Manager at Casa Latina.

Salvador led organizational strategy and implementation, human resources, and operations at the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies.

Adasme will be the Co-ED of Employment. She oversees the member-led worker center and skill-based workshops. Talancón will be the Co-ED of Education & Community Organizing. She oversees the women’s leadership groups, community organizing, and English language classes. Salvador is the Co-ED of People and & Organization. She oversees operations, finances, HR, and fundraising.

Casa Latina is a nonprofit organization that advances the power and well-being of Latino immigrants through employment, education, and community organizing. Its vision is that the Latino community participates fully in the economy and democracy of this country.