Betsaida Alcantara, a committed public servant who worked tirelessly to bring change to political institutions and advocate for justice, passed away on Feb. 18th due to a rare ovarian cancer. She was 38. 

A beloved daughter, sister, wife, mentor and friend, Betsaida brought joy everywhere she traveled through her kindness, beautiful voice, and seemingly endless capacity to care for others. Her dedication to public service is clear in her rapid ascent to the highest levels of government. After securing a coveted spot as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Public Policy Fellow, she joined Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign as deputy press secretary in Florida. During Obama’s presidency, she moved quickly through various high-level governmental positions, including press secretary for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, communications director at the General Services Administration, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department for Housing and Urban Development, and Director of Media Planning and Deputy Communications Director for the Clinton-Kaine campaign. After the 2016 election, she proudly served at the Anti-Defamation League, where she combated bigotry and hate crimes. 

Betsaida—who was born in the Dominican Republic and later moved with her family to Goshen, N.Y.—showed an early commitment to progressive causes and an instinct for how to move the levers of power for disenfranchised groups. As a teenager she was deeply involved in advocating for migrant labor rights in her adopted rural home, working closely with the Rural and Migrant Ministry (RMM), which advocates for just conditions for rural workers. She founded the group’s Youth Arts Group, participated in the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign (which was led by her father, Aspacio Alcantara), and contributed to state legislation that served as a precursor to the DREAM Act. She received a full scholarship to Bard College, where she helped to found the Bard Migrant Labor Project.

In 2019, Betsaida returned to the Hudson Valley to continue supporting the causes she loved and pursuing her other passions, including making music—she was a talented singer who had performed with Pete Seeger and George Clinton, among others—and enjoying the natural world. This allowed her more time with her husband, Zac Decker, and her family, to whom she was extremely devoted. She brought the same determination and joy to her family and community that she did to the larger world throughout her career. As a devoted mentor, she stayed in close contact with countless young people who looked to her for wisdom and guidance, as well as many lifelong friends who visited her beautiful home in Copake, NY, where she gardened and nurtured the local landscape alongside her beloved husband of more than a decade. She passed away surrounded by loved ones.

Betsaida is survived by her parents Carmen Ayala  and Aspacio Alcantara, her sister Yeni, her brother Abi, and her husband Zac. While she leaves behind a political and medical system that remains flawed, she never wavered in her belief that change for the better was possible. She advocated for herself and for other women diagnosed with diseases that require more attention and funding. You can contribute to her memorial services and express condolences here and donate blood in her honor at your local blood bank.