OurTeam

  • Board member and treasurer

    I am a dedicated individual with 13 years of experience in the childcare industry, working tirelessly towards the development and growth of programs aimed at supporting the Hispanic community. As the Owner/Founder and Director of Awesome Blossom Child Care LLC, I have been instrumental in securing the Preschool Promise grant and contributing to various initiatives such as the Providers Service Fund Board of Directors, ECE Advisory Committee for LBCC, and acting as a consultant for grant applicants in expanding childcare grants with Seeding of Justice. I am committed to helping others and making a difference in the lives of those in need.

  • Program Lead

    I lead the Economic Inclusion programmatic area, coordinating programs related to employment, financial education, and micro-enterprise development. I come to ANDARES with 20 years of experience in Ecuador and the United States in finances and entrepreneurship, with Master’s degrees in Marketing and in Leadership and Executive coaching from universities in Ecuador and Spain. Since arriving in Oregon in 2021, I have worked as financial educator for Latinx immigrant communities, developer of micro-enterprise incubators, and financial advisor. Currently I hold the position of Rural and Bilingual Loan Officer at Community LendingWorks. I am enrolled in the Pacific University Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership.

  • Program Coordinator

    I coordinate programs related to collective action, leadership development, and arts and culture. I originate from Michoacán, Mexico and have been an Oregon resident for 20 years. I graduated from South Albany High School in 2020. Since then, I have worked with the community to help bring awareness of their health benefits as a Community Health Worker and helped build leadership among my community's adults and youth through Participatory Action Research. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and puppy. Furthermore, valuing self care through reading, plating, and painting. I am excited to share my knowledge and work at ANDARES.

  • Board Chair (co-founder)

    I strongly believe that our identities are a beautiful blend of our lived experiences, individual biology, and our cultural heritage. As a proud biracial, Mexican-American descendent of a Mexican immigrant father and grandparents, I am honored to serve my community in a way that also pays tribute to my heritage. I have deep ancestral roots tracing back hundreds of years, specific to the grand Mexico City, Mexico. My love for the Latino culture and desire to help lift others up within a leadership role, as well as a hands on approach, is at the forefront of all I do. My past volunteer experiences have included, Big Brother/Big Sister program, Project Read, food banks, Gabriel's Angels, Project Access,  youth camp director, and Board of directors member/governance committee lead at a local non-profit. My education includes a BS in Animal Science, pre-vet-med emphasis, and  MS in Molecular BIology, as I followed my career passion for both veterinary medicine and research. Currently, I work for Oregon State University as a faculty research assistant, within a core genomics laboratory. Although I grew up in Arizona, I consider Oregon my new home, and love living here in Corvallis.

  • Board Member

    Originally from Lara, Venezuela, I have lived in the United States for nearly 20 years. I graduated with Sociology and Law degrees in Venezuela and since my arrival in the United States have dedicated my knowledge to serving the Latinx community in various organizations. Engaging and supporting the community is something that has always been part of my life both in my home country as well as in the adopted one. I currently work in nutritional education at OSU Extension and spend many hours in local communities encouraging healthy living.

  • Executive Director

    I am an applied anthropologist with a Bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Chile and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of South Florida. My career has been at the intersection of applied research and community health, and includes leading culturally specific organizations through processes of growth and consolidation. As the co-founder and Executive Director of ANDARES, I am committed to make a difference in the Latinx community of Oregon through approaches that value the lived experience, assets, and culture of immigrants from Latin America. I am also an Adjunct instructor in the Master in Nonprofit Leadership at Pacific University.