David Talbot: I’m joined today by Hjarman Cordero, the new executive director of Casa Chirilagua, a faith-based nonprofit in Alexandria, Virginia. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Hjarman over the last couple of months, and I am excited for everyone in the Casa Chirilagua community to get to know him as well. Hjarman, welcome.
Hjarman Cordero: Thank you, David.
DT: Could you start by telling us where you’re from, and how that informs your perspective today?
HC: Absolutely. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I was born and raised in Rubio, a town in the Andes of Venezuela with spring weather all year. My father worked for one the largest editorial companies in Latin America, so we had books everywhere. I was exposed to many things that way. I grew up in the bonanza of one of the richest countries in Latin-America. Back then Venezuelans were known outside the country for the phrase “Ta barato dame dos” which means “it’s cheap, give me two.” After earning a degree in business administration and information technology, I came to the United States in 1993 for a girl, the love of my life for 30 years, my wife Heidi.
My journey to the States included some of the challenges commonly faced by immigrants. I almost got deported for an electronic glitch in the Immigration System. I was not able to work in a professional job while waiting for my documents to be processed, so I washed dishes, cleaned floors and stayed late at my job in the school cafeteria to get the leftovers of the day to have food to eat. This was such a contrast to my life in Venezuela. I was always stereotyped and questioned when I traveled because Immigration officials sometimes think I am Middle Eastern, and I have to tell them I am just Venezuelan. I did not have a car in the beginning, so getting to school was a four-hour roundtrip.
Apart from my own experience, I’ve been involved in, or close to, many other immigration experiences with my friends and family. This has helped me in many situations working with people who are trying to make the United States their home. In my almost 30 years in the United States, I’ve worked with many immigrant communities from a variety of backgrounds. I’m always struck by how resilient and creative they are in the face of challenges, and how hard they work to make things better for themselves and their families.
DT: Will you tell us more about your family? Do you still have family in Venezuela?
HC: I married my wife Heidi in 1995. Her family came to America as missionaries on the second boat after the Mayflower. She is a seventh-generation missionary. Her grandparents served all over the world including China and Africa. I met my wife in Venezuela while she was working at a school for missionary kids. She likes to collect souvenirs from her trips, so I can say that so far, I am the prize of that collection!
We have two wonderful daughters. Rita is currently in Australia serving as a campus leader for Youth with A Mission. My daughter Carissa recently graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Sustainable Development. She is navigating life as a young adult and still living at home.
I have a sister in Venezuela, as well as other family. I was able to bring my younger sister and brother to the States, and I’m in the process of helping one of my cousins come to the States as a refugee.
DT: You had a highly successful career working for the City of Rockville in Maryland. To what do you attribute your success?
HC: When I look back at 17 years of work with the City of Rockville, I’d like to think of myself as somebody who cares deeply for the community. I was responsible for community engagement, and, in later years, I was creating a framework for justice and equity for the city. My care for people comes from my belief in a loving God who asks us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That, I believe, was the source of my success. God granted me favor with those who I worked for including the mayor, the city council, department directors, and, most importantly, the citizens of Rockville, who are highly educated and successful. In all of these relationships, my sincere interest in others, my honest approach to situations, and my willingness to help made the biggest difference.
DT: What’s a valuable lesson that you learned from someone in your career?
HC: My first job out of school was as a junior consultant at a bank working on a multi-national project. During that time, I was mentored by a man named Hector who was the chief consultant on the project. Hector took me under his wing. He taught me many things, especially about working with people. He treated people so well. He was highly respectful and, in turn, was highly respected. I was fortunate in my early career to be surrounded by self-aware, respectful, and successful professionals.
DT: What were your first impressions of the Chirilagua neighborhood, and what ultimately led you to pursue this opportunity to lead Casa Chirilagua?
HC: My first impression of Chirilagua was that I was in Central America! It felt like being almost any place in Central or South America—the sights and sounds, the chatter of Spanish all around me, how I was welcomed in the stores, the menus, everything. The Chirilagua neighborhood is a little island of real Hispanic culture here in Alexandria, which makes it an incredibly interesting place.
What drew me to Casa Chirilagua was a call from God to serve him. I’d been thinking about this kind of opportunity for several years. By the time I saw the job posting, I had already been primed. I didn’t waste any time visiting the neighborhood and Casa. I walked around, got my haircut, chatted with the ladies at the bakery. I introduced myself to the Casa staff. I experienced an incredible peace about being here. I brought my wife back shortly after that. On the drive home, she said, “I feel like I just came from a mission trip.” It really was like that. We had thought about going back to Central America or South America to serve, but this was an assurance that Casa Chirilagua was the place where God wanted me.
DT: Casa’s mission is to develop relationships with families to see the Chirilagua neighborhood transformed by Christ. What does Casa Chirilagua do?
HC: What Casa does isn’t unique. We love and serve our community, particularly an underserved part of the larger community in Alexandria. But the way we do that is unique. The DNA of Casa is Christ-centered. We develop relationships with people because more than anything else, meaningful, supportive relationships are what they need. It makes everything we do in the community personal and approachable.
“I often think of Casa Chirilagua as a lighthouse, shining out directions and a sense of place, but I also think of it as a safe harbor,” says Hjarman Cordero, Casa Chirilagua Executive Director.
I often think of Casa Chirilagua as a lighthouse, shining out directions and a sense of place, but I also think of it as a safe harbor. It is hard to pinpoint just one thing that Casa does, but if I boiled it down, our programs are practical expressions of our love for our neighbors, sustained by the prayer that God will transform the lives of everyone who walks through our doors.
DT: What’s your favorite book of the Bible and why?
HC: At different times of my life, I’ve had different favorites. This last year I’ve been studying Genesis to better understand how God speaks to his people and how, as his, we are to relate to him. I love the book of First John, which is a letter of love and hope. And I love the Psalms. I recite them and just absorb the wisdom that comes from these ancient words that remain still so alive today.
DT: What are the parts of your job that bring you the most joy and energy?
HC: Being able to see that what I’m doing is making an impact on the people I serve. My hope is that some of that impact is everlasting. I’m not hiding Jesus behind crafted words or anything like that. I can be upfront and tell someone that I’ll be praying for them, that I’m going to be there for them, that God loves them. I get so much energy from bringing that hope into a place. Even just saying that now excites me. I’m passionate about helping people find purpose in their lives, helping them receive healing when that is needed, and bringing about the transformation that comes from hope in Jesus and a loving community. This is so empowering. I watch closely every day to see what God is doing.
DT: Do you have any workplace mantras?
HC: Not that I paste on my office door or make into posters. But kindness is always the order of the day. It is my priority to treat people with respect and compassion. Some days I have to work hard to remind myself of this, but kindness is a sort of mantra for me.
DT: One thing that Casa does is provide mentors to young people. Apart from Hector, who you mentioned earlier, did you have a mentor when you were growing up?
HC: I didn’t. The result was that in many situations I had to discover things for myself, sometimes getting the wrong ideas of things. When I was 22, I had an encounter with God and became a Christian. In one sense, from that time on, God was my mentor. He became the filter I put everything through.
As I grew in my faith, I found people who stood by my side and helped me answer important questions. My pastor in South Carolina became a good friend. He was from Mexico and his wife was from Nicaragua. They practiced incredible hospitality in their home. People would just stop by, and even though we had just finished dinner, they would bring out tortillas and the fixings. There was always food again and a seat around the table. They didn’t see it as inconvenient. That attitude stuck with me. They taught me a lot about marriage and life and service.
DT: Do you have any hidden talents?
HC: Maybe they aren’t that hidden! As a kid, I wanted to be a professional dancer. I’m still a good dancer. I love classical music, singing, and cooking. I have the ability to see something and recreate it, so I can paint and draw. I have a knack for languages and can remember things in detail with high accuracy. For example, I can remember what a person was wearing at an event, but I cannot remember their name.
DT: What are the most motivating areas of growth in Casa’s work for you?
HC: I want to find ways for Casa to engage deeper in the community. The Chirilagua neighborhood is different now from what it was 15 years ago. I would love to start a recovery ministry. I would love to find ways to serve our parents more directly, and I want to improve collaboration with partner organizations and churches. These are some of the ways that Casa will keep its mission and adapt to a world that is changing. If we are prepared, we can face new challenges with aplomb.
I also recognize that in some cases, Casa serves people beyond the geography of the Chirilagua neighborhood. Our reach extends out into Alexandria and Arlington through referrals. We get people from different schools because of our good reputation and proven ability to help the community.
DT: How would you describe the culture at Casa Chirilagua?
HC: Casa has a culture of genuine care. A lot of different people are stakeholders in our work. What we all have in common is love for our community and a willingness to do practical things to improve it. That makes our culture very warm and beautiful.
Hjarman leads an afternoon round up with Casa staff.
DT: As we approach the close of 2024, what message would you like to share with all of Casa Chirilagua’s stakeholders—students, families, staff, volunteers, donors, partner organizations and churches?
HC: First, I would like to say thank you for your belief in the importance of the work that Casa’s founders started 15 years ago. Because of your support and prayers, Casa has improved the course of the lives of many children and their families. Lord willing, this is only the beginning of an even deeper and long-lasting impact on the life of our community.
As the holidays approach, my hope is that we can reflect on the gift of life that came with Jesus. He wasn’t born into wealth or privilege. He was born in a barn in a backwater place to humble parents who didn’t have much by worldly standards. God placed Jesus into this position so that he would grow up familiar with the circumstances of the least among us. Each one of us worships him when we serve others. So, I just want to say thank you for your support of Casa Chirilagua. Every person that has been served by Casa knows that it was done in the name of Jesus. It’s all thanks to God moving hearts into action.
DT: Hjarman Cordero, executive director of Casa Chirilagua. It is a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you for your leadership in this community.
HC: Thank you so much, David.
