www.negociosnow.com
14 March 2020
Age: 34
Title: Senior Program Director
Name of Organization: After
School Matters
Tony Diaz is a leader in the
nonprofit and youth develop-
ment world. A senior program
director at After School Matters,
Diaz supervises a program ma-
nagement staff and a team of
more than 300 instructors to
provide nearly 10,000 oppor-
tunities annually to teens on
Chicago's North and West Sides.
Diaz has worked for the organi-
zation for more than 11 years
and has dedicated his career
to delivering high quality after-
school and summer program-
ming to underserved youth.
Growing up on the Southwest
Side, Diaz was involved in similar
programs and knows first-hand
that safe and supporting envi-
ronments are critical to youth
development. Diaz was instru-
mental in the establishment of
the first After School Matters
community center in Chicago's
Belmont Cragin community.
The Michael and Karyn Lutz
Center provides teens with ex-
periences in the arts, communi-
cations, sports and STEM fields.
Diaz' favorite part of the job is
speaking with youth about their
challenges, hopes, and dreams.
Diaz has a bachelor's degree
in finance from the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-
paign and a master's degree
in Organizational Leadership
from Lewis University. The son
of Mexican immigrants, Diaz
is proud of his heritage and at-
tributes his success to a strong
work ethic he learned from his
father who rose before sunrise
to go to work every day and his
mother who worked to give her
sons a better life. In his personal
and professional life, he serves
as a mentor to youth and young
professionals to let them know
they have someone who cares
about their well-being and futu-
re success.
Tony Diaz
Community
Champion
Striving
for Equity
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"S
trive to be your best self,
but never forget your roots
and remember to empower and
inspire those who will come after
you and be the future generation of
leaders."
