Jorge Valencia

Jorge Valencia began his tenure as the Point Foundation’s Executive Director in January 2007. He brings to Point a wealth of experience in managing and growing nonprofit organizations, a proven ability to design and manage the infrastructure of expanding organizations and extensive experience with, and sensitivity to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth issues.

Jorge served as President and Executive Director of The Trevor Project from 2001 to 2006. The Trevor Project is a nationwide nonprofit organization established to promote acceptance of gay and questioning teenagers and to aid in suicide prevention by operating the nation’s first round-the-clock, toll-free suicide prevention helpline aimed at LGBT youth. Under Jorge’s guidance, The Trevor Project increased its operational budget by 800 percent and its foundation-based grant funds by 900 percent. He created and managed its major donor program and expanded its volunteer pool to more than 500. Jorge’s leadership contributed to Trevor’s growth as a nationally recognized youth service organization.

Jorge gained his operational, administrative, and management experience at a range of nonprofit, corporate, and governmental enterprises. Before working at The Trevor Project, Jorge directed the Corporate Communications division at Pueblo Corporation, a marketing firm located in Los Angeles. Some of his clients included Ford Motor Company, DirecTV, Food 4 Less, and Sprint PCS. From 1996 to 1999, Jorge was Director of Communications at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), an organization that conducts leadership seminars for promising youth. At HOBY Jorge directed all public relations activities, as well as the production and implementation of organizational public relations for the nonprofit organization comprised of four regions, 5,000 volunteers, and over 14,000 annual participants. From 1993 to 1996, Jorge served as the Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), a political appointment in the Clinton Administration. While at the SBA, Jorge represented the administration and SBA interests at numerous speaking engagements, conferences, and media interviews conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. He also worked in the Office of Public Liaison for the Presidential Inaugural Committee from 1992 to 1993 for the incoming Clinton administration. Prior to that, Jorge served as Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Power Productions International, where he was responsible for creating and negotiating contracts with LA Gear, Reebok International, and City of Hope.

As an openly gay man who grew up in a Mormon Latino family in Texas, Jorge brings with him a keen personal awareness of many of the issues of rejection and marginalization faced by many LGBT youth, including Point Scholars. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University in 1989. Jorge’s diversity of life experience includes extensive travel abroad and within the United States. Jorge is fluent English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is a talented and accomplished public speaker. He is a member of the Clear Channel Local Advisory Board, as well as The Palette Fund Advisory Board. Jorge has a passion for helping LGBT youth and an ability to communicate that interest and passion effectively to both the LGBT community and the general public.