Armando Hernandez

Armando Hernandez oversees The Community Programs Department that houses workforce development, financial services, and youth programs. The following programs and services are now housed under Community Programs:

1. Youth Programs Team: Youth programs including Oakland Youth Engaged (OYE), Latino Men and Boys (LMB), Latina Mentoring and Achievement (LMA), Youth Leadership, and youth career development (STEP), allowing for the integration of achievement, mentorship and empowerment youth initiatives.

2. Resident, Senior and Housing Team: Resident Services Coordinators for all low-income properties, The San Antonio Senior Center services, Housing Access services for low income Alameda County residents.

3. Career and Financial Center Team: Employment services, vocational training pipeline programs (in healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, etc.), and financial capability services including tax preparation, ITIN filing, credit improvement, banking support will be fully integrated at the Career Center.

4. Small-Business and Community Engagement Team: Fruitvale Business Improvement District program, community beautification, and events.

5. Evaluation of service data, contract compliance, and quality improvement will occur department-wide to determine the cross-service impact and best practices.

Before coming to The Unity Council, Armando co-founded and directed a Wellness Center in San Francisco with Instituto Familiar de la Raza, where he managed HIV prevention and behavioral services for impacted Latino communities. Armando earned a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley, with a focus on Health and Social Behavior; and he was a member of the Admissions Committee for the School of Public Health for three years. He also co-led a needs assessment study in a low-resource area of Quito, Ecuador, with the University of Michigan.

Armando is driven by his passion for achieving equal access for communities that have endured systemic socio-economic, legal and educational barriers. He came to the United States at the age of 13, when his family left Mexico fleeing economic and political instability.