White House Author

Brian Valdez served as an AmeriCorps VISTA from 2001-2003 in his home city of Philadelphia, PA. After a physical disability prevented him from joining the military, Brian saw VISTA as an opportunity to serve his country and the people of Philadelphia. During his first VISTA term, Brian worked with administrators at various Philadelphia schools to address asthma triggers and other indoor environmental hazards that could negatively affect the health of students. Brian then joined the National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) where he served a second VISTA term. At NNCC, he helped to develop a plan to promote the growth and development of nurse practitioner-run health clinics serving medically underserved and uninsured patients around the country. After VISTA, Brian became a lawyer, passing the bar in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He continues to work with NNCC and its parent organization, Public Health Management Corporation. In 2014, Brian and a colleague founded Comunidades Philadelphia to increase funding for programs serving Latinos through community-driven philanthropy.