Maricela Alcala has helped people navigate conflict to improve their lives and their communities for over 18 years. She became of CEO of Gryphon Place, a nonprofit that assists people are facing crisis by providing support and resources, in 2014. Gryphon Place is the leading agency for suicide prevention in Southwest Michigan that includes a 24/7 helpline and is part of the statewide 2-1-1 information and referral system that connects people to a variety of resources. In addition, the organization offers restorative practice programs in schools and is the local volunteer center for Kalamazoo.
Maricela is involved in national, state and local initiatives. She is a National reviewer for AIRS (alliance of information & referral services) accreditation, she holds a seat on the Michigan 211 Board, she is a voting member of the Michigan Commission of Juvenile Justice and is a founder of ELLAS.
Born in Ohio, Maricela moved to Mexico in her youth and received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Information Systems from the University of Veracruz before returning to Ohio in 2003. Maricela became an Outreach Specialist at Adelante Latinx Resource Center assisting Latinx/Hispanic families with Drug and Alcohol Prevention before joining United Way in Toledo. Here she worked her way up in the 2-1-1 program, developed the Free Tax Preparation Program, Coordinated Access to homeless services and Critical Identification Program.
She is AIRS accredited, is certified in LivingWorks, SafeTalk, and QPR trainer,
Maricela has worked with communities in collaboration to address unmet needs and gaps in resource, finding solutions to connect individuals and families to help, and consistently shares data with the community to foster hope and healing.
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