Meet our Chief Operating Officer!

by Diana Pando
Whether you see Trish DeAnda at meetings or at community events, she is always smiling with enthusiasm for the work she is doing at The Resurrection Project (TRP). Recently, Trish became TRP’s Chief Operating Officer. What you might not know about Trish is that she grew up in the border town of McAllen, Texas. Her father worked at the post office and her mom stayed home to take care of Trish and her siblings.
Trish ended up in Chicago and began working in the fast-paced corporate world. After a while, she realized that her heart just wasn’t into it anymore. She needed to do something different. A colleague told her about the work TRP was doing in the community. Since then, for almost a decade, she has been part of TRP and has witnessed its growth.
Trish remembers when there were only 20 TRP employees and they didn’t even have a computer server. It was also a difficult time due to staff turnover. However, it was also a time of opportunity. “We had to roll up our sleeves,” she says, “and help build TRP’s infrastructure. Today we can see the fruits of our labor as we continue to grow.”
In her new role as Chief Operating Officer, she continues to oversee good financial stewardship and make sure employees have the resources they need to do their jobs successfully. Trish is also more involved with the groundwork and programmatic pieces. Being at TRP has helped Trish learn and grow professionally but also she has met a lot of great people along the way. “TRP’s mission speaks to my heart,” she says. “I feel lucky to be here.”
For TRP’s upcoming 25th Anniversary, she anticipates TRP will be knee-deep in the communities they serve. “It’s an opportunity for these communities,” she says, “because it’s a way to continue to build new partnerships and provide more access to resources and tools.”
TRP’s work and programs are all interconnected and impact families. According to Trish, having a supportive family, a good environment, and a safe place to live contributes to children’s educational success. “The work we do in these areas,” she says, “provides a foundation so kids don’t have to worry if they will have a home.”
Professionally she encourages everyone to get a mentor because it’s an important component of her success. “I was lucky to have mentors at a young age,” she says. “Having mentors also allows you to call on them when you have a complex problem.”  Trish is a mentor to several people as a result of her own experiences as a mentee.
When she’s not working at TRP, she still finds the time to support the work of other organizations. She is on an advisory board for Elmhurst College and teaches there. She is also the co-chair of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Latino Alliance initiative. To balance everything she does professionally, she tries to carve out time to do things she loves. Sometimes you can find her at the Bloomingdale Golf Course, on her bike, or having dinner with friends.
She feels blessed to work with really smart people working for a mission and not a paycheck first. “There’s heart in the work we do,” she says. “It’s okay to lead with my heart and my values because you are surrounded by others doing the same.”

Return to Nueva Vida October 2014 here.