Leadership Institute Promotes Two Key Leaders

Toyosi Adesoye

The First Place Global Leadership Institute (First Place Global) has promoted two key leaders. Toyosi Adesoye, JD, MPA, has been named Associate Director of the Colonel Harland Sanders Center for Applied Research and Josh Munoz is now Associate Director of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Center for Public Policy. First Place Global leverages this award-winning property to serve as an R&D site, supporting the replication of residential and post-secondary education models and fostering collaboration among the public, private, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors.

A former research coordinator and data analyst with First Place Global, Adesoye is managing strategic relationships and facilitating a portfolio of research focused on housing and the social determinants of health. A major component of her work is the collection of First Place Global’s Housing Market Analyses, currently representing 10 markets across the U.S. and growing.

“Housing is healthcare. More supportive housing options are needed that are affordable, accessible and integrated within the fabric of communities everywhere,” said Adesoye. “I am passionate about producing data that informs supportive public policy and improves social and economic outcomes for adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. We are making this invisible population more visible.”

Adesoye started her work with First Place Global in 2021 as the third Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Fellow, an academic fellowship in collaboration with the ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Adesoye holds a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Public Administration degree.

Josh Munoz

Munoz previously served as First Place Global’s Family and Community Outreach Coordinator and has been focused on exploring favorable outcomes underscoring the potential of a supportive housing stipend.

“I am driven to bring local and national leaders together through more supportive public policy on the state and national levels. Being able to experience the gaps firsthand, analyze data and explore promising opportunities allows us to open new doors—literally,” said Munoz.

With more than a decade of experience, Munoz knows the population well having provided behavioral therapy to individuals between the ages of 18 months and 35 years with autism and related diagnoses. He has worked with clients and their families from diverse backgrounds, cultures, values and experiences in various residential and integrated community settings.

Munoz received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University.

Maureen Casey, First Place Global’s Chief Impact Officer acknowledges, “Toyosi and Josh bring a wealth of experience and passion to these roles. We are excited about the many ways their leadership contributes to our vision of ensuring that housing and community options are as bountiful for this population as they are for everyone else.”