Johnston Limón Appointed Executive Director of Youth Speaks

On Tuesday, January 9, Laura Brief, board chair at Youth Speaks (San Francisco, CA), announced that Cristy Johnston Limón will take over as executive director. Johnston Limón, former director of Guild member Destiny Arts Center (Oakland, CA), replaces James Kass, founder of Youth Speaks and 2017 National Guild Milestone Awardee. Cristy Johnston Limón serves on the National Advisory Council for the Creative Youth Development National Partnership.

As noted by Brief, “at Destiny, [Johnston Limón] ensured the financial sustainability and growth of the organization, found and financed a permanent home for the center, and created an artistically rich and welcoming cultural destination for thousands of youth and their families.”

“Access to the arts gave me hope and a vision for what our communities could be when our voices were driving the conversation. It is an honor to now lead an organization that harnesses a powerful platform for young people to find, express and apply their voices for change. I could not be more excited to lead Youth Speaks and continue to build on our values-driven work and mission,” said Johnston Limón.

About Youth Speaks

Youth Speaks believes that having knowledge, practice, and confidence in the written and spoken language is essential to the self-empowerment of an individual. We fill a need for creative approaches to literary arts education and literacy development; we believe it is crucial to provide spaces where youth can undergo a process of personal growth and transformation in a program that enriches their educational, professional, artistic and leadership skills.

Published: January 11, 2018