Ricardo G. Huerta Niño
Senior Initiative Officer and Director, Great Communities Collaborative
Why do you do what you do?
We all have a responsibility to use our skills, talents, resources, and passions to contribute to a better world, in any career or sector. My interests have been focused on education, immigrant rights, social justice, community development, environmental justice, and urban planning. In the work that I do, I hope to have an impact in these fields.
What drew you to the foundation?
I’ve been associated with San Francisco Foundation for many years, first as a Multicultural Fellow and later part of the Fellowship Alumni Network, so I have been following the growth of the foundation. The two key elements that have kept me affiliated with the foundation and have now drawn me to it are the strong and evident commitment to equity and the multi-pronged, multi-sector collaborative approach the foundation takes in partnering with stakeholders, decision-makers, other funders, and the private sector.
How would you describe your role?
My work supports efforts towards a Bay Area where low-income communities and communities of color can afford to live in a socially equitable, economically prosperous, and environmentally sustainable region. Our Great Communities Collaborative team works with funders, non-profits, and public sector partners to identify, implement, and leverage policy and financing strategies in the region, focused on the challenges of regional land use, transportation, housing, and climate resilience.
Are you involved in any volunteer activities?
I’ve been involved in a range of formal and informal volunteer activities including working with families who have been separated by U.S. immigration authorities, mentoring college students, chaperoning environmental science field trips, alumni association boards, awards selection committees, youth ocean conservation, guest speaking in schools, and other occasional volunteer opportunities.