Gabe Albornoz

Gabe Albornoz joined the team in Spring 2024 as a Senior Advisor to help carry out and expand FFC’s mission and vision. He has dedicated his career to public service and brings over 24 years of experience in youth development, strategic planning, programming and executive leadership.

Some of the highlights of his professional career include serving as the Director of the Montgomery County, MD Department of Recreation, managing a staff of 3,000 and a budget of $29 million. He came to that position after leading programs for the DC-based Latin American Youth Center and Children’s National Medical Center. Under his leadership, the Recreation Department received over 28 national awards for programs such as Excel Beyond the Bell, TeenWorks, and Soccer for Change.

Gabe was elected to the Montgomery County, MD Council in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He has served as Council President and Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. In his role on the Council he has focused on strengthening the County’s social safety net, expanding positive youth development opportunities, improving public health and addressing the needs of the County’s most vulnerable populations. He has been recognized nationally and locally for his leadership, in 2023 he received the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Award from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement.

He received his BA from the University of Maryland and his MBA from John’s Hopkins University. He is a graduate of the prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholars program, the University of Maryland Rawlings Fellowship, and Leadership Montgomery.

Sports have played a big role in Gabe’s life. He played soccer collegiately and coaches his children’s youth soccer teams. He lives in Kensington, MD with his wife Catherine, four children, and their beloved family dog Coco.