Montgomery Serves Awards 2021
Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Service Award
Honoring extraordinary contributions to the quality of our community
Diego Uriburu
Diego Uriburu co-founded Identity in 1998 to help immigrant youth fleeing violence, natural disasters, and poverty in Latin America. Today, in pursuit of a just, equitable and inclusive society, Identity creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth to realize their highest potential and thrive.
Like an extended family, Identity teaches and models for young people, ages 7-25, the social-emotional, academic and workforce skills they need to thrive in the modern world. Identity programs and services are provided after school, in the community and on playing fields and are complimented by family case management, mental health and substance abuse counseling, non-clinical emotional support, and recreation. Identity also works to empower parents to engage in their children's education and be champions for their success and the success of the community.
Mr. Uriburu has served as Executive Director of Identity since 2011. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from two volunteers to 100 employees, now benefiting more than 50,000 residents of Montgomery County each year. He is an influential voice in local and state equity conversations and on issues of health and wellbeing, workforce development, and public education.
Diego’s commitment to social change has extended beyond his duties as the Executive Director of Identity. In 2019, Identity joined forces with the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP Parents’ Council to form the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence, which is comprised of over 25 organizations committed to increasing equity in schools for Black, Brown and low-income children. Diego is a former co-chair and now member of Montgomery Moving Forward and the Latino Health Steering Committee. He serves on the Boards of WorkSource Montgomery (Workforce Development Board), the Montgomery County Positive Youth Development Initiative, and the Meyer Foundation.
Prior to co-founding Identity, Diego worked as a psychotherapist at community-based organizations in the Washington, D.C. area. In 2014, the White House selected him as a César E. Chávez Champion of Change for his work with Latino youth in Montgomery County. In 2016, Diego received the Montgomery County Executive’s Advocate of the Year Award. In 2019, Diego received an honorary degree from Montgomery College, and won a scholarship from the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of Greater Washington to participate in Harvard’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program. Diego is originally from Argentina. He holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires.
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