Pictured left to right clockwise: Danielle De Vera, Tina Ramirez Moon, Mark Calaguas, Evangeline Lavado, Geri Aglipay, Ryan Viloria, HL Doruelo (CHICAGO, IL) - The board of directors of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) announces the appointment of Ryan Viloria as its next permanent Executive Director, effective November 30. Viloria has acted as AFIRE’s Interim Executive Director since December 2020, a role in which he also served from July to December 2019.
“We are elated to welcome Ryan as AFIRE’s full-time, permanent Executive Director,” said AFIRE Board Chair Mark Calaguas. “Having worked alongside him since he first joined the AFIRE board five years ago, I have been consistently impressed by Ryan’s dedication to AFIRE’s guiding principles of bayanihan (people working together), kapitbahayan (neighborly concern), and damayan (community mutual help). His diligent and nimble leadership during what continues to be a trying time for the Filipinx/a/o community has been a source of strength and resilience for AFIRE as the organization celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.” “It is an honor and a privilege to follow in the unique tradition of community care set forth by AFIRE,” said Viloria. “Moreso, I am forever grateful to each and every individual that I have worked with since my start with AFIRE as a volunteer to this very day. As the struggle for immigrant and workers rights continues to change and evolve, our journey simply means that we roll up our sleeves and continue the work. Our values continue to guide us to a brighter future, and I am thankful for this opportunity to serve the community with intention and care.” Prior to joining the staff of AFIRE, Viloria worked at the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. An active leader in the Chicago Filipinx community, Viloria previously served as a member of AFIRE’s board of directors, Conference Coordinator for the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), and Operations Manager at Kultura, the special events arm of the food and media company, Filipino Kitchen.
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The Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights & Empowerment (AFIRE) is a grassroots community organization that builds the capacity of Filipinx/a/os* to organize on issues of social, racial, and economic justice that affect undocumented immigrants, domestic workers, seniors, and youth. For further information, please visit afirechicago.org.
* We use Filipinx/a/o as shorthand for Filipinx/Filipina/Filipino to honor all gender identities.