John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas Executive Director Foster Promise, Seattle, WA In 2011 John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas facilitated a consortium of leaders and organizations serving communities of color, limited -English speakers and immigrants opposed a proposal by Governor Gregoire’s Office (SB 5557). He did much of this work on behalf of the Racial Equity Team (Winner of a Children’s Alliance, 2011 Voices for Children Awards), the Latino Community Fund, the Latino Civic Alliance, the Washington Community Action Network and a host of small organizations serving ethnic communities in Washington State. John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas is the newly appointed Executive Director at Foster Promise, a public policy organization advocating for well-being and positive outcomes for children in foster care. Before being appointed to his current position, John-Paul was a contract lobbyist working on behalf of low-income children and families, immigrants and communities of color. Formally, John-Paul served as the Washington State Director of Equity and Civil Rights in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) where he facilitated the legislatures’ Educational Achievement Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee. Before coming to Washington State, John-Paul was the Public Policy Lead and Product Development Manager at the Northwest Area Foundation in St. Paul, MN, where he oversaw an eight-state multimillion-dollar portfolio designed to promote support families and communities to reduce poverty and improve the lives of immigrants and people of color. He also served as the Executive Director of the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs (IDLA) where he led the development of state law for the certification of court, health and social service language interpreters. His other government appointments have included Chair of the Iowa Commission on Latino Affairs, Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Minority Health, Help America Vote Act Committee, the Iowa Food Security Council, and the Juvenile Justice Disproportionate Minority Confinement Committee. Prior to IDLA, John-Paul was the National Training and Technical Assistance director at the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice, the Executive Director of the Institute for the Support of Latino/a Families and Communities, and a co-founder of the Disproportionate Minority Confinement Resource Center at the University of Iowa. John-Paul has a B.A. in Sociology/International Relations from Saint Mary University, a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa, and has completed his coursework for a doctorate in cultural competence education and training at the same institution. John-Paul has received local, state, and national recognition for his work involving racial and gender justice, human rights, language equity, immigration, and citizenship.[July 2011]