Board of Directors Spotlight: Oscar Durán

This week’s Board Spotlight shines on Oscar Durán! Oscar joins us from the Municipal Housing Agency of Council Bluffs, an organization working with approximately 1,200 families in our city with housing assistance. Outside of MHA, Oscar runs a consulting practice called Black Sailboat to help smaller rural communities with strategies around housing and revitalization. In addition to his community work, Oscar and his wife are certified master tailors and designers, and own and operate the bespoke clothing business, Løv Bridal Sartorial. Together they create custom-hand made clothing for clients throughout Nebraska and around the world. Oscar holds firm to 3 mantras in his community work and life: community first, people before projects, and adapt to serve. These mantras are a great fit for Oscar’s position serving on our Board of Directors.  

Several years ago, Oscar was out doing community work in Council Bluffs when he ran into our CEO, Brandy Wallar. “She’s a beautiful soul,” says Oscar, “and we really vibed right away with our shared dreams for housing and the community. New Visions was a natural partner for me.” When asked about how he prioritizes Board service at New Visions amongst his other work and passions, Oscar says, “One of the things that keeps me going is a quote from Dante’s Inferno which essentially says that the hottest places in hell were reserved for those who knew and did nothing. I want to be someone who helps and does my part, that’s a driving force for me. That’s why I love New Visions. Community work can be hard, emotional, and daunting, but it’s wonderful to be part of team helping support families and it’s honestly natural for me to be a part of it. I’d give up a lot of other things before giving this up.”

When asked about hobbies and free-time, Oscar shares that he loves spending time on music, art, and his children, ages 6, 10, and 12. He also enjoys writing and renovating old buildings. But truly, Oscar says, doing community work is his passion. When reflecting on the mission of New Visions, Oscar says, “You can just feel it when you walk into the door. All of the staff from Brandy to the caseworkers to the maintenance crew loves and respects the guests and each other. It all comes down to how we treat humans, and y’all are exceptional at it!” We’re incredibly honored that a leader like Oscar sees us that way, and we’re privileged to have him on our Board. Thank you, Oscar, for your service to New Visons and to our entire community!