Introducing Dr. Dinah Torres-Quiñones, NWC’s new Executive Director

Dear NWC Community,

2023 has been a year of great change for NWC, and we are excited to share with our community an update on our nearly year-long search for our next Executive Director.  

Selecting a new leader to succeed the long, distinguished, and transformational tenure of James Rudyk represented one of the most significant decisions the NWC Board has undertaken.  Early in 2023, NWC convened a Hire Committee to find the organization’s next Executive Director, working closely with Reflector Lab. This Chicago-based executive recruiter works with mission-driven organizations to engage stakeholder feedback, post and promote the opportunity, and interview the many qualified applicants.  It was a labor of love that has yielded our new Executive Director. 

We are now pleased to announce that Dr. Dinah Torres-Quiñones will be joining NWC as Executive Director on December 4th, 2023.

Selected from a distinguished pool of applicants, Dinah brings over a decade of experience as a nonprofit administrator, having worked at Humboldt Park Health and Northwestern University.  Dinah, a proud Chicago native and Puerto Rican Latina born and raised on its Westside, has been forging her own path throughout her professional career.  A passionate advocate for health and education equity, Dinah’s vibrant nature and steadfast leadership are at the heart of her purpose-driven work as a nonprofit and healthcare executive.

Dinah’s career began at Northwestern University, where she served for over two decades while gaining expertise in the field of research administration (RA). In 2022, she accepted the call to work alongside Mr. José R. Sánchez, President and CEO of Humboldt Park Health, as the hospital’s first Chief of Staff at a critical time for the hospital who was undertaking a significant capital project, the construction of the first of its kind 45,000 square foot Wellness Center in the Humboldt Park community. 

With a master’s degree in Communications from Northwestern University and a doctoral degree in healthcare administration from Virginia University of Lynchburg, Dinah’s strategic approach and attention to detail have allowed her to successfully lead multidisciplinary programs while identifying gaps for marginalized and underserved communities.  

Please join the Board in giving a warm welcome to Dinah. We are excited to welcome her to the NWC team, and for what her contributions will do for our community.

Francisco Ramirez, Board Chair

Sent on behalf of the NWC Board

Thomas Bugielski, Stephen L. Cleary, Dr. Angela Fontes, Zair Menjivar, Diana Mireles, Tom Naset, Tiffany Odeh, Sasha Ongtengco, Joshua Ponce, Laura P. Trejo