Assessment & Evaluation Manager Dr. David Villegas Graduates From The Creciente Latinx Leadership Program
On February 7, 2025, Visions’ Assessment & Evaluation Manager Dr. David Villegas graduated from the Creciente Latinx Leadership Program. Led by our partners at Youth Development Network (YDN), this 8-month program teaches members of the Latino/Hispanic/Latinx community how to prepare and empower the next generation of Latinx leaders.
“The Creciente Latinx Leadership Program was founded in 2021 by Doni Blumenstock, a lifelong champion of social justice, and Adrian Ruiz, the Executive Director of Youth Development Network,” explains David. “The program seeks to recruit aspiring Latinx professionals in the Sacramento region into a fellowship that provides the skills and support network each fellow needs to become an active local board or committee member.”
David and a cohort of 19 fellows met weekly to engage in different types of professional learning, including networking, strengths-development, and project-based learning. These lessons were designed specifically to educate them about the Latinx community in the Sacramento region and the issues this community faces.
David with his cohort.
“From week-to-week, sessions led by Latinx leaders, many of whom were fellows from earlier Cohorts, advanced our understanding of negotiation tactics, implicit bias, what it means to have executive presence, how to practice facilitative leadership, and how to navigate imposter feelings,” says David. “This learning experience was supported by directed readings from books that included Bargaining for Advantage and Crucial Conversations, an Inspiration Speaker Series with talks by prestigious Latinx leadership such as Julissa Arce, the author of You Sound Like a White Girl, and other community-building events.”
David and Robert (Apoyado) at the ceremony.
Each fellow was also paired with an Apoyado, or “mentor”, who met with them regularly to share their experiences, challenge their thought processes, and provide them with advice. In partnership with his Apoyado Robert Medina, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Sobrato (pictured right), David was taught how to be a better leader, learner, and community member.
“Through Creciente I sharpened my skills as a leader in everything from strategic planning and making informed decisions, to navigating challenges, solving problems, having difficult conversations and receiving constructive feedback. The ability to do that well will make me a better partner in the work that I am doing here at Visions with staff at all levels,” David shares. “Beyond that, I feel my philosophy, the way I approach work and challenges, has evolved. I’m more open today to leaning into challenges with authenticity and grace, knowing that feelings of discomfort are my brain’s way of telling me that I am growing. Most importantly, I made connections with people who, in sharing their experiences, opened my eyes to my culture and the privilege I experience, and provided me with a sense of belonging.”
David will be applying the skills he’s learned in the Creciente program to his new positions as Board Member on the City of Lincoln Library Advisory Board and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, councilmember on the Placer County Child Care Advisory Board, and commissioner on the Placer County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission. Congratulations David and thank you for your continued efforts to get 1% better for our communities!
