Meet NWHF’s New Program Officers
We’re so happy to introduce two new program officers who will support NWHF’s current and future initiatives, from Civic Health to the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program and beyond. Meet Cleo Tung and David Navarro!
Cleo Tung
What communities do you identify with?
I’m a first-generation Chinese-American. I was raised in Taiwan for the first few years of my life and then spent most of my childhood and young adulthood in Southern California before moving to Portland in 2015. I’m also a criminal justice reform advocate, avid vegan cook and soon-to-be mama.
What excites you about your new role at NWHF? What program are you most drawn to?
Sharing wealth and building power to advance racial and social justice is something I care deeply about, and joining the NWHF team is an incredible opportunity to carry out this mission. It’s an opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with organizations across Oregon who share these values and to help ensure they have the resources they need to make an impact in their communities.
I’m especially excited to implement the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP). This is a critically needed program that will uplift the communities most harmed by violence and mass incarceration - Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ folks, and people living at the intersections of these identities. As someone who fought hard for this program with my former colleagues at Partnership for Safety & Justice and our coalition partners, I believe that JREP offers an important pathway for reducing the extreme racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system and promoting an alternative vision for community safety. I’m eager to dig in and ensure the program’s success.
What drives you to work in the social justice nonprofit and philanthropic field?
Being a woman of color, daughter of immigrants, survivor of violence and someone with friends and loved ones who have been touched by the criminal justice system, all of these lived experiences drive my passion to work towards social justice and liberation for all of our communities. I believe that fundraising and grant making are tools that can help move us closer to this end when we’re intentional about using them to dismantle rather than perpetuate systems of oppression. That’s why I’ve channeled my energy into my longtime work as a fundraiser and am excited to transition into grant making at NWHF. I see the meaningful impact we can make when power and wealth are redistributed to our social justice movements.
How have you been practicing self-care over the last two years?
Over the last two years, I’ve been practicing self-care by trying new vegan recipes at home. I’ve been especially inspired by Joanne Lee Molinaro’s “The Korean Vegan Cookbook” and Bryant Terry’s “Vegetable Kingdom.” I also enjoy taking walks to the park with my partner and dog, playing piano, and moving my body through pilates and indoor spinning.
What’s one wish you have for Oregon and SW Washington?
My wish is that every person in Oregon and SW Washington, no matter their color or background, has access to the support and resources they need to thrive. This means investing deeply in the things we know empower people to take care of themselves, their families and those around them: mental health services, affordable housing, good education, quality healthcare and alternatives to the police and prisons. My hope is that we can build stronger communities of care that encourage us to rely on each other rather than systems of punishment and retribution to promote safety and healing for everyone.
What brings you joy?
Being in community with other advocates who are fighting for racial and social justice and celebrating our shared struggles and successes gives me incredible joy. I’m continually inspired and humbled by the wisdom, grit and sense of humor that my fellow activists bring to the movement and appreciate that we can still find moments to laugh and have fun in the face of upheaval and uncertainty. I also find joy in cooking for my friends and family, snuggling my senior dog and taking road trips with my partner when we can.
David Navarro
What communities do you identify with?
Black, Latino, LGBTQIA2S+, CARICOM
What excites you about your new role at NWHF? What programs are you most drawn to?
I am excited to work with a group of heterogeneous folks who are invested in making the world a little better, in which we all share. I am excited to fully understand NWHF as an organization and work as an advocate and ambassador for our service lines. I am eager to roll up my sleeves and become a subject matter expert at JREP. I am also intrigued to gain more awareness of advancing disability justice, as this is an area in which I have the least experience.
What drives you to work in the social justice nonprofit and philanthropic field?
I exist in a world where myself and people who may have a similar lived experience are not factored into the status quo of our U.S. existence. I aspire to help in the paradigm shift so that society sees and recognizes all of us as part of the whole.
How have you practiced self-care over the last two years?
I have placed some intention into reclaiming my relationship with nature. I do my best to spend as much time surrounded by trees, walking barefoot in the grass and being in natural water sources. Food is also one of my greatest joys, so preparing a complex dish or multi-course meal often helps me to decompress.
What’s one wish you have for Oregon and SW Washington?
With regards to my upcoming work and the work that I have dedicated myself to over the last several years, I hope to see our region thrive through collective impact partnerships.
What brings you joy?
All things food, being a sci-fi or fantasy dork, my chosen family, the prospect of adopting a dog.