Members
Paulette Clagon – School Principal
Irene Muro, MPA, Executive Director
Whittier Area First Day Coalition Since 2015, Irene Muro has served as Executive Director for the Whittier Area First Day Coalition (First Day), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeless and at-risk individuals and families transition toward self-sufficiency.
Driven by a life-long passion to empower, create sustainability and effect systems change in low-income communities, Irene has built a professional career working with agencies dedicated to improving the quality of life of others. At First Day, Irene is responsible for the general operations of the organization, providing guidance and leadership in policy implementation, program management, and financial oversight.
Before First Day, Irene served as a Community Benefit Manager for Kaiser Permanente where she helped manage the Community Benefit portfolio for the hospital. This work was preceded by nine years of employment at the Oldtimers Housing Development Corporation/Steelworkers Oldtimers Foundation in Southeast Los Angeles where she led programs and services dedicated to supporting low-income seniors, youth, and families through affordable housing, nutrition, transportation, and educational opportunities.
Irene’s background includes extensive legislative and community relations experience from her work as District Representative for State Senator Martha Escutia (ret.) and Field Representative for Assembly Member Marco Antonio Firebaugh. A child of immigrant parents, Irene learned that education was fundamental to personal and professional success, driving her decision to pursue an undergraduate education in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master’s in Public Administration degree with a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from California State University, Northridge.
Irene currently serves as the Treasurer of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce and is an active member of the PIH Health Community Benefits Oversight Committee, the Rotary Club of Whittier, the Steering Committee for the Whittier Consortium on Homelessness, the Rio Hondo President’s Advisory Committee, the Rio Hondo Drug Studies Advisory Committee, and the St. Gregory the Great Parent Teacher Organization.
Since 2017, Irene has also served as Supervisor Janice Hahn’s appointee to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Irene and her husband Carlos are the proud parents of three boys, Arturo, Juan Carlos, and Damián, and have been residents of Whittier for over 13 years.
