Photo: Adanna enjoys some sunshine in the Walla Walla Valley.
Even from a young age, Adanna Diaz-Escobar (she/her/hers) has deeply understood the power of connection. When her great-grandfather moved from Southern Texas to Eastern Washington as a migrant farm worker, he started the first Spanish-language radio program in the Walla Walla Valley. His program grew rapidly into a thriving community space, bringing Spanish-speaking people together across the valley—and it was working at the radio station where her parents met and fell in love.
“Growing up, my dad had a hand in a lot of community events through the radio station, including cultural festivals like Cinco de Mayo in downtown Pasco, where he’d get up on the stage and bring people together,” says Adanna. “It was in that space where I found my love for community.”
Throughout college and beyond, Adanna followed in her family’s footsteps, convening people and becoming a leader in organizing spaces. She lights up reflecting on her time in Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), a Chicanx/Latinx student organizing group at Washington State University, where she went to school. As a MEChA member, she led demonstrations on campus to support Latine students and helped organize a conference for Latine high school students.
“The conference I ran showed students who had historically been left out of college recruitment the numerous pathways that were open to them,” Adanna shares. “It can be so impactful when folks of a community produce their own programming and events—and I’m thankful to MEChA for offering me that unique experience.”
Through every aspect of her life, Adanna has experienced firsthand the transformative power communications can have to inspire collective action. Pursuing a role in communications was second nature for her. Before Inatai, she spent six years as a Senior Strategist at Pyramid Communications, where she helped clients in the issue advocacy space build and expand their communications strategies. Over the course of her career, she has also worked as a news editor, campaign manager, and community organizer.
Adanna believes communications is essential to building community power and approaches her work through that lens. Throughout her career she has seen the impact people’s stories have on effecting change–and it’s this people-centered perspective that she’s excited to bring to Inatai Foundation.
In her role as Communications Manager, Adanna leads the implementation of communications campaigns aligned with the foundation’s 50-Year Vision. She manages a team that oversees content creation and storytelling across the foundation’s website, social media platforms, and newsletters. Adanna also serves as a key storyteller, editor, and champion of the Communications team’s work, while partnering with other departments to develop impactful narratives.
“In this new role, I’m looking forward to the narrative work—changing perceptions about what’s possible,” says Adanna. “Growing up in Eastern Washington, there’s this perception that things like systemic racism are never going to change. I’m here to change hearts and minds by uplifting the people who are doing the good work.”
Outside of work, Adanna can be found practicing Pilates, cooking her great-grandmother’s mole recipe for her loved ones, and making memories exploring Washington with her husband and son.
