Biography

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Dan Cortez

Community Engagement Specialist, Hub Situation Table
Dan Cortez is the Community Engagement Specialist for the Chelsea Police Department in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Dan works closely with residents, community leaders, elected officials, business owners and community-based organizations along with police personnel to create meaningful relationships and partnerships aimed at improving the safety and well-being of the community.

Experience
Previously, Dan worked as Manager of Community-Based Initiatives on Substance Use Disorders for Mass General Hospital’s Chelsea Health Center where he guided a group of community leaders in a comprehensive, city-wide plan aimed at reducing substance use disorders, increasing awareness of the issue, and improving access to care in Chelsea.

Dan manages the Chelsea Hub Situation Table, a multi-disciplinary approach that aims to reduce risk by connecting individuals and families to services. He also supervises the City’s Health Navigators who work to connect individuals struggling with substance use disorders, homelessness, and mental health. He also assists in coordinating the Chelsea Downtown Partnership, made up of key City Departments, businesses, and other key stakeholders address environmental issues that affect the community.

He is a member of the Department of Children and Families Advisory Board, The Chelsea Public Schools Children’s Cabinet, The Chelsea Eviction Taskforce, and is a founding member of the Chelsea Project, a group comprising of MIT, Harvard, MAPC, and City Hall professionals who use scientific and community-based approaches to mitigate COVID-19 harm. He also sits on additional advisory committees and serves in a variety of leadership capacities in Chelsea.

Dan is originally from Phoenix where he was Director of Leadership Programs for a Valle del Sol, a large Latino-based nonprofit, and served on numerous boards and commissions. He has vast experience in designing and facilitating culturally competent leadership programs for both youth and adults.

He enjoys supporting local businesses as well as organizations that provide music instruction, leadership training and that promote college-going initiatives for Latino youth. Dan was born in Juarez, Mexico, and raised in Peoria, Arizona.

Notable Accomplishments
  • Dan is a graduate of both Valley Leadership and the Hispanic Leadership Institute.
  • He received the “Outstanding Alumni” award from the Hispanic Business Alumni Association at his alma mater, Arizona State University.
  • He has written columns for The Phoenix New Times and Latino Perspectives Magazine focusing on the Mexican-American experience in Arizona.
Professional Education
Dan is a 1990 graduate of Arizona State University with a BS in Marketing In 2013, he moved from Phoenix to Braintree, MA in 2013 with his wife Maria and his 11 and 9-year-old sons, Nicolas George and William Daniel.