Shared from the 5/9/2022 Houston Chronicle eEdition

SPOTLIGHT

BakerRipley president and CEO puts focus on leadership, community

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Marie D. De Jesús / Staff photographer

BakerRipley president and CEO Claudia Aguirre says it is essential that all community voices are heard.

As the president and CEO of BakerRipley, Claudia Aguirre has led one of the nation’s largest nonprofits through Hurricane Harvey, the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent disasters that have forced thousands of Texans to turn to charity for assistance. Each year, BakerRipley’s 1,600 workers serve more than 600,000 people through its workforce development, child education and senior programs, among many others.

Aguirre joined BakerRipley in 2010 as its vice president of community based initiatives, eventually working her way to senior vice president and chief program officer before being tapped to lead the organization in 2017. Before that, she worked for decades in community engagement, including at Houston City Hall, where she led the design development of youth programs. Aguirre continues to serve on the boards of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, the Greater Houston Partnership and Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where where she is deputy chair.

She spoke to the Chronicle about leading BakerRipley through the pandemic, the role of nonprofits in recovery from COVID-19 and the importance of having a community voice on the Dallas Fed.

Q: Why is it important to have a nonprofit voice on the Dallas Fed board, particularly at this moment of economic uncertainty, high inflation and as we continue to slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?

A: If we want a robust economy that works for everyone, it is essential all community voices are heard. At the Dallas Fed, we are fortunate to have a diverse and inclusive board of directors who allow the discussions that affect us all. This work plays a significant role in the functioning of the Federal Reserve.

As both CEO of BakerRipley and deputy chair of the Dallas Fed Board, I am honored and hold highly the responsibility of being the link between the system and the public. BakerRipley represents more than half a million hardworking, low-income neighbors who continue to navigate the challenges and the harsh consequences tied to the pandemic. When engaging in the robust policy discussions we have on the board, this role serves as a critical connection to the needs, aspirations and experiences of our neighbors.

It is imperative we make every effort to create truly equitable and sustainable solutions. It is my commitment and responsibility to elevate the voices and concerns of our most vulnerable communities and ensure they are considered.

Q: You’ve previously said that in your role with BakerRipley, you’ve sought to help people “learn more, earn more and have a place to belong.” Can you elaborate on what that means? How has doing so been more difficult because of the pandemic? And how has rising inflation added to those difficulties?

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Marie D. De Jesús / Staff photographer

Aguirre says the pandemic has reaffirmed her commitment to the mission of BakerRipley.

A: This is about meeting people where they are, analyzing their strengths and focusing on what they already have, not what they lack. Our neighbors come to us with a desire for more out of life. We provide programming and services that help them along that journey.

That means we provide early childhood education and adult education; it means we host courses that teach skills that can lead to new and better-paying jobs; it means we support community members who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods. It’s about providing those who turn to us with a safe space and resources to pursue the goals they set for themselves.

We continue to see increasing numbers of people needing our support. Now, even with the financial resources coming in from each level of government, more people needing assistance in addition to rising costs make the situation that much more dire.

Q: How important is housing to low-income Americans as they try to recover from both the physical and financial effects of COVID-19? And what more should be done to assist on that front?

A: Affordable housing is imperative for the health and well-being of all members of our community. The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified this problem.

According to data from the Houston Housing Authority and the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 400,000 households qualify for housing assistance, and more than 155,000 families live at or near the poverty line. Yet, the existing housing stock in Houston can only provide affordable opportunities for just under 77,000 families.

Emergency rental payment assistance and homelessness prevention programs are vital lifelines that help families meet short-term needs. However, it’s essential to invest resources in holistic solutions that get to the root of many families’ challenges for sustainable self-sufficiency.

We must focus on the causes and not the effects. That means providing skills training for access to high-paying jobs, speeding up the development and construction of affordable housing, and offering financial literacy programs — we must go to the root of the problem, and at BakerRipley, that’s precisely what we do.

Q: The pandemic has forced the nonprofit sector to shoulder a larger burden of public assistance, with many charities reporting 10 or 20 percent increases in demands for things such as food, or rental and utility assistance at the same time that the sector also faces significant worker shortages. Do you think that the current environment is sustainable for most nonprofits? If not, what are some areas in which the government can ease the burden placed on charities at this moment?

A: Most nonprofits are not structured for a prolonged crisis (or series of challenges) like this pandemic. If we are constantly operating in crisis mode, it becomes increasingly difficult for us to build and implement sustainable long-range solutions because we are so busy focusing on short-term fixes.

Suppose the government does more to address the material conditions of communities, such as increasing wages and reducing inflation. In that case, nonprofits will have the capacity to take a more targeted and deliberate approach to their work.

Q: Has the pandemic changed how you think about your role and responsibilities both at Baker-Ripley and the Fed? If so, can you elaborate?

A: As CEO, I surround myself with a diverse and talented team to take us through these intense challenges to constantly balance, pivot and compromise. The pandemic has only reaffirmed my commitment to this work and the importance of Baker-Ripley’s collaborations with our nonprofit partners. robert.downen@chron.com

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