Ron P. Muriera

Nonprofit administrator, educator, performing artist, musician, community activist, advocate for children and youth -- for the last 20 years, Ron P. Muriera has integrated his various experiences and knowledge into his current calling serving communities locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, California and nation-wide.

Ron is presently grant writer with Silicon Valley FACES, a San Jose-based nonprofit, human relations organization committed to ending bias, bigotry and racism in the Bay Area and Northern California. For over 40 years, SV FACES has helped build communities based on understanding and respect for diversity and justice for all. Recently, he was the executive director of the Manilatown Heritage Foundation (MHF), a San Francisco nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by former tenants evicted from San Francisco's International Hotel in 1977 and the community supporters who joined them in the struggle. MHF's mission is to promote social and economic justice for Filipinos in America by preserving their history, advocating for equal access and advancing the arts and culture of Filipino Americans. Ron was also formerly the executive director of Vision New America, Inc. a San Jose, California based nonprofit organization focused on promoting civic engagement and leadership development among young people. Previous to that, Ron was affiliated with the Japanese Community Youth Council/AACE in San Francisco, CA as director of the pre-college TRIO Program called Upward Bound. As an educational equity professional, Ron’s mission was to ensure that high school youth from low-income backgrounds who are the first generation of their family to go on to college had the academic, social and personal preparation necessary to succeed in higher education.

Ron has also contributed his time performing, speaking, and emceeing various events for community-based organizations, universities & colleges, professional associations and youth programs throughout California, the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the nation. He recently was the MC for performances on the Peace Plaza Stage at the 2009 Nihonmachi Street Fair, and the Japanese Community Youth Council's "Island Jam", both held in San Francisco's Japantown.

He has presented workshops and trainings regionally and nationally on various topics that include: effective strategies working with high-risk youth; developing successful collaborations between community-based nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher learning; youth leadership development; civic engagement and community activism. Ron has provided service on several nonprofit boards, most notably: Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth in San Francisco; the University of San Francisco’s Partnership Academy and the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP). His professional affiliations include: Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition of Silicon Valley,  Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI), California League of Middle Schools, California League of High Schools, Generation Engage Silicon Valley, the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Actors Equity Association (AEA).

Ron has been recognized for his work within the San Francisco/Bay Area community as well as for his work as an educator, having been the recipient of several awards which includes the 2006 Steve Holeman Award for Excellence in the field of Educational Equity presented by the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP), and the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month’s “Local Hero Award” in 2000 sponsored by KQED-TV San Francisco and the Union Bank of California.

Presently, Ron volunteers his time as the administrator of the recently re-activated Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) in San Jose, California, the eighth chapter out of 28 chapters nationwide of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). Ron also sits on the advisory boards of the San Francisco Filipino-American Jazz Festival and Generation Engage Silicon Valley.

Areas of Expertise and Practice: Nonprofit management and organization; educational equity; cultural competency; diversity issues; Filipino-American history and research; youth leadership development and advocacy; legislation and policy issues related to access to higher education opportunities for low-income, first generation college youth; Asian Pacific Islander (API) political and civic engagement, and the performing arts (comedy, dance, theater, music).


Contact E-mail: rpmuriera@yahoo.com