Seven YouthBuild program leaders recognized for their passion and dedication to the young people they serve. From left to right: John Valverde, President and CEO, YouthBuild Global; Sara Silva, President, YouthBuild Leadership Council, and Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, EntreNous Community Empowerment; Kristen Hoyles, Workforce Development Manager, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota; Dorene Fourar, Program Director, cdcb YouthBuild; Claudia Consuelos, Director of Workforce Development, YouthBuild Rockford; and Ndung’u Kahihu, Executive Director, CAP Youth Empowerment Institute Kenya YouthBuild. Photo credit Libby Greene.
At this year’s YouthBuild Directors Association (YBDA) meeting in Washington D.C., seven YouthBuild program leaders received 2025 Directors Awards before a crowd of nearly 150 of their peers.
The awards celebrate program leaders across the YouthBuild movement who demonstrate clear impact at their local program, support their students in achieving their ambitions, and provide leadership for the entire YouthBuild network. This year, a special Lifetime Achievement Award was added to the program in recognition of a longstanding YouthBuild leader, his consummate service to opportunity youth, and his crucial role in starting the first local YouthBuild program in East Harlem in 1979.
This year’s honorees are:
Director of the Year
Sara Silva, Compton YouthBuild (California)
Innovator of the Year
Joanna James, YouthBuild Greater Stark County (Canton, Ohio)
Support of Young Leaders Award
Claudia Consuelos, YouthBuild Rockford (Illinois)
Global Impact Award
Ndung’u Kahihu, CAP Youth Empowerment Institute Kenya YouthBuild (Nairobi, Kenya)
Service and Solidarity Award
Kristen Hoyles, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota YouthBuild (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Rising Star
Dorene Fourar, cdcb YouthBuild (Brownsville, Texas)
Lifetime Achievement Award
David Calvert, NYC YouthBuild Collaborative and Youth Action YouthBuild (New York, New York)
The YBDA comprises one program leader serving as a voting member from each affiliated YouthBuild program. The body meets each year to elect committee representatives, engage in peer-led workshops, share best practices, plan legislative and advocacy work, and provide support for programs. The YBDA carries out much of its work through the YouthBuild Leadership Council in partnership with staff of YouthBuild Global, including its president and CEO.
“In YouthBuild programs around the world, young people are transforming their lives and communities with the support, guidance, and dedication of program leaders who walk beside them every step of the way,” said John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global. “These young people go on to pursue family-sustaining careers, higher education, and lifelong leadership. We honor the exceptional YouthBuild program leaders who help make this journey possible by serving as the foundation of this work at the local level.”
Lifetime Achievement recipient David Calvert is a foundational figure in the YouthBuild movement, whose contributions span more than four decades and multiple continents. From helping to launch the very first YouthBuild program in East Harlem in 1979 to co-leading initiatives that expanded YouthBuild’s presence internationally, David’s vision and commitment have left an indelible mark on thousands of young people around the world.
As project director of Youth Action YouthBuild from 1979 to 1992, he coordinated a groundbreaking citywide coalition of 135 community organizations, laying the groundwork for what is known today as the NYC YouthBuild Collaborative. His leadership also extended beyond American borders, as he went on to lead youth-serving efforts in Honduras and co-founded Jóvenes Constructores in Mexico in 2003, helping to expand the YouthBuild model throughout Latin America.
David returned to Youth Action YouthBuild in 2010 as executive director and later served as director of strategic partnerships for the NYC YouthBuild Collaborative, playing a key role in establishing the city’s first coordinated funding for YouthBuild programs across the five boroughs.
Beyond the titles and milestones, David has always been a force of wisdom and service to young people, and his impact on YouthBuild, the YouthBuild movement and countless communities around the world endures. He’s an inspiration for this and all future generations of YouthBuild leaders and directors.
“The YouthBuild model was shaped by the efforts and passions of David Calvert,” Valverde said. “From the streets of East Harlem to communities across the globe, his work has always centered the dignity and potential of young people, and his impact is felt in every program, partnership, and life transformed by this movement.”
