As Deputy Director, Desiree oversees FRESC’s campaigns that support working families and ensure that our economic development benefits everyone, especially low-income people and people of color. Desiree joined the FRESC staff in July of 2011. She has spent the last 15 years working with immigrants and working families in Metro Denver. She applies both her policy and organizing experience to campaigns at FRESC. Desiree led the broad coalition that won the Wage Protection Act of 2014 that included power partners- 9to5 Colorado, Centro Humanitario, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, FRESC and Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association.

In previous jobs Desiree led both policy and worker organizing campaigns. Some highlights include: equity in the budgeting practices of Denver Public Schools, improved transportation options for public school children, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant youth and bringing hundreds of new janitors from the northwestern suburbs of Denver into a union contract. Her favorite part of her job is training community leaders and workers to do their own research to create solutions to the problems they identify in their communities and places of work.

Desiree holds a Master’s Degree in Community Social Work from the University of Denver and speaks fluent Spanish.