New executive director for HACHR
Jasmine Guerra is taking the lead as executive director to the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction. Earlier this week, HACHR’s outgoing executive director Lasara Firefox Allen announced their decision to step down from the position after working with the organization since 2019.
“I am leaving Humboldt County to relocate back home to Mendocino County so I can be closer to my family,” Allen told the Times-Standard on Thursday morning. “I want to be closer to my parents and my siblings. I have deep roots in Mendocino County and I just really have been feeling the pull to move back home.”
Allen and Guerra said they have anticipated the transition for months.
“We’ve been preparing for this transition really since November,” Allen said. “I’ve been mentoring Jasmine during that time period and really making sure that HACHR is as stable as can be. When I step away from this role (in April) I will continue to mentor Jasmine along with Jessica Smith who is the former executive director and now board chair.”
Allen and Guerra will work in tandem as co-executive directors for the remainder of the month before Allen takes on a new job in Mendocino County in April. Allen plans to serve on HACHR’s board of directors.
“HACHR’s bylaws require a month between employment and serving on the board,” Allen said. “Once that time has elapsed, I will be joining the board of directors for HACHR and I will stay engaged in the harm reduction community in Humboldt to the extent that I’m able as I onboard at my new position.”
When asked if they had any reservations about the transition, Allen said, “I really don’t have any concerns.”
“I think that things are going to move ahead gracefully and they are picking up steam,” they said. “Jasmine has two former executive directors mentoring her as well as the full, enthusiastic support of the board.”
Guerra has worked with
HACHR since Jan. 2020, first serving as a volunteer and moving up to syringe service program coordinator and assistant director.
“During her time with us, Jasmine has managed HACHR’s Syringe Service Program, developed funding opportunities, mentored a team of interns, and worked to strengthen relationships with community members and stakeholders,” according to Allen’s letter. “She has over seven years of team management, administrative, and crisis intervention experience. Participants, staff members, and partner organizations all know Jasmine as timely, organized, and able to work around difficulties with ease and patience while keeping the sense of humanity in her work with any population she is serving.”
The transition comes as HACHR pushes to get its mobile syringe exchange program up and running. Guerra told the Times-Standard she plans to continue Allen’s efforts.
“My plan is to pick up where Lasara left off, my plan is to keep expanding,” Guerra said.
“They’ve implemented a lot of amazing things into this organization during the really short period that they were here. We are in the middle of trying to get mobile services up and running in Eureka, that’s my main focus right now.”
If everything goes according to plan, Guerra said mobile services will be up and running in the next two weeks.
“The main piece that I’m waiting back to hear on is the liability insurance. I just got the email from the liability insurance agent, it’s in the process,” she said.
One of her priorities is to build on and improve HACHR’s relationship with the city of Eureka.
“I have every intention to be with this organization for a long period of time and I’m working on long-term goals and making sure my personal vision matches the ethos of what was already kind of set here,” Guerra said. “I’m feeling really inspired because I’m in contact with everyone who’s put their heart and souls into this organization before me and my main hope is just to keep fighting the same fight.”