It brings me both great sadness and great joy to reflect on the change in leadership we’re going through at Inland Counties Legal Services. As Darrell Moore steps back from the executive director and as Tessie Solorzano steps up, I feel excited for the future of ICLS and proud of where we’ve come since Darrell took over five and a half years ago.
As some of you may know, having good organizational leadership is a blessing, and I can honestly say we’ve been lucky to have the best. Darrell excelled across the board, building ICLS’s company culture, inspiring staff to do their best work, and moving the needle on access to justice in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. He empowers those around him to do their best work, which is one of the surest signs of an effective leader.
Our board recognized what he brought to the table and kept our current culture in mind through the executive director search.
During the application process, we received 39 applications from highly qualified candidates from across the country and narrowed that field to five finalists. After tough questions and thorough conversations, we narrowed that group down to just three. At the end of the day, it was clear to the search committee that Tessie Solorzano was the best person for the job. She has an incredible story with ICLS – one that goes to show the type of person and leader she is. Starting here as a paralegal more than a decade ago, Tessie has climbed her way to the top, earning her promotions every step of the way.
Not only has she proven herself invaluable to our organization, but she has won over the hearts of ICLS staff in every practice group and department. It was clear to the board that our staff believed in Tessie and her leadership capabilities, which made our final decision even easier. We believe she has the skills, drive, and buy-in to propel ICLS forward and improve our legal service offerings to those most in need in our communities.
Our goal is to ensure that every resident has access to the legal services they need, regardless of how much money they make, and we are confident that Tessie will bring us even closer to making that dream a reality.
We’re looking forward to this new chapter at ICLS, and we’re committed to building a better tomorrow alongside you.
Sincerely,
Marvin Powell Jr., Inland Counties Legal Services Board President
