Y. Armando Nieto
Y. Armando Nieto
Y. Armando Nieto is Oakland, California's Community Food and Justice Coalition Executive Director. He is also the Founding President of the Community Water Center in Tulare County and a member of Hispanics in Philanthropy and the National Alliance of Hispanics in Health.
"Do not settle for crumbs; hold our leaders accountable" - Y. Armando Nieto, 2005
Y. Armando Nieto was born in Long Beach, California. His father, a construction worker, and his mother, an activist who worked for Cesar Chavez for some time, raised him and his four siblings in California, where he witnessed the shoreline change due to oil development. This early experience sparked his interest in the field, where he has been fighting drilling off the coast ever since. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara for his degree in Political Science and Government but did not finish as a result of being unjustly beaten and jailed following anti-war protests. However, he continued to develop as an activist. He used the money from the settlement to fund Isla Vista Community Service Center, an organization dedicated to disseminating information and serving as a place for the community to gather.
Nieto worked for the Environmental Defense Center for seven years as Executive Director (1995-2002) before joining Redefining Progress as their Chief Executive Officer (2008-2010). He currently provides consulting and is the Executive Director of the Community Food and Justice Coalition (2010 – present). Throughout his career, he developed skills and expertise in fundraising, organizational development, and coalition building, making him a more effective activist and leader.
Nieto has served on boards, including the National Earth Share Federation and the Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper, and is the Founding President of the Community Water Center in Tulare County. He also served on the National Conference for Community and Justice advisory board and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, among others. Nieto sees himself as a bridge builder and helps educate the community on the environmental, climate change, social justice, and economic issues they face.
Nieto highlights the importance of professional associations and networking groups in career development, stating that Hispanics in Philanthropy allowed him to grow and mentor others, resulting in many long-term relationships.
Nieto tells young professionals, "Do not settle for crumbs, no matter what path you have taken. Higher education or not, you can be both successful and a role model" (2005).
(UM-VSEF) Interview conducted by Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative staff. 2016. University of Michigan – School of Natural Resources and Environment. Ann Arbor, MI.
Y. Armando Nieto. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved July 3, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarmandonieto/
Y. Armando Nieto [Photo]. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved July 3, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarmandonieto/
Y. Armando Nieto [Photo]. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved July 3, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarmandonieto/