Felicidades!

IBA kicks off 50th anniversary year

Approximately 60 guests broke bread, raised glasses and lauded IBA's past and future at Davio's, 75 Arlington Street, on Thursday, November 9 as IBA's (Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción or Puerto Rican Tenants in Action) began its celebration of its 50th year.

IBA began as the Emergency Tenants Council (ETC) in 1968, when a group of Puerto Rican residents fought the demolition of their homes under the Boston Redevelopment Authority's Urban Renewal plan and, with an alliance of community activists, worked with the city to develop Villa Victoria, the affordable housing community that sits in the heart of the South End.

Over its 50 years, IBA has evolved into a complex community development corporation offering cradle-to-grave services to help meet the educational, vocational, cultural and social needs of a predominantly Puerto Rican but increasingly diverse population.

The reception offered a generous buffet of cold appetizers as well as butlered small plates of gnocchi with mushrooms, steak, shrimp and a variety of desserts accompanied by complimentary beer, wine and sparkling water.

Speakers at the early-evening reception included Paul Grogan, president of the Boston Foundation; Micho F. Spring, former aide to Mayor Kevin White and the city's first Latina deputy mayor, now New England president of Weber Shandwick communications group; Thomas Melendez, investment officer at MFS Investment Management; Davio's CEO Steve DiFilippo and IBA CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado.

Spring, who came to the US from Cuba as a small child, worked closely with Jorge Hernandez and other IBA founders and planners as deputy mayor in the White administration. "I got involved because of Jorge Hernandez's involvement with city hall but I stayed involved because of Vanessa's incredible leadership," Spring said.

Guests included state senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, state representative Byron Rushing, who represents a portion of the South End; Rushing's wife, Frieda Garcia, longtime executive director of United South End Settlements; Jay Ash, Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; and Jabes Rojas, Deputy Chief of the Massachusetts Office of Access and Opportunity.

IBA staff including chief operating officer Mayra Negrón-Rivera, IBA Arts director Elsa Mosquera Sterenberg and senior program director Rafael Medina were also on hand to talk about the anniversary celebration and

IBA has already scheduled an IBA History Forum to take place at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts on April 11, 2018, a 50th anniversary-themed Festival Betances on July 21 and 22 and a November 3 Gala Closing Celebration. Further announcements will be posted at IBA's web site, www.ibaboston.org.