Margarita Gutierrez Lemus
Executive Director
m.gutierrez.lemus@familiasenaccion.org
Margarita was born in Michoacán, México and immigrated to the United States when she was five years old. She grew up in Salem, Oregon. Margarita’s career so far has been centered around economic justice and serving communities in ways that empowers and fosters communities to thrive. Most recently, she served as the Senior Program Director at College Possible, responsible for all programming within the organization. Margarita has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from Willamette University and brings with her knowledge and experience within equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression.
In her new role, Margarita will be responsible for driving Familias’ mission forward by advocating for changes to institutional systems of oppression, supporting recognition of Latine/a/o communities and supporting staff in their efforts. She will strive to ensure the organization’s continued stability and community impact.
In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with baking and cooking, painting, and traveling.
Jaeme Miranda (Klever)
Director of Programs
jaeme@familiasenaccion.org
Jaeme grew up in Portland, Oregon and went to Pacific University. While there she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Business Marketing and a Master of Healthcare Administration and Healthcare Compliance Certificate. Jaeme has been working with Familias en Acción since 2010 in a variety of capacities but has spent the majority of her time supporting various Community Health Worker initiatives.
As the Director of Programs, Jaeme supports the programming of Familias. Jaeme feels passionate about being connected to a non-profit organization that has such a huge impact on the Latino/a/e community. There is so much work to do and Familias is right there doing the great work! In her free time, Jaeme enjoys spending time with her family, including a very busy toddler, Roman. She likes to spend time outdoors, cook new recipes, and explore local cafes.
Darren Balauro
Director of Finance and Operations
darren@familiasenaccion.org
Darren was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, among a diverse population of people. It was there that he was welcomed by the Latino/a/e community that was tightly woven within Los Angeles culture. He began to really understand the needs of the Latino/a/e community.
Darren went on to study at the University of California, San Diego, and completed his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. After graduating, his passion for healthcare and helping others led him to jobs in Clinical Research and Pharmacy, where he learned firsthand of the health inequalities among immigrant and minority groups. In an effort to broaden his skills, he later transitioned to the Aerospace industry, where he managed the day-to-day financial operations for over a decade.
After spending 35 years in Southern California, Darren moved to Portland, Oregon at the beginning of 2021, and was eager to join a team that advocated for social equity. He is excited to join Familias en Acción, where he can offer his healthcare and financial management knowledge to support the Latino/a/e community he empathizes with and deeply respects. Darren understands the urgent need to confront social, health and climate issues that are louder than ever. In his personal time, Darren loves traveling internationally, and exploring different cities and cultures. He can also be found hiking around Oregon with his partner, going on runs, or cooking a meal from scratch at home.
Rachel Alford
Director of Development & Communications
rachel@familiasenaccion.org
Rachel was born and raised in South Florida and moved to Portland in 2017. She studied at Florida State University where she completed a B.A. in Media Communications. Since moving to Portland, Rachel has worked as a campaign consultant, serving nonprofits of all sizes and in nearly every sector.
As the Director of Development & Communications, Rachel is excited to help tell the Familias story and grow its support in new communities. Her goal is to expand resources so Familias can continue delivering its vital programs and develop new avenues to support the Latino/a/e communities in Portland.
After university, Rachel spent a year teaching in South Korea and eight months traveling around parts of Asia and Europe – by bus, plane, train, and even bicycle for 2.5 months! In her downtime, Rachel enjoys hiking, cycling, and teaching yoga classes at a local studio.
José Madrid Beltran
Development & Communications Specialist
jose@familiasenaccion.org
José was born in Mexico and their family immigrated to Oregon when they were around two years old. They were the first in their family to graduate from college with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Linfield University. José focused their studies on the performance of gender/sexuality and then structural violence and stigma in relation to HIV. Initially, they began their journey at Familias as the HIV/STI Sexual Health Program Coordinator and assisted with structuring the foundation of this program. This involved generating materials for social media, newsletters, flyers, presentations to highlight the program and also assisted with event planning for the 2021 Latino Health Equity Conference.
José is transferring these skills to the Development & Communications Specialist position. They bring experience from the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) as their former Latino Partnership Program intern, where José assisted with event coordination of the Conexiones Summit, one of OCF’s scholarship awarding committees and reviewing grant applications. José is excited to continue developing their capacity in non-profit communications, development and philanthropy to support Familias en Acción’s mission to promote health equity for Latino/a/e communities.
In their spare time José enjoys anime, gaming, memes, enjoying Oregon’s nature and spending time with family and friends.
Ayla Rosen
HIV/STI Sexual Health Program Manager
ayla@familiasenaccion.org
Ayla grew up in Bend, Oregon. She attended the University of Oregon for her undergraduate degree where she studied human anatomy and physiology. She found her passion for public health work through engagement with students as an International Outreach and Communication intern with the University of Oregon Student Health Center and has since completed her Masters in Public Health through OHSU. Ayla is passionate about improving health equity through education and community engagement.
In her personal life, Ayla is an outdoor enthusiast and loves camping, rock-climbing and biking. She also enjoys documentaries on an array of topics including travel, food, culture, and social and climate justice.
Ingrid Lopez
HIV/STI Sexual Health Program Coordinator
ingrid@familiasenaccion.org
Ingrid Lopez was born in Guatemala and raised in Beaverton, Oregon. She has experience conducting outreach, promoting health education, developing programs, creating access, addressing diversity, and applying an equity lens in the Latinx community. In addition, she recently created and facilitated a mental health group for Latino/a/e parents who had children with mental health challenges. Ingrid finds it rewarding to participate in different Diversity Equity and Inclusion committees to increase the number of employed POC.
As the new HIV/STI Sexual Program Coordinator at Familias en Acción, Ingrid is committed to serving and connecting under-served communities to improve health and enhance lives. Ingrid has experienced having a lack of access to quality healthcare, and faced many barriers, such as being a teen and single mother. Her goal is to advocate for clients through culturally responsive services, access, and represent their individual needs.
A parent of three adult kids, one of whom is in the army, Ingrid and her family hold all soldiers near and dear to their hearts. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with the family and friends in her backyard around her fire pit, telling stories about “La Llorona” and laughing at “chistes,” while having “cafecito.” Ingrid LOVES to travel to different counties, host family parties, and go for walks on the beach with her husband and their dog “Tiny”.
Monica Garibay
HIV/STI Prevention Coordinator
monica@familiasenaccion.org
Monica was born and raised in Salem, OR. She is a first generation college graduate with a B.S. in Public Health Studies from Portland State University. She discovered her passion for public health after being part of the undergraduate research program Build Exito at Portland State. Her passion for health equity and community stems from her Mexican upbringing.
Prior to Familias, Monica was a public health worker at Marion County Health and Human Services. She was part of the HIV Prevention team and the Early Intervention Services and Outreach group, which focuses on testing people for HIV, linking them to care, and ensuring continuity of care. Monica is excited to continue this work in a new setting and is ready to show her passion for organizing and community.
In her free time, Monica loves spending time with her two dogs, doing arts and crafts, exploring a new city or adding another film review to her Letterboxd account.
Alejandra Gurrola
Nutrition & Food Equity Program Manager
alejandra@familiasenaccion.org
Alejandra Gurrola grew up in San Fernando Valley in California. She attended Humboldt State University where she studied Health Promotion/Exercise Science, and Child Development. She has worked in community outreach, health and wellness education, advocacy work around food equity, and program development in Latino/a/e communities.
As the Nutrition & Food Equity Manager, her goal is to dismantle health barriers and disparities related to food insecurity. The team creates strategies for Oregonians to build stronger eating habits, increase food access, and promote health education.
Alejandra loves spending time cooking, being outdoors, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Melissa Mendez
Nutrition & Food Equity Coordinator
melissa@familiasenaccion.org
Melissa Mendez was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She moved to Oregon in 2009 & quickly enrolled in Portland Community College to strengthen her English skills. From an early age, she remembers tagging along with her mom to work at “Pro-Mujer” (Pro-Women), where women in domestic violence situations were empowered to leave, supported, and taught a trade to become independent. Melissa quickly fell in love with community organizing and direct services to marginalized communities. Melissa has helped at the Guatemalan Consulate, food pantries, and the homeless shelter right after Multnomah County’s pandemic at the Convention Center. Recently, she worked at the Beaverton School District as a bus driver for children with developmental disabilities. She also aided in connecting the most COVID impacted families with resources such as internet services, educational materials, and food and participated in a recruitment campaign to bring in more people of color to the District.
Melissa is excited about using her lived experiences, knowledge, and skills in her role as the Nutrition and Food Equity Coordinator. Melissa’s passions and interests lie in helping her community by providing resources and health education to increase the quality for the unserved and underserved in her community.
Melissa loves spending time with family and friends, trying new ethnic restaurants, and exploring the Northwest in her free time. She is the proud mother of a 4-year-old girl named Audrey.
Ana Gonzalez
Nutrition & Food Equity Coordinator
ana@familiasenaccion.org
Ana was born and raised in Mexico, & moved to Portland in 2021 due to her husband’s job. Previously, she worked in the private sector in the Human Resources area, from which she retired for a few years to take care of her family. Later Ana started working at the University of Guadalajara where she spent more than 10 years holding positions in administration and human resources, and this is where she had the opportunity to teach university students and develop academic material; where her passion for education began. Later, Ana moved to a business training area at the Universidad Panamericana, where she worked as Manager of Academic Operations and Director of Executive Training Programs.
She studied Business Administration, has a master’s degree in Human Development and a specialty in Improvement of Management Competences.
In her free time Ana really likes to read, walk outdoors with her children and cook.
Jennifer Gonnella
Nutrition & Food Equity Coordinator
jennifer@familiasenaccion.org
Jennifer was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up on the west coast. After getting her BA in Spanish Literature and Anthropology from the University of Oregon, she spent several years traveling and working in Mexico and Argentina before settling in Portland.
Primarily in the medical field, Jennifer had dedicated her career to serving community members who faced barriers to timely healthcare through interpretation, coordination, and connection to resources. Through this work, she saw how poor nutrition and lack of access to healthful food impacts children’s development and adults’ abilities to manage chronic conditions. As a part of the Nutrition and Food Equity Program, she is excited to be a part of increasing access to seasonal fruits and veggies.
In her free time Jennifer loves to cook for friends and family, work in her garden, travel, and go out to live music.
Jessica Nischik-Long
Climate & Health Equity Program Manager
jessica@familiasenaccion.org
Jessica grew up in Wisconsin, near the capitol of Madison. As an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, she majored in marketing. She also studied Spanish including a study abroad in Venezuela, which was a transformative experience. During these years, Jessica worked with undocumented immigrants and Somali refugees in rural Minnesota, introducing her to social justice and the impacts of immigration policy.
Upon graduation, she returned to Madison and worked on policy analysis and communications for the University of Wisconsin Pain & Policy Studies Group, which is a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center. An interest in travel and new places led Jessica to move to Portland, Oregon in 2001. While working for what is now the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute at OHSU doing clinical research administration, she discovered her true calling: public health. Jessica was drawn to its focus on prevention of illness, disease, and injury. She completed a master of public health focused on environmental health from Oregon State University and later a certificate in climate and health from Yale.
Jessica became the Executive Director of the Oregon Public Health Association in 2015. During this time, she came to understand more deeply the many health impacts of racism. She worked on many state legislative initiatives, including climate change bills and was a leader for the 2021 and 2022 bills declaring racism a public health crisis, which successfully passed into law in 2022. Jessica is excited to focus on her own professional interests in environmental health and climate change and bring her strategic planning skills to the work. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys reading, gardening, cooking and eating delicious food, and spending time with her family, especially outdoors rafting, hiking, and camping.
Nancy Cornejo Angel
Climate & Health Equity Engagement Organizer
nancy@familiasenaccion.org
Nancy is a proud immigrant from Michoacán, Mexico who has grown up in Oregon for over 25 years. She is a first-generation college graduate with her Bachelor’s in Social Work from Pacific University. Nancy’s professional background includes non-profit and medical social work with a focus on addressing health disparities and systemic oppressions impacting the health and well-being of the Latino/a/e community.
Nancy works from a health equity and cultural humility framework. As the Acción Climática Engagement Organizer, she aims to build engagement among the Latino/a/e community to offer education opportunities and augment community resiliency. She is excited to work with other passionate community members in promoting & the relearning of community prosperity. Nancy believes that healing is a collective experience.
Outside work, Nancy thrives doing outdoor activities such as camping and water sports, grounding in nature, discovering new music, and supporting local businesses. Le encanta bailar y comer comida deliciosa!
Maricela Flores
CHW Workforce Development Program Manager
maricela@familiasenaccion.org
Maricela is a native Oregonian. Her passion is to serve the underserved communities in Oregon. Her hope is to see equality, inclusion, and equitable opportunities become available for all people. Her focus is on ensuring that those communities thrive, as well as develop opportunities to obtain higher qualities of life, while empowering independence. She is excited to engage with Familia’s en Acción’s members, its partners and build meaningful relationships. She comes with 10 years of valuable experience in advocating, finding resources, and assisting others in need.
As needed, she volunteers for her local County’s non-profit named, Unidos Bridging Communities, where she has had many opportunities to make strong connections with Latinx community members. She wants to ensure everyone has an opportunity to have a seat at the table, and establish a normality within Boards so that they reflect the communities they serve. “It is my duty as a Mother, to assure I fight the injustices of today, so children, like my daughter, can feel accepted and live free forever”
In her spare time, she is training in taekwondo, writing poetry, spending time with her child outdoors and promoting kindness along with self-love.
Ellie Villaraldo
Admin Assistant
ellie@familiasenaccion.org
Ellie was born and raised in Oregon, growing up in Hillsboro and Cornelius. In high school, Ellie cultivated her passion for community service as a member of the City of Hillsboro’s Youth Advisory Council and as the youth council member on the Hillsboro Arts and Culture Council. Learning about local government and working closely with city employees and officials inspired Ellie to major in political science. She went to Portland Community College and Oregon State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus in International Affairs, a minor in History, and the Peace Studies certificate. Her international affairs and peace studies courses developed her interests in human rights and international development.
Although interested in politics and community development at the international levels, she has not forgotten the importance of serving local communities. Ellie first started at Familias en Acción as an intern supporting the Workforce Development and Resource Navigation programs.
In her free time, Ellie enjoys watching movies, reading books, and listening to music.
Monica Segura
CHW Workforce Development Coordinator
m.segura@familiasenaccion.org
Monica immigrated from Mexico with her family when she was 5 years old and has lived in Oregon for more than 20 years. She attended Oregon State University where she studied psychology with an interest in women’s studies. Monica’s background is centered around youth empowerment and community development. Through her career and personal experiences, Monica has seen the challenges and barriers that the Latino/a/e community faces and is excited to work with Familias en Acción to address them.
During her free time, Monica loves to travel the world with her partner and spend time with her two doodles. She is an avid runner, reader, and puzzler.
Monica Restrepo
CHW Workforce Development Coordinator
m.restrepo@familiasenaccion.org
Monica was born and raised in Colombia for nearly nine years before migrating with her family to Kansas. She is a first generation graduate from the University of Kansas with a degree in Fine Arts where she concentrated on all aspects of Textile Arts. Throughout her career in the Textile field, Monica continued to keep her interest in advocacy for her community by volunteering in different organizations that amplified the voices of the Latino/a/e community during her time in Kansas.
Monica moved to Portland, Oregon in 2021 to explore new horizons and move towards her goal of working alongside the Latino/a/e community. After two years of living in Oregon, Monica was welcomed into Familias en Acción where she is excited to be bringing her lived experiences, knowledge, and Spanish to grow the CHW Workforce team. Monica is deeply passionate about advocating for the enrichment of the Latino/a/e community and is highly committed to bridging the gap between the Latino/a/e community and all things health equity.
In her free time, Monica enjoys delving into her textile practice by dyeing textiles and creating quilts, she also spends a lot of time enjoying the natural beauty that Oregon has to offer with her dog, Lola, in tow.
Amanda Beaver
Resource Navigation and Engagement Program Manager
amanda@familiasenaccion.org
Amanda grew up primarily in the Pacific Northwest and also Baja California Sur, Mexico. She has a B.S. in Public Health for Health Promotion and Behavior with a focus in Community Health. After university Amanda landed in Portland, Oregon and has spent her time working with Latino/a/e families in city recreation programs and local community health centers with the continuing goal of reducing health inequities.
As a Community Health Worker, Amanda is passionate about supporting a safe space for underserved communities to build their health literacy through sharing their lived experience and learning new skills. Amanda is grateful to work with an organization that provides access to culturally and linguistically responsive health education for the Latino/a/e community. She hopes to be a resource and advocate for families as they navigate complex systems.
Amanda finds joy spending time in our surrounding mountains and rivers with friends and family, playing ultimate frisbee and taking new dance classes.
Monica Diaz
Resource Navigation and Engagement CHW Supervisor
m.diaz@familiasenaccion.org
Monica has a passion for helping others and advocating for the communities she is a part of. She was born in San Antonio, Texas where she grew up celebrating her Mexican culture with her large family. She moved to Portland in 2023, where she plans to continue her work in empowering marginalized communities.
Monica earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2014 and a Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2017. Prior to Familias en Acción, she worked in behavioral health. During her work as a Clinical Supervisor, she led teams of clinicians that provided direct therapy services to people with developmental disabilities. When she transitioned to Director of Clinical Services, she focused on community outreach, connecting people to health services, partnering with health providers, and providing training and education to community members. Her passion for compassionate supervision, health equity, and authentically serving her community led her to her current role as CHW Supervisor at Familias.
In her personal life, Monica enjoys exploring nature, dancing, writing music, cooking, and creating art.
Zoraya Uder
Community Health Worker
Zoraya Uder, born in Salem, Oregon and grew up in Woodburn. Has 18 years of experience in healthcare. Started with Familias en Acción as the Virtual Express Tele Health presenter, for clinics in the community that serve our poor and vulnerable and underserved. Serves as the bridge between health care providers and our non English speaking Latino/a/e community members. Is a current Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coach, bringing the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program to our communities in English and in Spanish. Another tool that Zoraya offers her community members is the Healthy Living curriculum of Manejo Personal de la Diabetes y Tomando Control de Su Salud. Volunteering is her passion, she is an active Promotora de Salud with Providence Promotores de Salud. She’s been serving meals to the houseless community in Salem with Mission Under the Bridge. Has done coat and blanket drives to support the houseless communities. Her other hobby is cooking and baking and of course eating- trying a variety of cuisines.
In her current position as a CHW with Familias en Acción, she hopes to share educational information that will empower our “GENTE” to be healthy and proactive in their health, to bring them mental health awareness and help them have the discussions about suicide.
Esther Amaro
Community Health Worker
Esther was born in Hillsboro Oregon , raised in Beaverton her whole life. She has 8 years of experience in healthcare and looks forward to continuing serving as one of our newest community health workers for Multnomah county. Esther has volunteered with Latino/a/e communities over the years and is passionate about bringing equity and inclusion to our underserved population.
In her spare time, she works on getting her certification in personal training, and spending time with her son. Her hobbies include weight training, hiking and reading. Esther is excited for this new journey and helping create a bridge for our community by connecting people to valuable resources and opportunities.
Erica Cuesta Romero
Community Health Worker
Erica was born and raised in Mexico City. She received her BA in Political Science from the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City. She moved from Mexico City to Portland, Oregon in 2005, where she started working as a public employee, engaging with the Mexican community across the state of Oregon. “I observed the needs—educational, social, economic, health, etc.—that these communities have when facing barriers upon arriving in this country as immigrants”.
Her journey as a Community Health Worker (CHW) began with a strong desire to make a difference and drive change in vulnerable communities by providing access and breaking down barriers of health and education to enhance the quality of life for those who need it most. She believes that together, we can achieve lasting impact and build a fairer and more humane world for everyone.
She believes that there are currently many public health factors, such as addictions and natural disasters caused by climate change, that seriously affect the mental and physical health of the Latino/a/e community. These have been areas of interest for her.
Erica has obtained the certification as an adult addictions mentor (CRM) from MHACBO, as well as from the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team program (NET) and PBEM.
In her spare time, she enjoys working in her garden, reading, swimming and spending time with her family.
Paola Arandia
Community Health Worker
I was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, a country in the heart of South America. I moved to Portland, Oregon at the age of 12. I am a first generation college graduate, I attended Oregon State University and got a BA in Political Science. Throughout college I was involved with the community through different organizations on campus and continued to serve my community when I moved to Beaverton. More recently, I served my community through the Hillsboro Public Library where I enjoyed doing Bilingual storytime and resource navigation to help out the diverse community in Washington County.
As a community Health Worker, I look forward to engaging with the community and helping them on a more consistent basis. I want to be an advocate for the Latino/a/e community and give back.
In my spare time I enjoy going to new places and exploring Oregon with my family as well as some downtime going to the park and playing soccer with my kids. I love traveling to visit family on the East Coast and Bolivia.
Jesse Lopez-Solano
Community Health Worker
Jesse was born in Portland, OR and raised in Woodburn, OR. He has lived his whole life in Oregon and attended Portland State University. At PSU he graduated from Public Health Administration. During his last year at PSU, he discovered a passion for Public Health and specifically, in the Latino/a/e community. It was always a dream of his to help the Latino/a/e community through health and wellness.
After a couple of jobs, Jesse found community health work and became passionate about helping the community. Through his work experience, he has noticed a need for advocacy and health education for the Latino/a/e communities. He is committed to improving the health and wellness of underserved families through prevention and education. At Familias, he sees a group of people who share the same vision and goals.
Outside of work, Jesse is a big fan of sports and film. His favorite teams include the Portland Trail Blazers, Chivas, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United. His favorite film franchise is Star Wars.