Deyanira is a leader in bringing equity-focused investments to communities nationwide and has been a catalyst for economic mobility, particularly within Latino and immigrant communities. In 2023, Deyanira was named Managing Director for Equitable Recovery for the National Equitable Recovery Alliance at BARHII.

Deyanira has been instrumental in leadership development and access to capital, first at the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), where she led capacity building in the Southeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest to bring first-time federal funding to small Latino-led organizations. As a capstone to her work there, she created a first-of-its-kind leadership development program, the Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellowship, to build the next generation of Latino community economic development leaders. Deyanira’s leadership journey continued when she was named executive director of Mile High Connects, a coalition building a resilient Denver metro region. She forged partnerships between the public and private sector and community residents to bring equitable policy and programs to life as an advocate for tenant protections, developing affordable mobility options, and advocating for equitable city planning policies. She developed the strategic vision to guide the coalition through the final phase of a national initiative focused on racial equity.

Deyanira is a trusted voice for equity and has been featured in media, including the Denver Post, Colorado Public Radio and Streetsblog Denver. She served as Governor Jared Polis’ appointee to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Accountability Committee and was a board member of the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center, All In Denver, Reimagine RTD Community Advisory Group, and the Denver COVID-19 Mobility Task Force. Deyanira is a trained Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitator and alum of the NALCAB Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellowship and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Elevate Fellowship programs.

Ms. Zavala is the first in her immediate family to graduate from high school and college. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas.