Announcing a new chapter of leadership at Our Time To Act!

As a youth-led nonprofit, Our Time To Act grows as its people grow. We’ve accomplished more than we could have imagined since starting in 2018.

We have met and organized thousands of youth, shaped policies and solutions, raised over $300,000, and been honored with recognition from our community.

Now it’s time for even more powerful, youth-driven change. We are proud to announce that Our Time To Act has hired its first full-time employee and new Executive Director, Nicole Lillie! 

In 2022, Nicole played a pivotal role in engaging thousands of youth to vote. She then served as Director of Housing Justice and worked at the forefront of our exponential growth in housing organizing. Nicole has been recognized by our organization with the 2022 Passionate Leader Award and 2023 Staff of the Year. She has the full confidence of our staff and board teams as we forge forward in this exciting chapter of service and impact. 

As a co-founder, Executive Director, and trailblazer, we are grateful for Aidan Lin-Tostado's thousands of hours of service to this cause. We are proud of Aidan as he embarks on a new journey working full-time with the international nonprofit, Nonviolent Peaceforce. We are also grateful to have his continued support as OTTA’s new President of the Board of Directors. He looks forward to supporting Nicole’s capable leadership.

From Nicole Lillie:

It is an honor to re-introduce myself to you as Our Time To Act’s new Executive Director and first full-time employee.

When I first joined OTTA two years ago, I was hired as the Logistics Coordinator of the Youth Voter Engagement Project. I have long been known to tell anyone who will listen about the importance of civic engagement, especially in our local communities.

It was OTTA that saw my passion, uplifted me to the role of Project Director, and invited me to find belonging in San Diego’s change-making community.

I learned quickly that the issues that most drove my peers to the polls were their concerns around housing and transportation. These issues are key to our ability to survive and thrive in this place we call home. When I became Director of Housing Justice, I began a journey of engagement and learning that will never be complete. Housing justice intersects with every social justice movement we seek to progress, and, without housing solutions, we cannot forge a better future.

As we enter into this new chapter at OTTA, our team will continue to organize powerful youth to achieve an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future in housing. We will continue to shape our future through collaborative and intergenerational action.

The two years I have served Our Time To Act have allowed me to find, claim, and grow my power. I have learned to wield this power collectively to create the future I have always dreamed of. That future is not far away; it is Our Time To Act. I hope you will continue to join us.

From Aidan Lin-Tostado:

I was 15 when I co-founded OTTA. I’ve grown up alongside this organization for nearly six years, and I am so proud of what we have become.

I had a recent conversation with Nicole reminiscing on our high school days. We shared stories about how we craved spaces and peers who cared about change-making in our community.

We are so lucky to have such a wide range of ages and life experiences on the team at OTTA. By interacting with our high school-aged staff, I realized that OTTA has grown into exactly what I yearned for in high school.

In high school, I wanted a physical space where our team could meet, plan, and make memories. Today, the OTTA office is filled with signs from our protests, pictures from our meetups, and a whiteboard where countless ideas were born.

Today, we have youth leaders who are supported by you: an incredible network of community organizations and activists and donors. You are some of the fiercest advocates for our youth-led cause. Thank you for your true allyship. I promise we will work hard to earn your ongoing support.

And we have visionary and trailblazing youth, like Nicole, who are eager to step up and organize for a better future. I have every confidence in Nicole’s ability to excel in the difficult role of Executive Director.

A co-founder’s step back from day-to-day operations is always a challenging, important, and rewarding step to the organization’s continued success. I am so happy that we have reached this point so soon because I know it is not about me. It is about our mission. As we step into the next chapter, I will continue to support OTTA, its people, and its work. I believe that together we will transform San Diego and the world.

My friends know that I carry a special card with me wherever I go. It lives in my computer sleeve. Whenever I pull out my computer to work, my hands brush against its pages. This card was given to me after our first gala and it is filled with heartfelt messages from each of our team members. It holds such personal significance because it is a reminder of the close friendships that OTTA has brought into my life. I truly believe these relationships are the key to our deep impact.

As I transition from Executive Director to my first full-time job at Nonviolent Peaceforce, I will continue to carry this card in my computer sleeve and my heart.

To the past, present, and future team members of OTTA, thank you for trusting me to build something together. You will always have a special place in my life story, and I hope I’ve made you proud.