NEW YORK, NY – June 16, 2022 – Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) announced today that it has appointed David Garza to serve as the organization’s national Executive Director. In this role, David will lead the organization as it provides under-resourced students nationwide with transformative academic and professional opportunities.
LEDA is a gateway for our nation’s highest-achieving students from under-resourced communities to top-tier higher education, providing admissions, college success, and early career support. Founded in 2003, LEDA now supports a network of over 1,800 diverse young leaders, with alumni serving as attorneys and advocates in the U.S. Departments of State and Justice, doctors specializing in infectious diseases, professors at top universities, and business leaders at companies like Bloomberg, Google, and McKinsey & Company.
“Our nation’s challenges can only be fully addressed when we cultivate and amplify exceptional leaders from diverse and underserved backgrounds,” said David. “I am profoundly honored to join LEDA as Executive Director, and I will work every day to provide LEDA community members with a path toward a superb education and long-term success.”
David has been a leader in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, with expertise in fundraising, management, and strategy. For the last 10 years, he served as Development Director at Point Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholarships and mentorship to LGBTQ+ college scholars. In this role, he expanded the organization’s presence, visibility, and fundraising efforts.
Prior to Point Foundation, David served as Director of Institutional Giving for GMHC. While there, he managed the organization’s roster of corporate and foundation partnerships, as well as government grants. He worked with key stakeholders to provide a range of services, including STI testing, food security, legal services, and case management.
David is committed to student leaders from underserved communities, as their backgrounds, dreams, and paths mirror his own. Born and raised on the U.S.-Mexico border, David graduated from Princeton University in 1998 as a first-generation college student.
About LEDA
Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) empowers a community of exceptional young leaders from under-resourced backgrounds by supporting their higher education and professional success in order to create a more inclusive and equitable country. LEDA’s vision is an inclusive and equitable America where leadership reflects, celebrates, and supports diverse perspectives.
News Contact
Cristina Morais
Senior Director of Development and External Relations
(646) 787-0624 | cristinamorais@ledascholars.org