For Immediate Release
Contact: Heather Masterton
Chief Strategic Engagement Officer
YWCA Glendale and Pasadena
P 585.687.8319 | heathermasterton@ywcagp.org

 

New Position to Help Individuals and Organizations Address Racism and Sexism While Developing Knowledge and Skills to Center, Deepen, and Broaden Equity and Belonging through Educational Programming, Trainings, & Consultation Services

Glendale, CA, July 20, 2021 –– On August 1, 2021, Fabiola Montiel-Tellez will join the YWCA Glendale and Pasadena as the new Director of Racial and Gender Equity. Fabiola will oversee the creation and delivery of racial and gender equity programming in alignment with the YWCA mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and YWCA’s public policy and advocacy agenda. Fabiola brings over a decade of experience in multicultural communication and organizational leadership. She has worked on gender-based violence prevention, advocacy and policy change, early childhood systems change, and community transformation.

Fabiola comes to YWCA with an impressive history of leading racial and gender equity initiatives and training programs, including building collaborative projects with civic organizations to advocate for early childhood well-being, developing organization wide DEI trainings, and serving as a spokesperson for educational and advocacy campaigns with First 5 LA, leading trainings to improve the health and safety conditions for workers in Southern California with UCLA Labor and Occupational Safety and Health, and supporting survivors of gender based violence and mobilizing parents to create policy change within their communities and school district as violence prevention educator and counselor advocate at Peace Over Violence, a rape crisis and domestic violence support center.

“In a year of racial reckoning and calls for transformative systems change, it is with great excitement that we bring on Fabiola Montiel-Tellez, a seasoned policy and communications leader to oversee the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale’s policy work and to build out YWCA’s educational offerings in racial and gender equity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion campaigns, trainings and consultations. We are grateful to the Weingart Foundation whose support allowed us to create this inaugural position to build upon the momentum of the historic wins we achieved this last year in advancing local racial justice initiatives,” Tara Peterson, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Glendale and Pasadena.

In response to the groundswell of requests received this year from businesses, community groups, and government entities, the Director will develop new consultation and training programs. In addition to implementing YWCA USA national initiatives at the local level, the Director will build upon YWCA’s local policy wins – passing a historic Sundown Town Resolution and establishing a Tenant/Landlord Advisory Body in the City of Glendale – to advance housing, policing, and employment policy changes to create a more just and equitable Glendale.

YWCA Glendale and Pasadena’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Their programs include a 24/7 Crisis Hotline, a 16-bed Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter, a Domestic Violence Community Services Center that provides case management, legal services, adult and child counseling, trauma informed childcare, and housing navigation support, a Violence Prevention Education and Outreach Program, a Girls Empowerment Program that offers after school programming, summer camp and STEAM education workshops and mentorship, and the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale.  For more information, please visit:  www.ywcagp.org.

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