This last year marked a significant milestone for Ibero. It was the first year we did not offer residential program services. Over the last decade, our residential programs were seen as tugboats that generated enough revenue to pull other deficit programs along.  More recently, these programs became boat anchors for years before, during, and after the COVID pandemic. Even more, they became a significant risk that brought Ibero to the line of solvency.  In moments like these, you learn who your friends are, but even more importantly, you learn who you are. During these times, I learned that we are resilient, persevering, and determined to light the path to prosperity, equity, and economic mobility for the communities we serve. I also discovered who our friends are. They embraced and cried with us, encouraged, and guided us, and many financially supported us. They did this because they believe in us and Ibero’s impact on the Latino communities of upstate New York.

While the pressure and stakes were high for us this year, some other historic and noteworthy accomplishments exist. These include raising over $1M in unrestricted funds, creating Corazón de Ibero, our first homegrown philanthropic giving society, and securing new multi-year funded projects that allowed us to close the year with a $60K surplus. We entered last year knocked down, and some may even say crippled, but we had no time to rest and recover. We had to heal and continue fighting at the same time. This tenacity pretty much sums up the leader of Ibero. Angelica is a fearless leader who has and continues to put the organization ahead of herself. She doesn’t have to choose between her pride and that of the communities she serves because they are the same. When the community is in pain and hurt, she suffers with them. When they graduate and start their first business, she celebrates with them. When displaced from their homes, near and abroad, she adds more chairs to our table and welcomes them to their new “familia.”

Estoy muy orgulloso to be part of Ibero, and I look forward to continuing to work with our community partners, local and state government, and the families we serve to raise the bar even higher next year. I would be remiss if I did not thank my fellow board members for making themselves available to navigate all activities that required board planning and approval. In moments of great need, you stepped up and answered the call. I especially want to thank Celeste Amaral, who consistently went above and beyond the call of duty. I am honored and blessed to serve on the Ibero Board of Directors and look forward to what this next year has in store for us. ¡Pa’lante!