Meet the Team

Leadership

REYNA MONTOYA
FOUNDER + CEO + BOARD MEMBER

  • Reyna E. Montoya is an Echoing Green Fellow, a Forbes: 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, and an ATHENA Young Professional recipient by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, among many other awards.

    Reyna was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and migrated to Arizona in 2003, fleeing violence. She is a DACAmented social entrepreneur, community organizer, educator, non-profit executive, and dancer. She won multiple national & global fellowships, which enabled her to start Aliento. She was also a founding member of the first Teach For America DACA Advisory Board. Reyna holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Transborder Studies, a Dance minor from Arizona State University, an M.Ed in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University, and an executive education certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She has engaged in local, statewide, and national platforms to advance justice for immigrant communities. In 2013, she was the lead organizer who prevented an immigration bus of undocumented immigrants from deportation in Phoenix, AZ, for the first time in the nation’s history. The same year, with the community's help, she stopped her father’s deportation. 

    Under Reyna’s leadership, Aliento impacted over 50,000 people, educated close to 100,000 voters in the 2020 and 2022 elections, and strategically organized a non-partisan coalition that led to the passage of Prop. 308, advancing education equity through gaining in-state tuition rates for DACA recipients in Arizona. Her contributions have earned her recognition from local to global contributors from #NBCLatino20 and the Muhammad Ali Center as the Humanitarian Recipient for Spirituality, 73rd Woman of the Year by Valley Leadership, Legends, and Legacy Honoree by NCAA, among many others. She hopes to continue to share her talents and skills with the community to co-create healing spaces, political change, and leadership development for our immigrant youth and mixed-status families. In her volunteer time, she also serves as a member of the Arizona Alumni Association board of directors and sits on many advisory boards. She enjoys going on long walks, exploring the beautiful state of Arizona, reading, and spending time with her fur baby!

JOSE PATINO
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION + EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

  • Jose Patiño was born in Mexico and raised in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, AZ. He migrated at the age of six with this family and is part of the 1% DACAmented people in the U.S. with a master’s degree. He is an educator and an activist. Jose holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. Jose became involved in the Immigrant Rights and Dreamer Movement in 2009. Ever since then, Jose has been standing up against the injustices that undocumented immigrants face. He stopped a bus of undocumented immigrants who were set to be deported, engaged in a direct action where he interrupted President Obama’s speech, and lobbied for the DREAM Act and Immigration Reform. Jose’s activism has led him to be featured in The Washington Post, MSNBC, NPR, Univision, Telemundo, Buzzfeed, and Think Progress, among others. He was also featured in The Dream is Now and Underwater Dreams documentaries. Jose leads Aliento’s efforts to gain in-state tuition & access to scholarships for all Arizona students, regardless of immigration status. He is proud to serve his community and believes in giving back, and one of his most recent accomplishments is that he co-founded a scholarship named after him to support undocumented students' access to higher ed.

    Past roles: He also serves on the National DACA Advisory Board for Teach for America as the Chair of the Advocacy Committee. He is also a member of the Arizona Department of Education School Safety taskforce and a member of the City of Mesa Census 2020 taskforce.

ERICK GARCIA
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL + TECHNOLOGY

  • Erick Garcia is a Veracruzano/Jarocho technologist based in Mesa, AZ. He has lived in Arizona since 1997 and successfully completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Systems Engineering at Arizona State University in 2011.

    He knows firsthand what it is like to graduate against all odds. In 2006, Arizona voters passed Prop 300, which, regardless of graduating from an Arizona high school, made students like him international students overnight. Thankfully, anonymous individuals believed that students like him deserved a higher education and contributed so that he and others could make it to graduation day.

    After becoming DACAmented in 2012 and adjusting his status in 2024 after a twenty-year wait, he decided to stay in the online organizing community because he's convinced we can change narratives and policies that affect our communities with digital and data-driven strategies.

    Erick is behind Aliento's digital and technology stack to ensure these are leveraged strategically and efficiently across departments.

SONYA HARGRAVE
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

  • Sonya Hargrave brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to operational excellence to her role as Senior Director of Operations and People Management at Aliento. With a robust background in education and leadership, Sonya has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive organizational success through strategic planning, team development, and a steadfast dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

    Sonya's professional journey is marked by significant accomplishments and impactful initiatives. One of her proudest achievements is securing a grant to take a group of students to Flint, Michigan, to advocate for clean water in their community. This initiative not only provided invaluable real-world learning experiences for the students but also resulted in a powerful documentary that highlighted the ongoing water crisis in Flint.

    In her previous role at Mastery Charter Schools, Sonya served as a Cultural Context/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leader, where she developed and led professional development sessions for school leaders and staff members. These sessions focused on reflecting on individual identities and their impact on workplace interactions, providing tools to support student and staff retention, and enhancing the overall organizational culture. Her work in this area has been instrumental in fostering inclusive environments that promote equity and respect.

    Sonya holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and her extensive experience in educational leadership and operations management has equipped her with the skills necessary to excel in her role at Aliento. She is passionate about creating supportive and effective work environments that empower individuals and drive collective success.

Core Team

ILEANA SALINAS
CULTIVA PROGRAM MANAGER

  • Ileana Salinas is originally from Mexico City. She migrated with her family to Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 15. During her senior year in high school, she became involved in actions against the passage of Proposition 300 and in support of the DREAM Act. She co-founded the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition as an undocumented student at Arizona State University. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she continued her involvement in the migrant justice movement, including efforts against SB1070 and campaigns that led to the creation of the DACA Program.

    In 2016, Ileana joined Aliento as the first Art and Healing Program Collaborator, where she became inspired to learn more about how to use music in a therapeutic way. She attended Music programs at Paradise Valley Community College and ASU. Ileana is dedicated to promoting healing, empowerment, and unity through community programming and the arts. She enjoys singing, songwriting, hiking, running, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

ARYAM GARCIA
ARTS + HEALING COORDINATOR

  • Aryam is a DACA recipient born in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and raised in Mesa, Arizona. In 2006, she migrated to the United States alone to be with family “on the other side” to fulfill the opportunities that her single mother knew would not come from an environment of corruption and violence. In 2017, she became the first high school graduate in her family, graduating with honors and excellence in community service. She has always been passionate about education and community, so when they were robbed of the opportunity to follow the traditional path of obtaining her degree alongside her peers due to Prop 300, she became an A.V.I.D. Program tutor at Mesa High School, where she discovered her passion for listening to and supporting students. Her students, peers, and family never let her motivation to obtain a college degree decline, and in 2019, she became a full-time student with a full tuition scholarship at Benedictine University in downtown Mesa. In 2024, she graduated with a Psychology degree and continues to practice holistic healing.

    In 2022, she met Aliento through Prop 308, where she quickly became involved in phone banking and canvassing. After that, she knew that she wanted to continue to support the undocumented/DACAmented community’s healing journey as she had been actively invested in her own healing from a similar situation in the prior years. 

    In her free time, she enjoys connecting with nature, writing poetry, studying astrology, and going to concerts and thrift stores with friends. She likes to express herself through creating art; her favorites are ink to create tattoos and fabric to create sustainable fashion clothing. She leads by seeing the good in humanity and finding inspiration in everything around her, and now, she is hyped to be working closely with students to make a positive impact.

ABRIL VALENZUELA
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

  • Abril Valenzuela is an Arizona native, raised in Glendale. Her family migrated from Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, in 1996 to Arizona, where they found a community in the West Phoenix-Glendale area. She lived and experienced the difficulties of growing up in a mixed-status family and the challenges it posed on a safe life in Arizona. Abril found a passion for advocating for immigrant rights and taking on a role in fostering an equitable future for families like hers.

    She participated in the Arizona’s Future Fellowship 3rd Cohort, where she became involved with Aliento’s mission, organizing for DACA and in-state tuition. As the first registered voter in her immigrant family, she saw the importance of the youth vote in reflecting their community’s views in elections. Because of this, she has organized to advocate for the immigrant community in the 2020 Aliento Votes and 2022 Prop. 308 campaigns. Abril is a recipient of the Congressman Ed Pastor Civic Leadership Medallion for her work at Aliento advocating for the immigrant community. In May 2023, she graduated first-generation from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Justice Studies. As an alumna of the Fellowship, and utilizing her policy background and experiences as a member of a mixed-status family, Abril aims to uplift her community and student leaders in voicing their stories to promote change.

    Abril loves to read and play guitar during her free time. She loves creating art through graphic design and music. She loves spending time with her family and her dog, Bow. And, she is passionate about exploring coffee shops and brunch spots in Arizona.

GUADALUPE REYNOSO JIMENEZ
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

  • Guadalupe (Lupe) Reynoso Jimenez is a first-generation daughter of immigrants who was born in Los Angeles, California. She and her family soon relocated to Jalisco, Mexico, where they lived for three years before moving to Phoenix, Arizona. She grew up in the West Valley, surrounded by a diverse community of immigrants from all over the world. As a result of the impact SB1070 had on her community, she became passionate about advocating for the rights of immigrants in this country.

    She attended Metro Tech High School, and during this time, she was introduced to the world of organizing and activism, where she formed part of clubs such as serving as Vice-president of the Spanish Honor Society and member of MEChA. In 2019 she was introduced to Aliento's work, and began volunteering with the organization and soon attended her first Education Day in 2020. She graduated high school in 2020 and began her college career at Northern Arizona University. She formed part of the 4th cohort of the Arizona’s Future Fellowship where she learned the importance of community and numerous skills that had aided her in her personal and professional life and that she now passes on to the fellows she mentors.

    In May 2023, She obtained her BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and hopes to use the knowledge on our criminal justice system and its impact on our community to continue to educate her community and uplift them to take charge in making change possible in the state of Arizona and across the country.

    In her free time, Lupe enjoys reading, flower arranging, and taking care of her many plants (over 65 of them). She loves exploring new bookstores and plant shops all across Arizona.

SUSANA “SUZIE“ NAVA
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

  • As a dedicated and passionate professional, Susana "Suzie" Nava brings a wealth of experience as an Executive Assistant with extensive managerial and auditing expertise. Her journey has been marked by resilience and a commitment to excellence, qualities that have driven her success in various roles.

    Susana's personal journey as a DACA recipient has fueled her passion for advocacy. Recognizing the need to stand up for herself and others in similar situations. She first became actively involved with Aliento in 2018 during their Vote4Dream campaign. Through this initiative, Susana worked tirelessly along with others to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of DACA recipients and mixed-status families.

    In 2019, Suzie joined the Aliento team, bringing her passion for advocacy and community building to the forefront. She firmly believes in the power of community and that it is never too late to get involved and make a difference.

PEDRO GONZALEZ-ABOYTE
EDUCATION MANAGER

  • Pedro Gonzalez-Aboyte is a DACA recipient born in Sinaloa, Mexico. Pedro was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, after migrating from Mexico in 2001 at two years old. He graduated from Brophy College Preparatory before moving to San Antonio, Texas. Pedro attended St. Mary’s University, where he earned a degree in Psychology alongside a minor and certificate. In college, he was a part of the Office of Community-Based Research, where he conducted research on Latinxs in higher education alongside his colleagues and presented at national conferences like AERA and NCORE. He strives to find ways to help uplift the minority community, specifically the undocumented youth.  

    Pedro holds the value of giving back very highly, which is what has helped him get to where he is today. For him, giving back to the community that helped him is a cathartic experience that hopefully helps in creating tangible positive change.

    In his free time, Pedro enjoys going on runs, hikes, journaling, and sketching. He is also an avid concert-goer and likes to travel.

Board of Directors

VANESSA VALENZUELA ERICKSON
BOARD CHAIR

  • Vanessa Valenzuela Erickson is a people operations and talent management consultant and advisor. Most recently, she served as Chief People Officer at Culdesac - a first-of-its-kind car-free real estate developer. Prior to this, she worked in human resources, business operations, and finance at Salt River Project and Opendoor. She started her career teaching elementary school through the Teach For America program. Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and a degree in Economics and International Studies from the University of Arizona. She is a proud native Phoenician, wife, and mother of four. Vanessa is passionate about equity in education, dignity and opportunity for all members of our community, and the destigmatization of seeking mental health care.

FELIX GARCIA IBANEZ
BOARD TREASURER

  • Felix is a Senior Manager of Tax and Accounting Compliance and Reporting with Ernst & Young LLP (EY), a professional services firm with more than 300,000 people in 150 countries. EY provides service to more than 200,000 clients, from start-ups to multinationals across all sectors, through four service lines: Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax.

    For the last twelve years, Felix has served both public and non-public clients in a variety of industries, including mining, diversified industrial products and power and utilities. He has significant experience in complex global audit engagements, and various technical accounting and financial reporting matters. He has worked extensively with engagement teams in South America, Europe and Asia.

    Felix was born in Torreon, Mexico and temporarily moved to Phoenix, Arizona in late 2012 as part of EY’s Global Exchange Program. He spent two years in Monterrey, Mexico, after his 18-month rotation in the US, and permanently transferred to Phoenix in mid-2016.

    Interested in coaching and mentoring other Latinx professionals, Felix served as the Executive Sponsor and Chair of EY Phoenix Latino Professional Network for four years. In addition, he also served as Board Member in the Phoenix Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America for two years. Through both assignments, Felix worked with Latinx students and young professionals to identify career opportunities, promote professional development and volunteer for community outreach programs and charities.

    Felix earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Accounting from Tec de Monterrey. He is a certified public accountant in Arizona and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

REYNA MONTOYA

  • Reyna Montoya is a 2016 Soros Justice Fellow, a 2017 Echoing Green Fellow , a Forbes: 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, and an ATHENA 2019 recipient by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce among many other awards.

    Reyna was born in Tijuana, Mexico and migrated to Arizona in 2003 fleeing violence. She is an undocumented/DACAmented social entrepreneur, community organizer, educator, and dancer. She is a 2016 Soros Justice Fellow, which enable her to start Aliento. She is also a founding member of the first Teach For America DACA Advisory Board. Reyna holds bachelor degrees in Political Science and Transborder Studies and a Dance minor from Arizona State University; she also holds a M.Ed in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. She recently completed an executive education program from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She has engaged in local, statewide and national platforms to advance justice for immigrant communities. In 2013, she was the lead organizer, who prevented an immigration bus of undocumented immigrants from deportation in Phoenix, AZ for the first time in the nation’s history. In the same year, with the help of the community, she stopped her father’s deportation. She was also recognized as 2017 #NBCLatino20 and the Muhammad Ali Center as the 2018 Humanitarian Recipient for Spirituality. She hopes to share her talents and skills with the community to co-create healing spaces, political change, and leadership development of our immigrant youth and migrant families.

PEARL CHANG ESAU

  • Pearl Chang Esau is a non-profit executive, education & public policy expert, and advocate for greater opportunity for all. Beginning her career as a 5th grade teacher of English Language Learners in east Los Angeles and as a first generation Chinese American, Pearl believes that access to an excellent education is transformational for individuals, families and communities. Deeply committed to improving life prospects for all, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity or disability, Pearl champions educators, students and disadvantaged populations so that they can reach their full potential.

    Over the last decade, Pearl held the chief executive roles for the education non-profits Teach For America Phoenix and Expect More Arizona, helping to establish education as the #1 priority for Arizona voters and raising over $40 million from public and private sources. Under her leadership, Expect More Arizona became a leading voice on education issues and played an integral role in raising expectations for Arizona students and the passage of Proposition 123, which resulted in $3.5 billion for K-12 public schools.

    Passionate about collaboration, Pearl has been instrumental in the start-up of several cross-sector initiatives such as the Sanford Inspire Project at ASU, Arizona Aims Higher, the Arizona Education Progress Meter and Achieve60AZ. Pearl currently serves as a board member for Teach For America Phoenix, ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and in 2016 was appointed by the governor as an Arizona education commissioner.

    Pearl holds degrees in Communications, Public Policy, Spanish, and elementary teaching credentials from University of California Los Angeles and an executive certification from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is married to Mac, a public-school principal and has three young children.

  • Gabriela Muñoz is an interdisciplinary arts administrator, educator and artist. She is the Senior Program Coordinator for ASU’s National Accelerator for Cultural Innovation. Muñoz manages the Projecting All Voices initiative, which provides opportunities for designers and artists to advance ideas and projects that investigate identity, cultural heritage, power, race, policy, ability and/or place and community. Serving artists and designers from underrepresented groups, the initiative supports civic and social practices in design and arts that create equitable communities.

    Previously Muñoz served as Artist Programs Manager at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, leading the AZ ArtWorker initiative, which facilitates dialogue and knowledge-sharing between Arizona artists, their national and international artist peers and residents of Arizona communities. During her tenure at Phoenix Art Museum from 2011 to 2015, Muñoz worked in the Curatorial Departments of Modern & Contemporary Art and Latin American Art. Her collaborations with local, national and international colleagues, museums and cultural organizations have allowed her to support the development of artists and culture bearers in the Southwest region through the development of public programs, artist grants and creative partnerships. Muñoz is a fellow of artEquity’s 2020 BIPOC Leadership Circle, the 2017-2018 Intercultural Leadership Institute and the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture’s (NALAC) Leadership Institute. She is a 2020-2021 NALAC Catalyst for Change Award recipient and a 2019-2020 Mellon-Fronteridades Creative Scholar. Her professional expertise includes binational arts production, equitable program design, curation, exhibition management, grantmaking, and private-public partnership development.

GABRIELA MUÑOZ

JANICE PALMER

  • Janice Palmer is the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy at Helios Education Foundation. Ms. Palmer is responsible for identifying Arizona policy and investment opportunities that leverage and/or positively impact the Foundation’s current investments and ensure current policy and advocacy activities inform and direct the Foundation’s future work.

    Prior to joining Helios, Ms. Palmer was the Director of Governmental Relations & Public Affairs for the Arizona School Boards Association and was with the Association for over 15 years. She has previously served as Communications Director for the Proposition 200: Healthy Children Healthy Families campaign and was an Arizona Senate Policy Advisor, working in the areas of tax and fiscal policy, commerce and economic development, bilingual education, civil rights issues, and redistricting.

    Ms. Palmer graduated Arizona State University magna cum laude with degrees in English and Political Science.

JUSTIN GRAHAM

  • Justin is a project manager with Sunbelt Holdings, an Arizona-based real estate development firm that recently celebrated 40 years of work in Arizona and beyond. He is responsible for managing the multi-year development of a number of the company’s urban projects ranging from residential towers to mixed-use communities. He is currently primarily engaged in a large multifamily development in Tempe. Primary roles include working with municipal councils and staff, investors, and contractors and consultants toward successful execution.

    Justin formerly practiced as a real estate lawyer with Lewis Roca for several years before joining Sunbelt in 2018. He earned his JD and MBA degrees from Arizona State University, and attended Boston College as an undergraduate, during which time he also attended the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico in connection with his undergraduate degree.

    Along with his wife Mary (and new daughter Eleanor), Justin is a proud ASU Sun Devil and is fortunate to serve on the ASU Foundation’s Next Generation Council, in addition to the ASU Art Museum’s Creative Impact Board. Outside of work, Justin spends as much time as he can enjoying Phoenix’s great trails and running paths, and when not frustrated by a global pandemic, concerts whenever he can.

MANUEL ESPINOZA
BOARD SECRETARY

  • Manuel Espinoza graduated cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies that he obtained in three years. As a first-generation immigrant himself, he is intimately familiar with the struggles mixed-status families face. His lived experiences instilled a strong desire to attempt to help guide and uplift others wishing to better themselves. Notably, Manuel worked with CADENA (Comité de Apoyo para el Desarollo Estudiantil de la Nación Americana), an Arizona grassroots organization dedicated to advocating for DREAMers and the passage of the DREAM Act. That same desire led to a prolonged stay in the four corners area of the southwest, predominately volunteering in the Navajo Nation. Manuel ultimately established himself as a grants manager for St. Michael Indian School, a non-profit k-12 mission school established in 1902. Upon returning to the valley, Manuel obtained employment with the State Bar of Arizona, where he currently serves as a Trust Account Examiner/Investigator in the Lawyer Regulation Office.

Advisory Council

ADRIANA GALLEGO

  • Adriana Gallego is the Executive Director of the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. As an artist at the service of other artists, Gallego's work is motivated by social justice, where she seeks to connect people with meaningful resources that grow capacity, build community, foster collaboration, and bridge cultural understanding. She serves on the national board of directors of Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) and MAP Fund. Previously, she was Chief Operating Officer at NALAC, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Educational Assistant at the Norton Simon Museum, and teaching artist throughout the Southwest.

JENNY POON

  • Jenny Poon is an entrepreneur and founder of CO+HOOTS. Ranked #4 coworking space in the nation by Inc.com, CO+HOOTS currently houses 280+ scaling entrepreneurs and small businesses and has been an integral role in creating hundreds of jobs locally. She has led CO+HOOTS from its inception in 2010 to be the #1 most innovative coworking space in the world. Her background in business, design and marketing led her to build a place where she could connect with like-minded folks that believe business growth comes from collaboration between different industries. She speaks regularly on leadership as a millenial, the importance of nurturing innovation in the workspace and works tirelessly to bring visibility to coworking as an economic development tool for building vibrant and equitable cities.

    Her background as an award-winning designer and strategist led her to build a shared work space where she could connect with like-minded, talented folks who believe collaboration between industries is where innovation flourishes. Jenny serves as an advisor for several startups, Chair of the CO+HOOTS Foundation, and mentors young entrepreneurs weekly.

    Jenny was named Phoenix Business Journal’s 2016 Phoenix Businessperson of the Year. The first minority and the first woman to receive the honor.

IRASEMA CORONADO

  • Irasema Coronado received her bachelor's degree in political science and a certificate of Latin American Studies from the University of South Florida. She has an M.A. in Latin American Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Arizona. Her area of specialization is comparative politics. She is the Director of the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University. Previously, she was a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she held the Kruszewski Family Endowed Professorship.

    President Barack Obama appointed her to serve on the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation in North America in 2010.

    Irasema Coronado served as the executive director of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America 2012-2016. The Commission for Environmental Cooperation facilitates collaboration and public participation to foster conservation, protection and enhancement of the North American environment for the benefit of present and future generations, in the context of increasing economic, trade, and social links among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Hispanic Business Magazine named her one of the Top 100 Influential Hispanics in the United States in October of 2010.

    She serves on the MS Magazine academic advisory board and is co-chair of the Coalition Against Violence Toward Women and Families on the US-Mexico border.

    Her present research includes the impact of the deportation process on families and children, women in politics, environmental cooperation, and U.S.-Mexico border politics.

    She grew up in Nogales, Arizona and served as an intern for then Governor Bruce Babbitt in the 1980s.

WILL RUTT

  • Will Rutt is the Executive Director of the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC) in Seattle, WA and formerly served as the Director of Justice Formation & Advocacy at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. He holds undergraduate degrees in economics and theology from Creighton University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of San Francisco. Since college Will has been an accomplice of the undocumented community, when he first worked as a student organizer helping resist SB1070 in Arizona. Will began working closely with Aliento during his time at Brophy, as partners in support of the student-led DreamOn campaign, an undocumented-led, narrative-based campaign that leverages Catholic identity to create change for those who are undocumented in the United States. The DreamOn campaign has been some of the most life-giving work that he has done, especially witnessing the impact that the campaign has had on undocumented student experience at Brophy. Now at IPJC, Will continues his work through education, advocacy, and community organizing. When Will is not working, he can be found spending time with his partner Elizabeth and pup Autumn, always trying to get outside in the mountains.

LUIS AVILA

  • Luis Avila was an advisor with 270 Strategies. Most recently he was the national program director at Stand for Children, a nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to improving public school education, where he worked with immigrant parents to mobilize thousands of voters to protect funding for their children's schools. While at Stand, he was awarded its National Leadership Award for his work supporting, coaching, and developing organizers around the country.

    Born in Culiacan Sinaloa, Mexico, Luis founded a youth publication in Queretaro at the age of 16 to give students a chance to voice their opinions on social and political issues. His passion for giving others a voice eventually brought him to the United States, where he has spent the better part of his career working to improve the quality of life for people in his community by expanding access to quality education.

    Luis has worked as a writer, director, and actor in both theater and film, and hosted radio shows in Phoenix, AZ including the Spanish-language Sin Mordaza on 1190 AM and the bilingual youth show El Break on 95.1 FM. He enjoys volunteering at his local library in his free time and can be found on the weekends exploring his new neighborhood in Phoenix.