FOR RELEASE:                              Thursday, December 18, 2008
CONTACT:                                    Denise Moorehead, 617-532-6565

Elena Letona Named Director of Organizational Learning & Research

Third Sector New England Creates New Position to Facilitate Learning and Best Practices

BOSTON, December 18, 2008 – M. Elena Letona, formerly executive director of Centro Presente, Inc., has been appointed director of organizational learning and research at Third Sector New England, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Boston, Mass. Ms. Letona is responsible for developing and implementing a program to support the ongoing knowledge development of TSNE constituents and staff as well as for the nonprofit capacity building field in general.

The director of organizational learning and research is a new senior management position at TSNE. As the first person to hold the position, Ms. Letona will develop the organization’s capacity for knowledge generation and dissemination, reviewing program-related data on a regular basis and extracting relevant learning for staff, constituents and other external audiences. She will also identify core learning topics for community convenings and assist with the development of content as well as participate in the development of internal and external trainings – and faciliatate peer learning.

Additionally, Ms. Letona will work with TSNE’s consulting staff to lead or conduct evaluations for clients; design a process to assess internal organizational learning needs and address those needs in various ways; and conduct research on issues related to TSNE’s program areas and values.

“Elena Letona brings a unique mix of hands on and management experience in social justice program work to Third Sector New England," states Jonathan Spack, TSNE executive director. “She is a talented nonprofit professional whose expertise and leadership complements that of the other members of our senior management team.”

At Centro Presente, Inc. for 10 years, Ms. Letona led a member-driven, statewide organization dedicated to achieving the self-determination of the Central and Latin American immigrant community of Massachusetts. She also is also a founding member of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, and executive committee member of the Salvadoran-American National Network.

Ms. Letona has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2005 Barr Fellowship, the 2007 Massachusetts Hispanic Bar Association Leadership Award and the 2006 Drylongso Award which recognizes outstanding individuals for their work challenging structural racism and working to build a just society.

A native of El Salvador, Ms. Letona attended Oberlin College-Conservatory where she earned a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and music history, and the University of Massachusetts Boston where she earned a master’s and a Ph.D. in public policy. In addition to her education, Ms. Letona has close to 20 years of experience managing programs in various nonprofit and government agencies. Above all, Ms. Letona is a community organizer and an activist with a profound commitment and passion for social justice.

The arrival of Ms. Letona adds vigor to TSNE’s mission to build the knowledge, power and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations.

Third Sector New England provides resources and information that help progressive nonprofit organizations strengthen their programs and strategically create social change. TSNE also works to raise the visibility of the nonprofit, or third, sector nationally. For over five decades, it has been a resource for New England’s nonprofit community.

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