Jamaica Plain resident Juan Leyton will take up the post of interim director at the Latino political organization Oiste? following the previously director’s exit to lead the City’s Office of New Bostonians (ONB).
“I love working with the Latino community,” Leyton told the Gazette this week. “I can’t say what will happen after we find a new director, but I’d love to stay on.”
Alejandra St. Guillen, the former executive director at Oiste?, took up her post as interim director of ONB earlier this month.
“We think he’ll be a great asset to the organization,” St. Guillen told the Gazette. “My main concern in taking the [ONB] position was finding a replacement [at Oiste?].”
Leyton told the Gazette that while he has been previously involved with Oiste?, he was never part of the staff. He expects the search for a permanent executive director to take at least six months and possibly longer.
Leyton is a former executive director of the JP-based housing rights organization City Life/Vida Urbana.
Oiste?, whose name means “Have You Heard?”, was founded in 1999 to advance political issues of Latinos in Massachusetts. One of its founders was JP resident Jarrett Barrios, who is now CEO at the American Red Cross of Massachusetts.
ONB helps immigrants access City services, language learning and training. It also helps develop the mayor’s immigration policy, St. Guillen told the Gazette. It is unclear how long a search for a permanent director might take.
New Oiste? director Juan Leyton. (Courtesy Photo)