Deputy Director for Institutional Advancement
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Denise Diaz is the Deputy Director of Institutional Advancement at Jobs With Justice. A seasoned organizer and movement leader, she has spent over two decades driving strategic organizing efforts and policy interventions that build power for working people and expand bargaining rights. Before stepping into her current role, Denise served as the National board chair of Jobs with Justice while leading Central Florida Jobs with Justice as Executive Director, spearheading statewide organizing, collective bargaining, and political campaigns centered on improving conditions for workers in the south. Denise was one of the co-founders of Florida for All, a statewide coalition working towards a more equitable and inclusive Florida.
A Chicago native of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, Denise has dedicated her career to building power for communities of color. After earning her undergraduate’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, she began community organizing in Chicago and Prince George County Maryland, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to economic and social justice. In 2023, Denise’s achievements as a civil rights activist were recognized by Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida’s 10th District and archived in the Library of Congress. She is a board member of Grassroots Power Project.
Denise resides in Rockville, Maryland with her partner and three children.