As Director of Public Policy and Community Relations at Wilder, Adrián leads efforts to connect community voice, public policy, and systems change in service of Wilder’s mission to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Since joining Wilder in 2021, he has worked to ensure that the experiences of those most affected by public policies are centered in the decisions that shape them.
Before coming to Wilder, Adrián served as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, where he advanced policies impacting Latino communities across Minnesota. He brings more than 17 years of experience in community organizing, advocacy, coalition-building, and public engagement. Prior to his work in public policy and the nonprofit sector, Adrián was a K–12 educator, an experience that continues to shape his approach to leadership and systems change.
Adrián’s path into public policy was driven by a simple realization: too often, the people most affected by policy decisions—students, educators, families, and community members—were not the ones being centralized in shaping them. That experience strengthened his belief that lived experience is one of the most valuable forms of expertise and that effective public policy requires the meaningful inclusion of voices historically excluded from decision-making spaces.
At Wilder, Adrián is inspired by the organization’s holistic approach to strengthening communities. He values Wilder’s commitment to investing the time, trust, and intentionality necessary to elevate lived experience throughout its work—from direct services and community programs to organizational development and public policy advocacy. He is especially proud of Wilder’s approach to policy development, which centers the expertise of service participants, community members, and staff alongside research and data to create solutions that are equitable, community-rooted, and effective.
Grounded in humility, partnership, and a deep respect for community wisdom, Adrián believes lasting change happens when institutions are revolutionized to listen, learn, and partner with the people they serve. His work is guided by a commitment to building a Minnesota where every community has power, every person is valued, and public systems reflect the diversity, strengths, experiences, and aspirations of the people they impact.
