Luis A. Perez has dedicated over 40 years to serving inner-city families and children. Instrumental in the creation and expansion of GRSLA, he was named its President and CEO in 2019. His prior roles include serving as the Executive Director of the Horizons at Harley program (2010–2016) and as Director - Program Support and Expansion. A NYS licensed social worker, Mr. Perez is a Rochester native of Puerto-Rican descent who earned a master’s degree in social work from Roberts Wesleyan University. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant Pastor and founded HOPE Initiatives, CDC, a faith-based community development corporation that established numerous youth-serving programs and secured millions of dollars in state and federal funding for the County of Monroe.

Mr. Perez’s community leadership extends to recently serving as Co-Chair of the Early Childhood Development Initiative (ECDI) and as an Advisor to the Early Childhood Education Quality Council. He has served as a board member for numerous agencies, including the United Way of Greater Rochester and Camp Good Days and Special Times, and was the WNY President of the North-American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) for ten years. His extensive advocacy for City of Rochester families and youth has garnered community recognition, including the RCSD Volunteer Education Award and the Horizons National Executive Director Leadership Award. He has also been honored as an advocate for the Latino community, receiving the Alicia Torres Community Service Award and the United Way / Circulo Latino Community Leadership Award, as well as Distinguished Alumni Awards from both Roberts Wesleyan and Nazareth Universities. He and his wife, Pamela, have been married for over 51 years and have two adult children.