Transitions at CIELO

By Mary Ferris, CIELO's Board Chair

Julio Rios

In this time of global change, CIELO continues to evolve as an organization.

When we hired our Interim Executive Director Patricia Hart in January, we could not have

foreseen the events that lie ahead of us. At the beginning of March, the entire CIELO team shifted from in-person services to working remotely. Staff quickly and creatively adapted to find new ways to continue to meet the needs of the Latino immigrant community. We continue to provide educational classes, advocacy work, and client services using technology. We are thankful for Patricia’s ability to lead during one of the most critical six-month periods CIELO has ever experienced.

Despite the challenges, Patricia continued forge ahead strengthening the team, improving operations, developing new partnerships, continuing fundraising, and preparing CIELO for our new Executive Director.

We are pleased to announce that we have hired Mr. Julio Rios as CIELO’s new Executive Director. Julio comes to us with several years' experience leading nonprofits as the Executive Director, as well as experience leading teams as an industrial engineer. Julio grew up in San Luis Potosi, Mexico but his work has led him east to Detroit, Michigan, and as far south as Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico. We value his diverse skills which range from servant-style leadership, ability to quickly analyze complex and challenging situations, and capacity to engage others and incorporate their experiences. He thrives on connecting and inspiring his team, leading them through solutions with humility and empathy, while maintaining the vision of the of the future.

Please join us in welcoming Julio to CIELO! We are excited to have him on board and know that he will be an asset to our organization, and to our community as we move forward into the next chapter. He can be reached via email executivedirector@CIELOprograms.org or by leaving a message on our Facebook page.

A message from our new Executive Director, Julio Rios:

“I am thankful for the opportunity to reach out to you today. It is a great honor for me to be

brought into the family of CIELO, moreso, to serve the wonderful South Sound

Community. I found a place moving in the same path I am, walking towards the

empowerment of our people, promoting justice and the betterment of life for everyone. I

believe that difficult times have the ability to portray the essence of people and

organizations. I was astounded to see an organization, with a team and community

evolving and accommodating to serve, and do it even better during this pandemic. Your

love for people, determination and courage are more than evident. You are not just

‘interested’ in change, you are committed to it. I have been awarded with the great

opportunity to serve you. May this time ahead of us, combined with everyone’s effort,

bring light in spite of apparent darkness and uncertainty.”

Truly Yours,

Julio Rios