David Sáez
Treasurer

David Sáez serves as a co-executive director of Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, the largest culturally specific organization serving the Latinx and immigrant community in Lane County. Plaza was formed in 2021 when three Latinx-serving organizations, Centro Latino Americano, Downtown Languages, and Huerto de La Familia, merged to increase their capacity to serve Latinx and immigrant families. The resulting organization is a broader, more comprehensive service provider and community-building hub. David had previously served as the executive director of Centro Latino Americano, which he first joined in November 2013.

David was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and moved to the United States when he was 5 years old. He grew up on the East Coast and in the Midwest, graduating from high school in Toledo, Ohio. He earned a B.S. in journalism from Kent State University and began a career in journalism until 1999, when he entered the University of Minnesota to work on an M.Ed. in Work, Community and Family Education. His studies focused on community education, conflict resolution and restorative justice. 

After graduate school, David began a career in the nonprofit sector as a crisis counselor for students on probation in Riverside County, California. He held a variety of positions in the field, including after-school program coordinator, program director, and program educator. He also taught writing and journalism in higher education, including several semesters at the University of Oregon. 

David is a steering committee member of Visión Comunitaria of Oregon, a colectivo of Latine/x/a/o leaders and organizations dedicated to creating and implementing a unified agenda to guide advocacy, policy, and service provisions and strengthen relationships across Oregon. He also serves on the Oregon Department of Education's Latino/a/x & Indigenous Student Success Advisory Group, which provides recommendations and input to ODE's efforts to address systemic inequities.

David maintains a deep connection to his Puerto Rican heritage and his Spanish-speaking roots. He is a husband and father and has lived in Eugene since 2010.