Executive Director, YMCA of Greater Long Beach, Downtown Community Development Branch
Mr. Cabeza has thirty-five years’ experience in youth development, group work and digital technology programming resulting in the ability to build and lead unique programs designed to better the lives of children, youth and families. Mr. Cabeza has worked in both group dynamic development, community engagement and group work with both children, youth and families for the YMCA, Foundation for the Junior Blind and Village Camps / ETR Tours in Switzerland. His special emphasis has been to help diverse youth develop good interpersonal and working relationships with each other through both the Youth Institute and Change Agent Productions. Mr. Cabeza has a special focus on youth development and technology equity for underserved communities as it relates to developing social, emotional, academic and workforce success. Prior to becoming Vice President of Community Development, he served as Executive Director with the YMCA of Greater Long Beach, YMCA Youth Institute Director, Associate Executive Director of the Ketchum YMCA in Los Angeles, Youth Services Director for the YMCA of Greater Long Beach, and Director of Camp and Recreation Services for The Foundation for the Junior Blind. He is the founder and creator of both the YMCA Youth Institute and Change Agent Productions social enterprise. He is a fellow of the ZeroDivide Foundation Z-Fellows Program and has been a panelist and presenter at several national conferences.
Mr. Cabeza is the first non-school-based educator to be named an Apple Distinguished Educator by Apple Inc. He is the recent recipient of the Don and Rosemary Vial Award for Digital Inclusion given out by the California Emerging Technology Fund and the California Public Utilities Commission. He has served as an Advisory Board member of California After School Network (CAN) and the League of California After School Practitioners (LCAP). He was on the California State Senate Task Force on Intersession and Summer Programming for Youth. He also sits on the National Advisory Council for the Character Development Learning Institute with YUSA and S.D. Bechtal Foundation. He has been named an Honorary Member of the Golden Key International Honour Society with California State University Long Beach. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Journalism from San Jose State University. He has been married for 22 years and has an 18-year-old son.