Meet Andrus Family Fund’s New Interim Director
A letter from Andrus Family Fund’s Nyoka Acevedo:
Dearest AFF Community,
After two incredible years at the Andrus Family Fund (AFF), I am nervous and excited to share that my family is moving abroad, and my last day as interim director will be June 30th.
While I am thrilled about my family’s next adventure, this move is bittersweet. When I joined AFF, I never could have predicted what we as a community would experience and accomplish: a pandemic, the uprisings, an insurrection (!), the losses we learned from, the joy we created, and the wins that brought us closer to youth and racial justice.
Serving and working alongside you, the AFF team, and the board has been a true honor and a privilege.
Meet Katayoon Majd.
I’m thrilled to announce that Katayoon Majd will serve as AFF’s Interim Director. Many of you may already know Katayoon from her work with AFF helping to guide our strategic refresh, and as an advocate, grantmaker, and litigator for youth and racial justice. She will be working roughly two days a week beginning June 23, 2022 and can be reached at kmajd@affund.org. Zaira Cedano will continue to serve as our fabulous program associate, please feel free to contact Zaira (zcedano@aff.org) and Katayoon about grant-related matters.
At the same time, Koya Leadership Partners is searching for AFF’s next director. Check out the job description and please share it with folks you think would be a good fit—maybe even you!
In It for the Long Haul
I know the news of my transition may be unsettling to some of you, but please know that AFF’s work, strategy, and partnership approach will continue stronger than ever. AFF is not a fickle funder—we are in it for the long haul and committed to fulfilling our mission: Supporting the self-determination, power, and liberation of Black, Brown, AAPI and Indigenous youth impacted by the youth justice, child welfare, and other disruptive systems. We are excited about how the next phase of our strategy will support the youth justice and child welfare movements.
Thank you!
Each time we lead, we stand on the shoulders of those before us. I am grateful to AFF’s former directors Manuela Arciniegas, Leticia Peguero, and AFF’s dedicated board and movement partners for shaping AFF into what it is today.
We know that the work of liberation is a life-long commitment. Each day, each step, each action, gets us a little bit closer to freedom. In the words of Assata Shakur, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Thank you for your continued commitment to creating a liberated world for young people, and in turn, for us all. I look forward to cheering you on from abroad and staying connected.
In solidarity,
Nyoka