Dillon Delvo

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Dillon Delvo is a 2nd generation Filipino American, born and raised in South Stockton, California. In 2000, Dr. Dawn Mabalon and Dillon created the non-profit organization Little Manila Rising (LMR) in response to developer attempts to destroy the Little Manila Historic Site in downtown Stockton. Their efforts stopped the development and raised awareness of the history of marginalization of the Little Manila community. In 2008, Dillon created the Little Manila After School Program, reintroducing Ethnic Studies to Stockton. In 2017, LMR’s students advocated for Ethnic Studies classes at all Stockton Unified high schools and won.

A graduate of Edison High School in Stockton, Dillon went on to San Francisco State University and received a B.A. in Cinema and M.A. in Asian American Studies.

Currently, Dillon is the Executive Director of LMR where he has expanded the organization's focus from historical preservation of the Little Manila Historic Site to seeking equitable solutions from the effects of historical marginalization in issues such as education, environment, redevelopment, and public health.

For 21 years, Dillon served as the volunteer youth minister of social justice centered St. George’s Youth Group in South Stockton. He worked as the Senior Field Representative for Senator Lois Wolk and Director of TEAM Charter School. He has served on the Stockton Unified School District board of trustees, the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of California, and Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton. He currently serves on the San Joaquin Historical Museum board, the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition steering committee, and the California Air Resource Board’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.

He lives with his wife Rebecca and daughters Therese, Genevieve, and Colette in South Stockton.