Be A Leader Foundation Announces New President + CEO

Be A Leader Foundation recently announced that Soilo J. Felix will lead the organization as its new president and CEO.

Felix, currently the organization’s chief operating officer, assumes the role as co-founder Melissa Trujillo transitions to a new role as board chair after 20 years of outstanding success. Trujillo and her husband, Gary, created the organization in 2002 to provide Arizona youth with the tools and guidance necessary to succeed on their path to postsecondary education.

Felix has spent 23 years of his nonprofit career in various roles in youth development, beginning at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and spending the last nine years with Be A Leader Foundation as chief program officer and chief operating officer.

Before joining the Be A Leader team, Felix worked as director of community engagement programs at the Arizona Science Center, which included youth programs, outreach services, STEM community programs and adult and family programs. He also spent 12 years with a local youth and teen development organization, where he led the development of a comprehensive educational and technology program strategy. During his career at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, Felix cultivated strategic relationships in the areas of distance learning and tele-presence technologies.

“Soilo’s extensive background in youth development, as well as his passion for our mission and tireless efforts on behalf of Be A Leader, made him an excellent candidate to fulfill the role of leading the organization,” said Tim DeSoto, human resource committee chairman and CEO search committee chair. “We are unanimously excited and supportive of Soilo’s new leadership role and know he will continue to build upon the strategic growth the organization has already experienced over the last 20 years, and in that process, will support thousands of Arizona youth on their path to a successful future.”

Trujillo will continue to serve the organization as executive chair through June 30, 2022, to assist in the transition, and serve as board chair beginning July 1, 2022.

bealeader.org

About Julie Coleman

Julie Coleman is a contributing writer for Frontdoors Media. She is Principal of Julie Coleman Consulting, providing strategic philanthropy consulting services for individuals, families, businesses, foundations and nonprofit organizations.

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