Richard Verches

Human Rights Attorney

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Richard Verches is currently the Executive Director of the L.A. County Workforce Investment Board. Manage the policy, planning and coordination of the County’s 40 million dollar federal workforce investment act program to support employment development, training and placement for adults and youth in 58 of the County’s 88 cities and 151 unincorporated areas. Engage stakeholders from business, labor, education, community organizations and philanthropy as partners in sector initiatives.

Served as Chief Deputy Director, L.A. County Commission on Human Relations from September 2006 to June 2009, overseeing programs and initiatives to promote and improve intergroup and interfaith relations such as racialized gang violence prevention, hate crime victim assistance and youth anti-discrimination initiatives. Finance Director and Consultant for federal congressional campaign in 2006; President and Co-Founder of Latino Education Achievement Project from 2000 to 2005, a national civic education and financial literacy organization that published and distributed 2 million copies of two booklets in Spanish on “How to Prepare and Pay for College” and “Introduction to Banking/Financial Literacy”; Partner with Data Trends, LLC, a national Latino research and marketing firm specializing in demographic studies, strategic planning and market research analysis from 2001-2003; Vice President, Business Development, New Economics for Women, and President/COO, Latin Business Association from May 2000 to January 2001. Director, Community & Media Relations, ARCO Products Co., Senior Consultant, International External Affairs and Director, Public / Media Relations. Crisis Communications with international oil company, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO)  from January 1997 - July 2000; developed a Business Academy and mentoring program for at-risk high school students in Long Beach. From 1991 to 1996, was an international refugee and human rights lawyer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland and Consultant to the European Commission of the European Communities (now European Union) in Brussels, Belgium to coordinate twelve national studies and author an analysis of "Legal Measures to Combat Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia in the Member States of the European Community". Since 2003, a Lecturer in the Department of Chicana/o Studies at UCLA teaching two courses: ‘Human Rights in the Americas’ and ‘Latina/os and the Law’. Co-Director and Lecturer, International Human Rights Law Summer Program, University of Santa Clara School of Law in Geneva, Switzerland, and Strasbourg, France  in 1992, 1993, and 2004-2008, and Director of Studies (1992), Diplome Committee (1992, 2006, 2007, 2010). Elected in 2009 to the Assemblée générale de l'Institut International des Droits de l'Homme. Civic and community leadership includes L.A. Coordinator, Transatlantic Leadership Program, German Marshall Fund of the U.S., 1998 – 2010 hosting delegations of professionals from Europe three times a year; Board of Directors, Dashew International Center for Students and Scholars, 2001 to 2006, Board of Advisors, UCLA School of Public Affairs, 2004 to 2009, Advisory Council, Center for Global Law and Policy, 2005 to 2008, California Committee-South, Human Rights Watch, 2000 to 2007, Senior Policy Fellow/Mentor, UCLA School of Public Affairs,  2002 – 2010, UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors, 2003 to 2005; Board of Directors, Cerritos Community College Foundation, 2002 to 2006, Board of Councillors, UCLA Foundation, 1999 to 2006, High School Exit Exam Independent Consultant Selection Panel, Commissioner, California Quality Education Commission (appointed by Governor), Commissioner, California Student Aid Commission (appointed by Assembly Speaker), 1999 – 2003, Board of Directors / President, UCLA Latino Alumni Association, 1997 to 2001, President, California Hispanic Corporate Council, Board of Directors, Salvadoran-American Leadership and Education Fund, and Board of Directors, Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC).