Monique Rizer
Urban Alliance recently announced the selection of Monique Rizer as executive director of its Washington, D.C. region. She arrives at the national youth development nonprofit from Opportunity Nation, a coalition of over 350 organizations working to close opportunity gaps in the United States, serving as its executive director since August of 2015. Rizer’s career began after earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Gonzaga University and a master’s degree in information management from Syracuse University. She started work as a marketing assistant at LeMaster & Daniels PLLC before moving on to take a job as a development associate at the National Military Family Association. From there, Rizer would do freelance writing and editing for about two years before being hired as deputy director of spouse programs, marketing and contract services at the Military Officer’s Association of America.
Her next career move would bring her to Child Care Aware of America, serving as its senior director of communications and marketing. Constantly moving up, she then took up the top spot at Be The Change, hired as its chief of staff in 2014. Nearly every organization Rizer has worked for throughout her career has been in the family and youth support sectors. She now succeeds Nathaniel Cole, who has led Urban Alliance in D.C. for five years, overseeing a period of expansion and growth for the organization. Cole is headed to America’s Promise Alliance to serve as a senior director. “We are thrilled that Monique will be leading our Washington, D.C. program, Urban Alliance’s oldest and largest region,” said Eshauna Smith, CEO of Urban Alliance, in a press release. “Monique’s unique background as a first-generation college graduate and later as an advocate for the young people we serve gives her a strong understanding of the barriers faced by underserved youth.” Monique Rizer began work in her new position effective July 2018.
