Tony Lopez

Vice President of Leadership and Resource Development, NYC Center for Charter School Excellence

Tony Lopez is a respected community leader. He is known for his commitment to public education and to progressive change that leads to opportunities for all young people. He is notable for advocacy efforts on behalf of students in bilingual and vocational education and charter schools. He is recognized for contributions to the field of youth development, creating programs for young people to grow from their own experiences and by examples of caring and knowledgeable adults.

Tony has an intimate understanding of the changing demographics of New York City, the educational and socio-economic issues facing poor and working class communities, and its impact on policy and programs. This knowledge, combined with the ability and skill to articulate the needs of various constituencies form the basis of his role as a passionate advocate and effective leader. He enjoys working collaboratively with different groups of people to achieve a common goal or mission. His vision for people of color and modeling behavior serve to inspire and motivate others, young or seasoned, to action.

Tony is skilled and experienced in a variety of organizational functions. These included: Executive Leadership and Management, Program Planning, Design and Administration, Grant Writing and Fundraising, Strategic Framework and Planning, Financial Management, Staff Training and Development, and Community Organizing and Coalition Building.

Some of his accomplishments include the expansion of "I Have a Dream" program sites from ten sites in New York City to 153 sites nationwide. As Executive Director of ASPIRA of NY, he doubled the size of the organization's budget in three years, and secured a planning grant to create the first K-12 dual language educational campus in the Fordham section of the Bronx .