Nola Miguel, MSW, is the Executive Director of the Globeville Elyria Swansea (GES) Coalition and Tierra Colectiva Community Land Trust (CLT) in Denver, Colorado. Committed to collectively realizing strong outcomes with neighbors in GES–Nola has guided the GES Coalition of resident leaders and neighborhood partners to research and focus on solutions that build community and prevent displacement. The GES Coalition has built community power in neighborhoods where the land and the people have been over-exploited and is addressing the housing crisis in GES by creating and stabilizing community assets for long-term wellbeing and self-determination that comes from community stewardship in a CLT. During the 7 years as Director of the GES Coalition the organization created block captains; neighborhood housing navigators and community care package programs, organized a plan and campaign around equitable development, and has done relational and responsive organizing and outreach in the GES neighborhoods to prevent displacement of neighbors and promote health and housing justice. One of those organizing efforts turned into Tierra Colectiva CLT which now has 25 for-sale homes in the pipeline, is reclaiming green spaces, and is working on a 170 unit affordable rental and commercial project. Nola, with committed partners and neighbors, has leveraged over 9M dollars to start the CLT’s foundational units and sustain its operations and commitment to the community. Tierra Colectiva does restorative development that supports GES neighbors to stabilize through home ownership and reclaims land for community ownership. Previously, Nola has been a Community Organizer with Together Colorado, worked as a School-Community liaison, and was the Chief of Staff for Denver Councilwoman Judy Montero. As a bilingual community leader, Nola has organized around housing justice through: neighborhood planning, community benefits agreements, issue based organizing committees, and city advisory groups around affordable and equitable housing policy and resources. Nola is a strong believer in collective work and that those most impacted by issues have the solutions that will guide us to an equitable future.
Nola is married with two children, 10 and 15 years old, and enjoys hikes with her husky and playing basketball.
