Haydee Morales

Haydee Morales joined the staff of Casita Maria in December 2015. She brings more than 30 years’ experience in grassroots, local, national and international nonprofit leadership and administration, as well as health education, including reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, advocacy, and cultural awareness/diversity initiatives. Ms. Morales oversees a team of almost 100 professionals who implement a robust menu of programs reaching over 1,000 community youth throughout the school year and summer, and another 40,000 community residents through public arts programs annually.

A veteran of community-based programming and management, Ms. Morales has worked in organizations including Planned Parenthood of NYC, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, and the Hispanic AIDS Forum. She has successfully leveraged her experience as visionary, founder and Executive Director of Casa Atabex Aché, a community-based women’s health action organization based in the South Bronx. Ms. Morales previously served as Director of Latino Initiatives of the national office of the March of Dimes, where she managed educational and advocacy activities directed at Latina women nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

In recognition of her notable contributions as a grassroots activist who worked toward strengthening New York communities, Ms. Morales received the Fund for the City of New York Union Square Award in 1999 and was awarded the 2004 Groundbreaking Latina Award by the National Association of Latina Leaders, Volvo Cars and Catalina magazine. In 2004, she was recognized by the Honorable Senator Gilbert A. Cedillo for her outstanding contributions toward Latina advancement and empowerment. In 2006, Ms. Morales was recognized as a Mujer Destacada by El Diario La Prensa for her accomplishments as a Latina.

Ms. Morales led the development of two policy briefs titled, “A Reproductive Health Agenda for Women of Color” and “In the Eye of the Storm: A Latina Women’s Health Action Agenda.” She also co-produced a video documentary, Sistersong: Women of Color Reproductive Health Initiative, which describes a national grassroots women of color initiative that addressed sexual and reproductive health. Her work has appeared in various peer review journals.

Ms. Morales holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Master of Administration in Organizational Management. She is a former Ford Foundation Fellow of the Latino Leadership Opportunity Program, and a former 2004 Research Fellow of the Robert Bowne Foundation. She completed the We Are The Bronx Fellowship and Mujeres de HACE, a women’s professional development and leadership program and was honored with the HACE Redefining Leadership Award in 2016.

Ms. Morales lives and works in the Bronx, New York.