Biography

Julio Barreto Jr. is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, trained voice actor, political analyst and program consultant currently living in the Washington, DC area. He has a proven track record of visionary leadership in the association and public agency sectors. He has created a legacy of transforming ideas into reality, mission into action, and philosophy into practice. He can leverage lean systems, staff and budgets; champions priorities and maximizes resources to deliver robust operations and solutions.

With 27 years of experience, including 24 years as a congressional liaison and journalist, he has access to key decision-makers, networks effectively, maintains visibility, and builds synergistic relationships with all stakeholders. He has a proven track record of connecting with organizational boards, local-to-Federal officials, business and community representatives, senior legislators, and the press, to build consensus towards common missions and initiatives.

An accomplished speaker, Julio uses his experiences growing up in the Edenwald Housing projects in the Bronx, New York and the challenges he faces as a person with Crohn’s disease to stress to his audience their lives matter. In discussing participation in the political process, he emphasizes that an individual's participation in the political process is not as complicated as it appears and this participation can dramatically change their lives and the lives of others. His life is an example that life’s struggles are opportunities not setbacks. He continues to pursue his “bucket list” in spite of losing 28 inches of his intestines due to the Crohn’s disease.

Julio spent 13 years with the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). NAHRO is the nation’s oldest and largest association representing professional providing affordable housing to our nation’s low income population. He spent 10 years with NAHRO as its legislative director overseeing the organizations advocacy efforts with Congress, the Federal government, the White House and other organizations in the Washington, DC area. He was also responsible for mobilizing the organizations’ approximately 18,000 members act on congressional and Federal matters. During his tenure at NAHRO, he was heavily involved in the drafting of the 1998 Public Housing Reform Act, helped the organization develop bipartisan support for affordable housing programs, testified before Congress and improved the internal operations of the organization. He spent three years as NAHRO’s Department Head for Development, Special Initiatives and International Affairs where he was responsible for fund raising, pursuing partnerships with groups interested in affordable housing and the organization’s international efforts.

Prior to joining NAHRO, he spent 6 ½ years as an advocate and analyst developing policy for the National League of Cities (NLC) in the areas of housing, community development, land use planning, education, employment and training, education, crime and child care. NLC is the trade association for more than 14,000 cities and towns. During his tenure at NLC he was involved in the passage of the HOME affordable housing program. He began his political career with the Hispanic civil rights group, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He handled education, housing, telecommunications and served as the organization’s press liaison. Julio began his Washington career as a journalist with the Hispanic Link News Service where he wrote a groundbreaking article depicting the lack of Hispanic staff in congressional offices.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the State University College at Brockport and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. He is a proud graduate of Cardinal Hayes High School in "Da Bronx". Julio hasn’t forgotten his roots. To this day he carries a wallet-size laminated copy of his high school diploma given to him on graduation day, June 22, 1975.