New Leadership at Southwest Youth Collaborative

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC) Board of Directors I am pleased to announce the appointment of Alicia Tellez Vega, MJ as the Executive Director of SWYC effective February 1, 2012. Alicia received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology and a Master of Jurisprudence in Child Law degree from Loyola University Chicago.

Alicia brings over 15 years of experience working with children, youth and families in communities across Chicago.  Born and raised on the South Side, her vision and drive has always been to serve the South Side communities of the city, particularly those affected by violence.  She began her career at Loyola University Chicago in a management position at the CIVITAS Childlaw Center. She later moved into the child welfare arena by working at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The bulk of her career was at the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center serving as the Chief Program Officer for a national model agency providing multi-disciplinary investigations of child sexual abuse.  Alicia then went on to revamp the youth program at The Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest community center serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. She currently serves on the Illinois Children’s Justice Task Force, was a member of the Illinois Child Death Review Team and provided community leadership as a board member of Amigas Latinas Association.

Alicia has a compelling vision for the future and possesses the drive, energy and passion to make the vision a reality. The SWYC Board of Directors has full confidence in her background, knowledge and skills in working with children, youth and families and her commitment in carrying out the mission of the Southwest Youth Collaborative.

Welcome Alicia!

Usama Houlila

Board President

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