CLI Staff
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.
Ines Peña
Ines grew up in Newberg, Oregon. Her family migrated from Jalisco, México. She graduated from Linfield College with a B.A. in Sociology. She serves as a member of the executive committee for Unidos Bridging Community. She was recently the first Latina to run for the Newberg School District Board. Ines is passionate about advocating for the rights of those who are underrepresented.
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.
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
Contact me at:
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.
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 indegenous 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. Jules continues to live in Newberg and now serves as the first Latina City Councilor for District 2. In her free time you will find Jules training for a half marathon, dancing or catching up on the latest political updates.
Diego Ramos
A native of Michoacán, Mexico, Diego is a long-time Salem resident and Willamette University graduate. After college, he went on to earn an M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Mental Health Services from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in Social-Organizational Psychology at Columbia University. Diego serves as the Alianza Poder Coordinator, working to enhance the wellness and effectiveness of AP organizations and their staff.
Sofia Baum
Sofia was raised in Junction City, OR and is the youngest of 3 to proud parents and business owners. She graduated from Oregon State University with B.S. in Business Administration and Sustainability. Sofia's mestiza identity of Mexican-American (Tejana) and Jewish roots play a key role in her activism, community building and push for equity. On her free time you can find her singing, dancing, painting and backpacking in the beautiful mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
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.
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.
Board of Directors
Lorena Manzo, Chair, representing Causa. Lorena came into the movement as a member of Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas in 2003, later become staff. She served as the coordinator of the CAPACES formation process in 2005 before joining the Causa staff in 2006. Lorena has served on several CAPACES committees. Currently she is Causa’s lead organizer.
Sandra Hernández, Treasurer, representing Latinos Unidos Siempre. 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. As someone who is very passionate about providing leadership development and positive mentor-ship for youth of color, Sandra has always been inclined to serving youth and their families. 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. Sandra also serves on the board of Beyond Toxics, an environmental justice organization based in Eugene, Oregon.
Levi Herrera, representing Mano a Mano Family Center. 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, the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council and the Community Advisory Group to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit of the Oregon Department of Education. 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, representing Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas (MLP). Leaving behind roots in Michoacan, Mexico and born out of Mexico City, Rebeca arrived in Salem, OR after migrating to US in 1995. She began working as a farmworker and at the local canary. When she became a mother of two she was a stay-at-home mom and began volunteering at the rallies protesting the mushroom farms. At these rallies she met members of MLP in 2004. She became a part of MLP through their wreath making program. 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. Her third child was born in 2012 and though she stays busy she enjoys participating and collaborating with the sister organizations. Currently she is the Director of MLP.
Reyna Lopez, representing Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN). Reyna is a leader and proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico, who came to Oregon in the late 80’s following the migration of farm work in the Marion County area. She is currently the Executive Director of PCUN, which was started by farmworkers and is now Oregon’s longest standing Latinx led organization. Reyna grew up in Salem, Oregon and graduated from Willamette University with her BA in Political Science and Sociology. For over a decade Reyna has been a fierce leader and advocate for the Latinx community in Oregon. Today, Reyna is also leading national efforts as a member of the board of the center for Popular Democracy, and the Secretary Treasurer of the Working Families Party.
