NEWS RELEASE
June 1, 2021
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
The Lord’s Place Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com
561-632-6747
Kerry Diaz appointed as chief operating officer for The Lord’s Place
The Lord’s Place announces the appointment of Kerry Rodriguez Diaz, J.D. as chief operating officer. Diaz joined The Lord’s Place as the interim COO in March 2021 and accepted the permanent role in May.
As COO, Diaz is responsible for overseeing the agency’s operations, which includes its Information Technology, Property Management, and Housing Acquisition/Expansion components. She has strong knowledge of the many dimensions of nonprofit management, including programming, finance, advancement, research and evaluation, legal compliance, human resources, and administration.
“Her methodical, strategic, and analytic approach to operations and strategy, coupled with compassion, make Kerry a perfect fit for our culture. She is a thought leader who fully embraces our mission. We are blessed to have Kerry at the helm of spearheading the construction of our new headquarters and housing facilities which will be instrumental in serving more people experiencing homelessness,” stated Diana Stanley, chief executive officer of The Lord’s Place.
Diaz said she accepted the permanent role because of “the team and the transformations they are able to make in real people’s lives. I do not go a day without being in awe of the work that happens at the street level to nurture people in need and meet them where they are with kindness and compassion.”
Diaz joins the executive leadership team with extensive experience administering and leading major nonprofit organizations. She is the immediate past president of Quantum Foundation, where she also led the grants committee and served on its board of directors. Previously, she served as the executive director of the OMEGA, director of the California Center for Assisted Living, director of policy for the California Association for Health Services at Home, regional director of the National Environmental Advisory Task Force, and as a Legislative analyst for the Juvenile Justice Committee for the Florida House of Representatives and a congressional campaign field director.
Prior to becoming a member of The Lord’s Place’s workforce, Diaz owned and managed a women’s apparel and accessories boutique. She graduated with a B.A. in English from Villanova University and earned her law degree at Florida State University College of Law. Diaz has been admitted to the Bar in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. She has served on numerous local boards, including the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Community Alliance, and the Health Funders Group of Florida Philanthropic Network.
When not working to change the lives of the homeless and most vulnerable and neglected in Palm Beach County, Diaz can be found shuttling carpools, cheering on the sidelines at her sons’ lacrosse games, or doing other philanthropic work. She is a former foster parent and currently lives in northern Palm Beach County, Florida with her husband and three sons—one college-bound, one in high school, and one in elementary school.
“I cry at least once a week – sometimes with sorrow at the difficult lives people live, and sometimes with joy at the steps people make to become stably housed. It is a bonus that my three sons get a ringside seat to their mother working on an issue that matters and modeling service to others,” reflects Diaz on her work with The Lord’s Place.
About The Lord’s Place
For more than 40 years, The Lord’s Place has been working to break the cycle of homelessness for men, women, and children in Palm Beach County, FL, through innovative, compassionate and effective services. It provides supportive and graduate housing at ten locations; operates social enterprises including three Joshua Thrift Stores, Joshua Catering, and Joshua Treasures; provides job training and placement services, clinical and care coordination, and community engagement services; and has a highly-successful reentry program helping men and women transitioning from incarceration. For more information visit thelordsplace.org or call 561-494-0125.
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Kerry Diaz, newly appointed chief operating officer for The Lord’s Place.
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