Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services (ALWAYS), announced the appointment of Valentina Restrepo-Montoya as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. Valentina will take the helm of ALWAYS from its founder and long-time CEO, January Contreras.
ALWAYS is a non-profit community law center providing legal services that help vulnerable kids and young adults and human trafficking survivors remove legal obstacles to safety, stability andopportunity.
“Valentina has dedicated her entire legal career to serving the underserved. She embodies the values that are central to the work of ALWAYS, and we are confident the organization and its clients will flourish under her leadership,” said Mary O’Grady, ALWAYS Board Chair.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to join such a dedicated, talented team to ensure access to justice for survivors of abuse and trafficking in Arizona. I am deeply inspired by everything ALWAYS does to uplift its community and I am confident that, together, we can expand services and maximize impact for our clients and their families. Our work is not done until all survivors have the resources and support, they need to live safe and stable lives,” said Valentina Restrepo-Montoya, ALWAYS Chief Executive Officer.
Valentina Restrepo-Montoya is a native of Boston and the daughter of Colombian parents who emigrated to the U. S. in search of a better future. For the last ten years, Valentina’s passion has led her into the public service sector to represent and uplift her community. After graduating from Berkeley Law, Valentina joined the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama. Eventually, Valentina became an Assistant Public Defender in Birmingham, Alabama. She then joined The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Arizona, where she advocated for people unable to represent themselves in immigration removal proceedings.
ALWAYS Founder and former Chief Executive Officer, January Contreras, will continue henceforth as a board member of ALWAYS. Januaryfounded ALWAYS in 2013 to ensure that victims and vulnerable young people have a lawyer standing next to them in cases involving victim representation, immigration, family law matters, and criminal history repair.
“Last week, I stood with a trafficking survivor as her criminal case was rightly dismissed. She was distraught about going to jail and having no one to care for her child, but now she won’t have to go to jail at all,” said January Contreras, ALWAYS founder and former CEO. “ALWAYS is here to ensure that victims and the most vulnerable Arizonans have their day in court, because justice should be possible for all of us. I’m grateful to our team and all who have supported our work. ALWAYS will be in excellent hands with Valentina at the helm.”
“From day one, January has been the driving force behind the ALWAYS mission to bring justice to vulnerable youth and trafficking survivors. We are grateful for her vision and leadership.” said Mary O’Grady, ALWAYS Board Chair.
With Valentina’s leadership, ALWAYS will continue to stand with those who are so often left behind in the justice system. We invite community partners and leaders to join us in welcoming Valentina Restrepo-Montoya and supporting the ALWAYS mission to open the doors to justice.
