Noel Castellanos has worked in full-time ministry in Latino urban communities since 1982. He has served in youth ministry, church planting, advocacy, and community development in San Francisco, San Jose, and Chicago. After serving on the board of the Christian Community Development Association for many years, he established the CCDA Institute, which equips emerging church leaders in the philosophy of Christian community development. He currently serves as the chief executive officer of CCDA. Castellanos was appointed to serve on President Obamaʼs Council for Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships and is a highly sought-after speaker, motivator, and mentor to young leaders throughout the United States. He has a deep passion to serve and invest in the lives of leaders committed to serving the poor. He is the co-author of A Heart for the Community: New Models for Urban and Suburban Ministry and has contributed to various other books and publications, including Deep Justice in a Broken World, A Heart for the City, and Crazy Enough to Care. He and his wife, Marianne, have three children: Noel Luis, Stefan, and Anna, and they make their home in the barrio of La Villita in Chicago.