Yolanda Caldera-Durant Named to Senior Leadership Role at The Community Foundation
Former PLF Advisory Committee Member will focus on work that promotes equity in the economy.
Yolanda Caldera-Durant has been named Vice President for Community Strategies for The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. In this new position, Caldera-Durant will lead work that promotes equity in career opportunities and access to growing sectors of the economy, with a focus on supporting women, immigrants, people who were formerly incarcerated and other populations with systemic barriers to opportunity.
She steps into the role as The Foundation begins its first year of implementing Stepping Forward, a spending and programmatic commitment to addressing the lingering impacts of COVID-19 and the long-term work of advancing racial equity.
“What’s exciting to me is the fact that I’m coming in at a time that The Foundation is putting out a robust response to the COVID recovery and focusing its sights on addressing systemic racism,” said Caldera-Durant.
The role also returns Caldera-Durant to The Foundation in a new capacity. For several years, she volunteered her service on the Advisory Committee for the Progreso Latino Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation.
“This is bringing me full circle, from being a volunteer and board member to PLF, to being a staff member working with colleagues toward a shared goal,” said Caldera-Durant. “I saw this leadership opportunity and thought it would draw on my lived experience, knowledge and passion for Greater New Haven.”
The work to address equity and systems change builds on Caldera-Durant’s experience in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector and long-term ties to the region.
Learn more about her personal and professional journey in her profile for the PLF's series, "Celebrating Latino Leaders."
