Michael Ulibarri has been selected by NeighborWorks America to receive the Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. The national award is scheduled to be presented Oct. 31 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ulibarri, who grew up in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City, has dedicated his work to mentoring youth within the juvenile detention system. After spending 14 years in the adult prison system, he founded Access to Excellence, a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship in leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement to individuals aged 15 to 25.
According to Maria Garciaz, a former CEO of NeighborWorks Salt Lake, Ulibarri has turned his lived experience into a significant asset. He has served as a board member for NeighborWorks Salt Lake since 2023 and has participated in various leadership institutes to sharpen his civic skills.
The work Ulibarri performs involves teaching and mentoring youth to prevent them from entering the adult penal system. He has also been named the executive director of Defy Ventures Utah, an organization that provides tools to currently and formerly incarcerated men and women to help them transform their efforts into legitimate businesses and leadership opportunities.
The Dorothy Richardson Award is named after a community leader who worked with neighbors, bankers, and city leaders to prevent disinvestment and neglect in her Pittsburgh neighborhood.
