| Greetings, ARC Community, We are thrilled to announce that Cristina Cruz Navarro has joined ARC’s leadership team as a Co-Director. With a background in outdoor education, community engagement, grant-making and administration, and with a demonstrated ability to foster leadership in teams, Cristina brings a wealth of experience to this pivotal role. The ARC Board of Directors voted unanimously to hire Cristina during their meeting in late September. |
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| Cristina joined ARC in 2021 as a summer instructor in Yosemite and as a Program Coordinator in Tahoe. During her tenure at ARC, she has created and facilitated curriculum on identity and leadership, helped identify areas of improvement in youth development programming, and developed strategies to address organizational goals. While supervising staff teams, she has provided coaching and mentorship to less experienced team members, empowering them to gain confidence in their roles and to model compassionate leadership to ARC high school students. |
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| Cristina grew up in Corning, CA, in the Sacramento Valley. She was raised by farmworker immigrant parents from Mexico. She is a first generation college graduate and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chicano/a Studies and Black Studies from UC Santa Barbara. Cristina brought to ARC experience in community engagement working for CAUSE on California’s central coast. She gained her skills in grantmaking and administration as a Grants Manager for the California Department of Social Services, Immigration Services Bureau. The time she spent working for Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps caused her to realize she could channel her love for the outdoors into a unique career. Her passion for creating impactful experiences that catalyze leadership development in the outdoors, coupled with her ability to identify areas of growth and develop plans to address challenges, make her a perfect fit for this key position at ARC. As a Co-Director, Cristina will be a leader at ARC, guiding the organization in line with its vision and mission. This means working with the rest of ARC’s leadership to set the strategic direction and ensure that all activities and initiatives align with the overarching goals. This involves not only understanding these aspects but also constantly evaluating and adjusting strategies to achieve them. Cristina will ensure that ARC shows its commitment to justice through policies and practices that promote equity and inclusion. |
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| Cristina will lead ARC in tandem with her Co-Director, Sarah Ottley. The two will collaborate to make important decisions, delegate responsibilities, and ensure a cohesive leadership approach. Of this momentous leadership transition, Sarah Ottley said, “I have admired and been inspired by Cristina since I met her on Zoom in 2020. I am eager for her influence to be felt within all components of ARC and I’m excited to see what future leaders of the organization she will inspire. While Co-Directorship is not a common leadership model, it aligns well with ARC’s values and organizational culture. I especially appreciate having a thought partner while strategizing and decision-making. Cristina’s unique strengths and intentional communication will compliment my own strengths, and together we will lead ARC in a more thoughtful, balanced way.” |
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| The role of Co-Director at ARC is comprehensive and requires the consideration of student, community, staff, and organizational needs all at the same time. Cristina’s overlapping identities with ARC students, years facilitating programming within the organization, and systems-oriented thinking all support her ability to make sound, sustainable decisions while considering all factors. “I have built a community and learned so much from working at ARC, and that is thanks to all of the staff members, students, and parents. Each of them is gifted in their own right and have taught me so much personally and professionally. The work that we do is invaluable, as is every person on this team. I hope that I can help lead this organization with them by my side. I move forward with excitement, nerves, a willingness to listen, and an ability to learn from my mistakes,” said Cristina Cruz Navarro. With Cristina’s enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment to empowering underserved youth, Adventure Risk Challenge continues to strengthen its leadership team and its contributions to the community. |