Reflections from a Mentor: Lydia Villanueva

Lydia Villanueva describes herself as a “regular person.” But after talking with her, it’s clear that she’s anything but regular.

Lydia runs CASA del Lano, a non-profit rural outreach center in Hereford, Texas, and for the past two years she has served as a mentor with the Food Systems Leadership Network’s Community Food Systems Mentorship Program. Lydia is one of the eight mentors who supported 24 mentees this year by providing professional guidance on food systems leadership and helped them navigate workplace challenges.

Lydia first connected with the FSLN in 2018 while attending the network’s Food Systems Leadership Retreat in New Orleans. While on retreat, she learned skills and strategies she could use to analyze the current food system, identify opportunities for collective action, and advance systems change. Four years later, she returned to the FSLN to serve as a mentor in 2022 for the Community Food Systems Mentorship program.

“I didn’t think I had anything to offer,” Lydia said, of her being asked twice to serve as a mentor. “I’m a typical Latina, you know? I am very different from most people; I am a traditional Latina with deep roots in the Mexican cultural traditions. My mentees had vastly different experiences from mine, and I wasn’t sure what we’d talk about.”

But as an experienced non-profit director who wears many hats, Lydia has extensive wisdom to share. A seasoned food systems leader, Lydia has devoted her life to sustainable agriculture. She was on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s original board and co-led its Diversity Committee. She works on some of the most pressing issues facing our country in her current role at CASA del Lano, including unemployment, advocacy, and community development. Under her leadership, CASA del Lano serves as a job placement center where potential employers meet with individuals seeking employment in farming and agriculture in the Texas panhandle. Additionally, immigration lawyers visit the center once per month, offering free legal advice to recent arrivals to the U.S.  

Lydia said the differences between her and her mentees weren’t prohibitive; in fact, she was blown away by how much she had to share and how much her voice mattered to them. “Two of my mentees, two women of color, didn’t know how to handle racism at work,” Lydia said. “I was able to help by sharing my experiences working at white-led organizations that sometimes don’t believe they’re racist because they have people of color on staff.”

She also recounted when her mentee, Jon Henry, told her that he’d never thought of creating a succession plan until she told him that she was creating one for herself.

“Jon’s putting steps in place to ensure the long-term viability of the Jon Henry General Store,” Lydia said. “I’m so proud that I could be the one to inspire him to think about the future and plan ahead. Maybe my being a few decades older helped!”

These kinds of conversations—those focusing on the nuances of leadership, especially for BIPOC leaders—are frequent between mentors and mentees. Lydia said it’s vitally important to listen to one another’s journeys about the trials and errors of being a leader in this space. Another mentor agreed, saying the most valuable part of their mentorship experience was to continue honing their listening skills, and to not rush to try and “fix” challenges their mentees surfaced.

One vital quality of Lydia’s work? The need for humility and remembering her roots. Lydia said that a connection to her ancestors, especially the strong and powerful women in her life, has accelerated her work and continues to motivate her, even as she considers a shift in her job role and trains the next leader of CASA del Llano. 

“I’m so humbled by my ancestors and when I think about what they went through in order for me to become who I am,” she said. “I have four granddaughters and I want to leave a legacy for them.  Generational wealth doesn’t have to only be money; knowledge is just as valuable.”

With her humble demeanor and willingness to share her successes and learnings, Lydia—like all the mentors who have shared their wisdom—is anything but regular; she’s extraordinary.

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The Community Food Systems Mentorship Program’s next round takes place in Spring 2024. Interested in learning more or funding a mentorship cohort? Please reach out to Michelle Mathew ([email protected]) for more information.