Renzo Reátegui says he is excited about a new job opportunity with Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center in Denver that could further his career, but he is also sad to leave the job and the community he loves.

Reátegui is the director of immigration services for Integrated Community, where he has worked for the past decade. He moved to Steamboat Springs from Peru and gained U.S. citizenship in 2017.

He has worked at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center as a nationally certified medical interpreter and has become involved with a number of community groups including the Latinx Alliance, Queer Futures and Book Trails.

After Integrated Community announced that Reátegui was stepping down to take a position as a Department of Justice accredited representative with the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center on Thursday, he reflected on his time in Steamboat as well as his hopes for the future. 

“My plans, my goals, are to stay engaged with the community. I think that me moving to the Front Range will just amplify the voices of rural communities in Colorado,” said Reátegui, who plans to stay involved with Integrated Community while living in Denver.   “It’s not really that I’m leaving the community, but I’m moving to a place where I can utilize resources to bring here.”

Reátegui is slated to start his new position in April, but will remain involved with Integrated Community as Tracy Gomez, who presently serves as the lead community navigator, transitions to lead the immigration program. The two have worked closely for several years, and they will continue to collaborate during the transition period to provide ongoing support and mentorship to ensure seamless continuation of services.

“I will transition into a new role that will be like supervising the program making sure that all the cases are going in the right direction, helping with emergencies and giving Tracy the tools that she needs to run the program,” Reátegui said.  “We are thinking that we are going to try this for the next about six months, until Tracy can get accreditation.”

 Jerry Hernandez, executive director of Integrated Community, added that Reátegui has been instrumental in building and shaping the organization’s immigration program from the ground up as its founding director.

“For many years, I’ve had the privilege and honor of working alongside Renzo,” Hernandez wrote in a news release. “His tireless commitment to ensuring the highest level of service for our clients has been nothing short of inspiring. Renzo’s deep compassion, expertise, and unwavering dedication have made a profound difference in countless lives throughout our community.”

Now, Reátegui  will take the talents, passion and the lessons he has learned in Steamboat Springs to Denver, where he is looking forward to helping other immigrants reach the full potential as they pursue citizenship.

“I’m going to be doing the same things, (I do here)” Reátegui said. “I’m going to be a Department of Justic accredited representative for their organization that does family law, new visas and human trafficking (law). I should be able to acquire different knowledge  from the  different types of cases that we don’t see here, and  basically, there is the possibility to be a better professional, and to grow in my career.”

Integrated Community serves limited-English speaking, low-income and under-employed community members in Routt and Moffat Counties while supporting local businesses, healthcare providers, educators, and law enforcement. Their comprehensive services help create a more unified community by reducing reliance on emergency services.

“I want people to know that we’re here for people, and for our communities,” Reátegui said. “I know that some people are scared about what’s going on out there. We are here to help, and we are here to listen to people’s concerns and to  try to help in any way we can.”