Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Ivon Pena

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Ivon Peña serves as Executive Director of Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD). After joining OCCORD in 2021, she served as Development Manager, where she built the organization’s grant-management system from the ground up, strengthened processes for prospecting, proposal development, tracking, and reporting, and cultivated relationships with new and existing funders. Her leadership helped OCCORD strengthen its development infrastructure and secure critical investments in its programs and long-term sustainability. During an organizational leadership transition, Ivon was appointed Interim Co-Executive Director. In that role, she provided executive oversight of OCCORD’s development, finance, operations, and organizational infrastructure while helping lead the organization through a period of significant change. Following her interim service, Ivon applied for the permanent position and was selected by OCCORD’s Board of Directors to serve as Executive Director. She brings to the role experience across fundraising, organizational management, citizenship services, and civic engagement. Before joining OCCORD, Ivon served as the National Civic Engagement Grants and Administrative Coordinator at the NALEO Educational Fund, where she supported civic-engagement initiatives and grantmaking during the 2020 Census and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to NALEO, she began her career in public service in Washington, D.C., working in the office of Congresswoman Norma J. Torres. In that role, she gained firsthand experience in the U.S. Congress and supported legislative and constituent-services work related to public policy, immigration, and civic engagement. Ivon earned a bachelor’s degree with double majors in Ethnic Studies and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a certificate in Grant Writing and Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. As a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, her leadership is grounded in care, accountability, integrity, dignity, and community voice.

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