Meet Our Team...
Jaime Arredondo
Born in Las Ranas Michoacan, Mexico. In 1990 he immigrated to Salem, Oregon with his family. Jaime worked as a farmworker picking crops for 12 years. In 2005, he began working with Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC) as a Community Organizer and later became Director of Fund Development. From 2013-2017 Jaime was Secretary-Treasurer for PCUN and the Executive Director of Accion Politica PCUNista (APP), Oregon’s Latino progressive 501c4 organization. In 2011, Jaime was recognized by Shelterforce, the oldest community, economic development magazine in the nation, and selected as one of 6 under 36 young leaders in the country. Jaime serves on several boards including Western Oregon University’s Board of Trustees, Oregon’s Youth Development Council, and the Marion County Children and Families Advisory Commission.
Jules Martinez Plancarte
Jules was born in Patamban, Michoacan. At the age of 5 her family immigrated to Newberg, Oregon. Although Jules considers Newberg her hometown, her Indigenous Purépecha roots continue to play a key role in her professional work and community service. Jules graduated with a double major from the University of Oregon in 2017 with a BA in Law and Human Rights & Spanish Literature. She is currently finishing up her Master’s program in Nonprofit Leadership. In her free time you will find Jules training for a half marathon, dancing or catching up on the latest political updates.
Maricela Andrade
A native of Michoacán, Mexico. She lived with her parents at FHDC’s Nuevo Amanecer farmworker housing project in Woodburn and worked part time at Nuevo Amanecer’s Cipriano Ferrel Education Center in the after-school program starting in 2006. She graduated from Woodburn High School in 2006 and Chemeketa Community College in 2011.
Eduardo Serrano
Eduardo grew up in Woodburn, Oregon. He is the oldest of his three siblings, and a proud son of immigrant parents. He is a first generation Chicano student, who graduated Woodburn High School in 2005, and attended Oregon State University with a focus on Marketing and Computer Science. Eduardo has been involved in activist community based programs, and does free-lance multimedia content for websites, musicians and other artists.
Joaquin Lara Midkiff
Joaquín, the son of a Nahua migrant farmworker and a devoted public servant, was born and raised in the Willamette Valley. He is dedicated to his communities and strives to protect our ancestral knowledge and ways of being. In addition to Capaces, his public service includes appointments to the Oregon Disabilities Commission, the Board of Directors for Cherriots, and the Salem Human Rights Commission. Past organizing work includes two years with Causa of Oregon as an organizer on campaigns protecting Oregon’s sanctuary status and passing the Equal Access to the Roads Act in 2019.
Javier Lara
Javier is originally from the state of Guerrero, Mexico and now based in Woodburn, Oregon. In the last 6 years he has focused on growing traditional plants and vegetables in a way that allows us to exercise our ancestral traditions through agriculture. With this in mind, he focuses in unifying our grandfather's/ grandmother's ancestral knowledge and practices with our youth, to keep our relationship with the land, plants, fungi, and every being that gives us knowledge and allows us to coexist alive. As a hobby, he likes to hike in the mountains, collect plants, roots, and wild mushrooms. Also, he enjoys making string instruments, traditional Native American stone pipes, and traditional cooking.
Monica Cerda Ortiz
A proud daughter of immigrants, Monica became passionate about advocating for the immigrant community. She graduated from North Salem High School in 2016 and earned her B.A in Spanish with a leadership certificate from Western Oregon University in 2020. Monica is currently in the M.S.Ed program at Western. Through her role at CAPACES she hopes to engage community leaders in leadership development in their communities and realizes that even one policy can have a major impact on people's lives.
Monica Cerda Ortiz
People’s Representatives
Program Manager
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Daisy Santana
Daisy grew up in Tototlán del Oro, Jalisco, Mexico. She is the middle child of seven siblings and loves being a part of a big family! Daisy immigrated to Oregon with her older siblings at the age of thirteen. Going through the English Language Learners program and experiencing firsthand the positive impact a mentor can have in a young person’s life sparked her passion for education and advocacy. She graduated from George Fox University with a B.A. in Psychology in 2013, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. Daisy is currently in an M.A. in School Counseling program to continue guiding better and serving youth.
Josefina Cruz Bautista
Josefina was born in Las Balsas, Puebla Mexico and now lives in Woodburn, Oregon. Josefina has been actively serving her community as a volunteer with the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) program for three years helping children with reading support and as a promotora of FHDC for two years helping community members to have access to resources. Josefina’s hobbies include hikes in the mountains, dancing, going out with friends, listening to music, and watching movies.
Josefina Cruz Bautista
Anahuac Program Support Specialist
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Susana Ortiz
Susana is a proud first-generation immigrant, daughter of immigrants. In 2016, Susana attended Chemeketa Community College where she received an Associates in General Studies and in 2018, she transferred to Western Oregon University and graduated with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Social Science, Humanities, and Biology. During her free time, you will find her hiking, playing tennis, or freelancing as a local Photographer in the area. Her life mission is to inspire and amplify the voices of her community, all in hopes for a better tomorrow.
Ashley Orozco
Ashley was born and raised in Washington state. She is the proud daughter of immigrant parents, and the youngest of five siblings. Ashley moved to Oregon to attend Portland State University where she obtained her BA in Social Science and minored in Chicano Latino Studies. Ashley is passionate about helping Latinx youth and is motivated to give back to her community. In her free time, you can find Ashley exploring Oregon and dining in at the local restaurants with her husband and son.
Yanely Rivas
Yanely is a working-class Xicana, cultural worker, and visual storyteller with ancestral roots amongst the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico—lands traditionally stewarded by the P'urépecha. She comes from a lineage of campesinos, merchants, and an abuela who was a partera. As an anti-imperialist and daughter of the corn, Yanely is guided by principles of community care and collaboration rooted in the well-being of the sacred ecosystems and lands we call home. She has been involved in social justice movements for over a decade, predominantly working in solidarity with migrant communities at the local and international level.
Aide Robles Rodriguez
Aide grew up in Woodburn, Oregon. She is the oldest of six kids and the daughter of parents who migrated from Oaxaca, Mexico. Although Aide's hometown is Woodburn, she is learning about her indigenous roots and ancestral traditions from her parent's hometown. She graduated from Woodburn High School in 2021 and currently attending Chemeketa Community College to receive her transfer degree. Aide is passionate about social justice and serving underrepresented communities. Her hobbies include reading political books, dancing, and karaoke singing.
Laura Suarez
Laura is originally from Veracruz and studied Accounting in Puebla, Mexico. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon with her husband and 3 children. Laura has worked in different non-profit organizations such as Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality, Casa, and Mano a Mano Family Center doing what she loves and is passionate about, accounting. With her experience and knowledge, she has created solid and reliable foundational accounting systems with the organizations she has collaborated with. In her free time, she hikes and camps with her family and two dogs.
Lizet Arreola
Lizet is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, but has lived in Salem for most of her life. She completed her Associates of Applied Science in Social Services in 2021 and has a background in different facets of the service industry as well as community support through advocacy and Social Justice. During her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. She also enjoys watching shows and movies
Claudia Maciel Chavez
Was born in Michoacan Mexico but was raised in Salem, Oregon. She is the seventh child out of eight, and a proud graduate from Western Oregon University. Claudia holds a B.S in Social Science and a minor in Public Policy and Administration. As a first-generation Latina, she was captivated by the culture of entrepreneurship and the small business innovation that fuels economic progress throughout Oregon. Her work has focused on community development, wealth building and policy advocacy in underrepresented communities. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son, reading, hiking, and playing tennis.
Claudia Maciel Chavez
Primeros Pasos
Public Relations Manager
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Board of Directors
Lorena Manzo
Lorena came into the movement as a member of Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas in 2003, later becoming a staff member. She served as the coordinator of the Capaces formation process in 2005. In 2006 she joined Causa, where she served as a community organizer until 2022. Lorena currently works with Legal Aid Services of Oregon as a Community Outreach Coordinator.
Sandra Hernández-Lomelí
Sandra is a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, her family moved to Salem when she was ten years old. Sandra graduated from North Salem High School and later attended Willamette University, becoming the first in her family to graduate and earn a B.A. in Politics. She now works as the Director of Latinos Unidos Siempre (L.U.S.), a social justice, Latinx- youth-led organization based in Salem. Through L.U.S., youth are given political, social and cultural education to develop civic engagement and leadership skills.
Reyna Lopez
Reyna Lopez, is a daughter of immigrants from Mexico. She grew up in Salem, Oregon, and attended Willamette University where she graduated with a B.A. in Politics and Sociology. She has a strong history in advocacy, organizing, and movement building in Oregon. Most recently, she was the Outreach Director on the Measure 97 campaign. She was trained in the CAPACES Movement school of thought in Marion County, and has deep roots in Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Movement. Reyna is also the former Civic Engagement Director for Causa, Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Organization.
Levi Herrera
Levi graduated from McNary High School and attended Chemeketa Community College and Portland State University. He and his family have lived in Salem since 1992. He currently serves as a member of the Salem-Keizer Budget Committee, and the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council. He is a member of the Marion County Children & Families Commission and the Salem Mayor’s International Council. Since 2008, he has served as Executive Director to the Mano a Mano Family Center, an organization dedicated to helping strengthen families, founded in 1988.
Rebeca Velásquez
Leaving behind roots in Michoacan, Mexico, Rebeca immigrated to Salem, OR in 1995. When she became a stay-at-home mom and began volunteering at rallies protesting the mushroom farms, she met members of MLP in 2004. Later, she then became part of the organization through their wreath making program, and in 2006 Rebeca began coordinating MLP and a few years later even got her own radio show on Radio Movimiento. She has had her show every Monday afternoon since 2010. She stays busy by participating and collaborating with other sister organizations, and is currently the Director of MLP.
Delia Olmos-García
Delia is the Executive Director at Willamette Academy, a college-access program at Willamette University. Born and raised in Oregon, Delia is excited about education, advocacy, and organizing to invest in youth and empower families. Delia is a graduate of Willamette University and currently working towards her MBA. Her experiences are shaped by living in Salem as a low-income youth, being the daughter of undocumented parents, and the first in her family to pursue higher education.
Judy Márquez
Judy is a proud Purépecha. She was born in San Jerónimo Michoacán, México but was raised in the rural areas of Molalla and Woodburn, Oregon. She has volunteered at PCUN in the past as a community organizer for various measures. She is a board member of Woodburn’s Historical Museum and Theatre, and she has served and supported multiple school-based programs and parent led boards. She is currently a fifth-grade bilingual teacher for the Salem/Keizer School District and enjoys spending time with her children, being outdoors, participating in Danza Azteca.
Estrella Tapia
Estrella Tapia Gonzalez is a first generation student who immigrated from Morelos Mexico at the age of six. She has been involved with and has volunteered for various Capaces programs, like Anahuac and TURNO. Estrella's passion has always been helping her community, especially the Latin Community. Growing up in Woodburn, she has an appreciation for the rich and diverse culture that the community has, and is motivated as a young leader to give back while still focused on graduating from Highschool.
