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About El Valor

Meet the President Vincent A. Allocco, Ph.D.

For over twenty years, Dr. Vincent Allocco has been the President and Executive Director of El Valor. In 1979 Dr. Allocco arrived at El Valor to join others who shared his dream of excellence and inclusion for all children and families including people with disabilities. Those who know Dr. Allocco know he is a visionary leader, with mission, passion, and dedication to the community.

In his spare time, you will find Dr. Allocco busily searching for innovative ways to help build more inclusive communities of excellence. Some of Dr. Allocco's most notable accomplishments include the development and implementation of the "Tocar el Futuro/Touch the Future" early education model, and the successful National Public Awareness Campaign on the importance parental involvement in early childhood education aptly named "Parents As First Teachers."

El Valor has experienced remarkable growth and success under the leadership and direction of Dr. Allocco. During this time, El Valor has completed two capital campaigns that resulted in the construction of two state-of-the-art children and family centers. The Guadalupe Reyes Children & Family Center is located at the heart of Chicago's Pilsen community, and the Rey Gonzalez Children & Family Center is located in South Chicago. A third Children & Family Center is underway! El Valor is at the end of a capital campaign that will bring the Carlos Cantu Children & Family Center into the neighborhood of Little Village/South Lawndale.

Like Don Quixote, Dr. Allocco's quest is not complete as he now begins plans for a resource and rehabilitation center for the inclusion of people with disabilities. His dream, and that of our staff, is that this resource center work on issues that affect all people with disabilities with a special emphasis on Spanish-speaking families.

Dr. Allocco's passion and dedication saturates every part of the agency. "You cannot come out of his office without the sense of urgency to roll up your sleeves and get to work," says Sal Peri, El Valor Board Member. "There is so much work to do!" says Dr. Allocco, "We need to do something!" Yes, Dr. Allocco, we do.

Dr. Allocco serves on the Board of Alivio Medical Center, and United Way's Success by Six. He also sits on many other local and statewide committees. Dr. Allocco holds a Ph.D. in Human Behavior from the United States International University in California, a Masters in Education from Maryknoll Graduate School in New York and completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.