2016 National Conference

For the last 14 years, Deepak Bhargava has served as the executive director of the Center for Community Change, a social justice organization that empowers low-income and people of color. He joined CCC in 1994 serving first as Director of Public Policy before becoming executive director in 2002. Bhargava has stewarded the organization’s pioneering work to support and grow the immigrant rights movement including the successful campaign to achieve major executive action. During his tenure, the organization has also helped its partner organizations strengthen their leadership and civic engagement capacity, and contributed to significant policy change in areas such as healthcare, retirement security, affordable housing, improved refundable tax credits for low-income families, and access to good family-sustaining jobsDeepak emigrated to the US from India as a child, grew up in the Bronx (go Yankees!) and currently resides in New York City with his partner Harry Hanbury.

Grace Hou is the President of the Woods Fund of Chicago.  She was appointed in February 2012 to lead this bold grant-maker that finds —and funds —projects that draw on the power of communities to fight the brutality of poverty and structural racism. Grace’s career has been dedicated to systems change improvement through public policy development and implementation, social services provision, community organizing and engagement, and now, philanthropy. Prior to joining the Woods Fund, from 2003 to 2012, Grace Hou served as the Assistant Secretary at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).  She was responsible for the oversight of the agency’s six program areas.  During her time with the state, she was a key player in the creation and implementation of the state’s Immigrant Integration New American’s Executive Order.  Prior to her time with the state, Grace was the Executive Director of Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA). Grace is the Chair of the Illinois Human Services Commission and Illinois’ Asian American Employment Plan Advisory Council.  She is a board member of Chicago Public Media, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and the Community Memorial Foundation.