Jessica Clemente, We Stay / Nos Quedamos

Chief Executive Officer with 6+years of leadership and organizational change management experience. Visionary leader-respected for community development and supporting Nos Quedamos restructuring.

Under Ms. Clemente’s leadership, Nos Quedamos has grown and flourished, increasing in staff and program/service diversity. Some of these accomplishments include but not limited to:

– Financial stability for Nos Quedamos which now has an operating budget of $1,000,000;

– Continued the work on sustainable affordable housing through the development of a new mixed-use residential building for seniors and families;

– Developed a strong relationship with arts and cultural organizations in the South Bronx that has led Nos Quedamos to be the fiscal sponsor for a significant grant from the Dept. of Cultural Affairs and the formation of the Bronx Cultural Collective;

– Organizing the Melrose community gardens to form a coalition, known as the ‘Asociación de Huerto y Cultura,’ that is currently working towards 501(c)(3) status;

– Continued the work of Nos Quedamos with the Southern Bronx Watershed Alliance in its effort to decommission and re-envision the Sheridan Expressway;

Increased the organization’s work in community and environmental advocacy through the following:

– voter engagement, the organizing of candidates forum as well as work with the Campaign Finance Board,

– board participation in the citywide New York Environmental Justice Alliance,

– assisted in organizing the Bronx wide coalition “Development without Displacement;”

– provided a leadership platform for the development of a major policy initiative on the development of Community Land Trusts.