Yadira Sanchez, Executive Director
Yadira co-founded and is currently serving as the Executive Director of Poder Latinx, a civic and social justice organization, dedicated to building a sustained progressive voting bloc of Latinxs in battleground states while strengthening the political power of the Latinx community. Yadira earned her Bachelor’s degree from University of California at Santa Barbara, and her Master’s degree from the George Washington University.
Previously, Yadira served as the Development Director for Mi Familia Vota, where she helped raise over $20 million and expanded the number of strategic partnerships with major organizations and allies to increase year-round civic participation within the Latinx community. She was also proud to support the Fast for Families Campaign for immigration reform during her time in the Immigration Department at the SEIU. Yadira is proud to serve on the boards of three nonprofits, Dialogue on Diversity and Family Values @ Work Action, and Western Resource Advisors as well as sitting on the managing committee for Democracy Partners. You can follow her work at @YadiraSanchezPL
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Neliza Guzman, Operations Manager
Neliza was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and currently resides in Florida. She completed her studies in Law in Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Santiago Dominican Republic and Completed a Master Degree in Criminal Justice in Turabo University, Puerto Rico. She started her work in non-profit organizations in 2016 as a canvasser and the year provided her with the experience and knowledge to transition as an Operations Coordinator in 2020.
Mynellies Negrón, Communications Director
A communications professional with over 17 years of combined experience in journalism, television and radio production, print and digital media writing, public relations, and marketing, Mynellies has been honored with multiple Emmy awards for her work in television news, and more recently, for her role and contributions in public service campaigns aimed at educating and raising awareness among the Latino community in the United States. She oversees Poder Latinx's brand and communication strategies, along with the implementation of innovative, educational, and civic action campaigns for the organization.
Giselle Gasca, western regional manager
Giselle Gasca was born in Toluca, Mexico and moved to Visalia, California at the age of 10, where she currently resides. She benefited from Deferred Action when the program became available in 2012. As a DACA recipient, she has been committed to immigrant justice and is an advocate for immigrant rights. She has worked in several campaigns and served as the Regional Coordinator for Mi Familia Vota in the Central Valley. Her passion to serve her community led her to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Community Based Administration and Organizational Behavior from Fresno State University. She also earned a Humanics certificate and a minor in Spanish. Giselle was part of the Central Valley Leadership Committee where she helped identify, vet, and review organizations that applied for the Roots of Latino Power Initiative. After graduating, she joined the labor movement, working in the Political Department with Seiu local 2015.
With over 10 years of experience in the field, Giselle has seen firsthand the misrepresentation in the Central Valley, where elected leaders often do not represent the people they serve. She believes that everyone should be able to live with dignity regardless of their status and is passionate about serving and empowering her community. During her free time, Giselle enjoys spending time with her daughter and her family.
Maria Cardenas (She/Her), Poderosas Fellowship Coordinator
Maria is a lifelong community advocate for the Latinx community. In her youth, she witnessed how her single mother raised two small children while working 2 full time jobs and still tirelessly advocated for herself and other women in the workplace, in the community, and in the voting booth. Maria is inspired everyday by her mother’s desire to create opportunities for others that she didn’t have herself. Maria has advocated for paid leave and fair workplace opportunities and has experience in program development, project management, research, and community engagement. She is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 7 years of experience in operations and benefits support and is a proud alumna of Valencia College.
Briana Guerrero (She/HEr), Digital Manager
Briana Guerrero is a Macro Social Worker from San Francisco's Mission and Potrero Hill Districts. As a proud First Generation Xicanx and child of immigrants, she has dedicated 14 years to community organizing and advocacy.
Currently serving as the Digital Manager at Poder Latinx, Briana channels her passion for intersectionality into impactful storytelling and content creation. She has co-led Galleria de Colores and supported projects like the Arizona Calbagata Las Urnas 2022 and lead social media strategies for the Poderosa Legislative Summit..
Rafael Palacio (He/Him), translator and media Outreach consultant
Rafael Palacio grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, where he got his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1987. He worked as a business and finance reporter in Venezuela. Also worked for The Associated Press, out of its headquarters in New York.
From 2003 to 2017 Rafael was the editor of the Orlando Sentinel Spanish-Language publication, El Sentinel, including web page and social media channels. Focused on community engagement and immersed in local initiatives, El Sentinel grew to be one of the largest Spanish-Language publications in the US.
Also in Central Florida, Rafael worked with the local office of the national nonprofit Hispanic Federation in areas such as voter registration, civic engagement, immigration advocacy, and health, and acted as the organization spokesperson.
Nancy Herrera (She/Her), Arizona state Program Director
Nancy Herrera was born in Mexico and came to the United States at the age of 3, where she was raised in California and Arizona. Nancy studied at Arizona State University where she received her Bachelor’s in Political Science, and at Grand Canyon University where she received her Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Government and Policy.
As an immigrant and having gone through the citizenship process, Nancy has been an advocate for the immigrant community for years. In her previous roles, Nancy worked as a State Program Coordinator in Arizona, organizing the Latinx community to vote in the 2016 presidential election. She has also served as an International University Counselor for Grand Canyon University, where she provided guidance and enrollment assistance to international students wanting to attend GCU.
In her current role as Poder Latinx’s Arizona Program Coordinator, Nancy is using her passion for community-oriented work and advocacy to build a voter registration campaign to register thousands of Arizona voters and engage them in the voter process.
Jazmin Moreno-Dominguez (sh/HEr), Arizona Environmental justice Organizer
Jazmin is a dedicated and passionate individual deeply interested in immigrant and economic justice. As the proud daughter of two incredibly hardworking immigrants, she recognizes firsthand the faults in the immigration system and the economic barriers present in marginalized communities. As a result, Jazmin has dedicated her career to working alongside non-profits that serve disadvantaged communities and previous organizations based in Texas and Canada.
Jazmin is a first-generation university graduate who received her Bachelor's in Public Policy with a Minor in Global Studies from Arizona State University. During these years, she worked alongside ASU as a research intern for their Latino Community Lab project to promote environmental justice, affordable housing, and employment opportunities for Latinos in Arizona. In addition, she collaborated on a Harvard Medicine research project that helped address food and economic disparities for Latinos in Metro Phoenix.
Jazmin is passionate about community organizing and empowering individuals to have a voice to advocate for their own rights. She is committed to creating a more just and equitable society for all.
Carolina wassmer (She/HEr), Florida state program director
Carolina Wassmer, born and raised in Central Florida as a daughter of immigrants,she has dedicated her career to becoming a civic engagement advocate and specialist with over a decade of experience in the Hispanic community. She currently serves as the Florida State Program Director for Poder Latinx. In her role, she manages the organization’s organizing efforts regarding Economic, Environmental and Immigrant justice and leads end-to-end voter engagement efforts which aim to engage the Latinx community year-round in Florida.
Leslie Palomino, Georgia Program Coordinator
Leslie is a Georgia native who grew up in Gwinnett County. Leslie has a background in political campaigning, legislative advocacy, and community grassroots organizing. Leslie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law and a minor in Journalism from Georgia State University. Leslie is a champion for change in her community. She is passionate about increasing the civic participation of Latinxs in Georgia. Through her work, she strives to engage the next generation of leaders to become civically engaged and politically empowered changemakers.
Alejandra Espejo, Eastern Regional MAnager
Alejandra was born in the US, raised in Dominican Republic and currently resides in Central Florida. She completed her studies in General Psychology in the Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago, Dominican Republic. From 2018 to 2020, she worked as a Quality Control Agent for non profit organizations and has helped in the development, protection and implementation of many programs in civic engagement. Working closely with the field team provided her the knowledge and experience to transition to Poder Latinx’s Florida Field Coordinator. As a coordinator she will make sure to help address the many issues concerning our voters and mobilize the latinx community to exercise their right to participate in the decision making processes in our country. Alejandra believes in the excellence of the Latinx community, and the light we bring when we join together as one.
Cristal Guzman (she/Her), Poderosas Fellowship Associate
Cristal was born in the US, raised in the Dominican Republic, and currently resides in Central Florida. She began working for non profit organizations as a volunteer in 2017. In 2019, she joined Poder Latinx as a Quality Control agent and with her passion and hard work, she promptly transitioned to one of our Senior Leads. Her drive to help others, to make a positive impact and difference in the community has helped our organization mobilize voters and invite them to join our fight for social change and human rights. Cristal has helped build programs that provide education, tools and assistance to our voters.
Belem Oseguera duran (She/HEr), Communications associate
Belem Oseguera Duran is a first-generation, low-income transfer student enrolled at Amherst College. Belem actively advocates for the intersectionality of economic, environmental, and health equity within the immigrant community. Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English, Belem’s academic journey at Amherst College is composed of her desire to make a meaningful impact. Her ongoing work on her creative thesis focuses on documenting the untold stories of undocumented immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another one of her endeavors is her work in developing an environment that empowers, protects, and uplifts students with fragile immigration status at Amherst College. Through writing and storytelling, Belem seeks to bring awareness to the value of those who have been silenced and underrepresented in this country and fight for change.
Dario Pantosin (He/Him), Graphic Design Consultant
Dario J. Pantosin is a digital strategist with over 10 years of experience in creating and implementing multi-channel communication strategies through multimedia content creation, innovative marketing approaches and a deep understanding of the non-profit and private industries in NYC and Washington DC. Dario's digital skills—ranging from bilingual broadcasting to animation to email marketing and SEO—harness the power of storytelling, working alongside local and international thought leaders and following one common thread: community empowerment.
Jose Flores (he/him) State Program Coordinator
Jose Flores is the proud product of immigrant, farm worker parents. As the son of a farm worker, his sense of social justice was born in the fields of the Eastern Migrant Trail, from Florida all the way up to North Carolina. As a first-generation, migrant student, Jose persevered academically to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of South Florida as a Provosts’ Scholar.
Jose is an experienced campaigner and strategic organizer. In 2020, Jose became a Canvass Lead in Arizona in the effort to turn out the Latino vote in the face of increasing political polarization and condemnation of Latinos and immigrants.
The best way to strike up a conversation with Jose is to ask about his favorite topics, which include his family, farm workers, travel, sports, music, comedy, politics, and trauma healing. Ask him about any of these topics and be prepared to learn, laugh, and dig deep into the roots of what it means to be a first-generation, first-born, Latino son who is discovering his sense of self through community and organizing.
Olga Loza (She,Her), california Senior Lead
Olga was born in Mexico, and she is passionate to see the Latino community grow. She supports women’s right, farm workers, LGBTQ+ rights. She believes that Latino community has the power to change everything if they VOTE and organize our communities.
Gabriel Gomez (He/Him), Florida field Lead
The son of two Mexican immigrants, Gabriel was born and raised in the quaint town of Naples, FL. As a first generation American, Gabriel came face to face with classism and racism at an early age, which inspired him to learn more about the systemic inequities in his hometown. He continued to pursue political knowledge at the University of Central Florida where he graduated in 2020 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Latin American Studies. Gabriel has been active in Orlando politics since arriving in late 2017. He has worked for local and state governments as an aide and been involved in campaigns of all sizes including Gillum 2018, Biden 2020, and, most recently, by managing Maria Salamanca's successful campaign for Orange County School Board District 2.
An organizer by training, Gabriel is passionate about connecting the Latine community with their political power and continues to find ways to engage young voters by staying active in the Orlando area through various volunteer organizations. In previous roles, Gabriel has managed legislative projects which passed at the county level, coordinated independent field research, and mobilized tens of thousands of voters over the past 2 election cycles. He aspires to become an attorney who specializes in criminal and immigration law. Gabriel enjoys exploring the outdoors, mouthwatering meals, and finding his sense of purpose through community.
Evelin Pedro (She/Her), Georgia Environmental Justice Organizer
Evelin is the proud daughter of Oaxacan immigrants and a graduate of the University of Georgia! She is a recipient of the Benjamin. A Gilman scholarship which allowed her to expand her passion and knowledge of environmental justice movements in different countries such as the Netherlands. She is passionate about the inclusion of Latinx voices in the environmental justice movement!
Mark Anthony Figueroa, Washington state program coordinator
Mark Anthony Figueroa is a first-generation Mexican American born in Santa Ana, California, and raised in Tri-Cities, Washington. He is the eldest of six siblings and a first-generation migrant college student. Mark received his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, emphasis in History from Washington State University. His experiences are in the education field serving under-resourced and low-income communities. As a passionate advocate for inclusivity in representation and equity for the common good, Mark has served previous roles as a teacher at Pasco High School and St. Patrick’s Catholic School. In his former position as Diversity Advocate, he was an added voice of support for those who have been historically excluded from policy-making and political consulting. In his current role as Canvass Lead for Poder Latinx, Mark is working to civically engage the Latinx community in Eastern Washington.
Mark Anthony Figueroa’s personal hobbies include reading history, theology, coaching and playing soccer, and volunteering at community events throughout the year.
Nohely cedeno, operations associate
With an unwavering dedication to social justice, Nohely Cedeno has recently transitioned to the operations department at Poder Latinx following her impactful role as a Field Lead in mobilizing and engaging Georgia’s Latinx community. Born in the US but raised in Panama, Nohely brings a unique multicultural perspective to her work. Currently studying Criminal Justice, her academic pursuits complement her commitment to driving meaningful change within her community. Notably, her journey includes completing Poder Latinx’s Poderosas fellowship, which has further fortified her dedication to social justice causes.
Ahtziry Barrera (she/Her), Data Organizer
Ahtziry Barrera is the National Data Specialist & Special Projects for Poder Latinx, leading the organization’s mission to become more data-driven and engage voters using modern technologies. As a DACA recipient from Mexico, Ahtziry is a first-generation graduate from Rollins College in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Business Management. Ahtziry was part of the inaugural cohort for Poder Latinx’s Poderosas Cohort and went on to join State Voices’ Data Fellowship for two sessions - first as a Fellow and again as Senior Data Fellow. She has been a lifelong community advocate, volunteering for Mi Familia Vota as a community organizer, volunteering with Pulso New York to reunite families from Mexico and Florida, and receiving the Rollins Demings Award for her involvement with the Trust Act Coalition to help pass legislation to secure protections for immigrant and POC communities in Orlando. Her experience as a small business owner and carrying out community engagement work has led her to find innovative ways to advocate for and empower the Latinx community. As Data Specialist, Ahtziry wishes to highlight the importance of Latinas in data because data tells a story and it needs to come directly from the people it is representing.
Nick Blanco Ballesteros (he/Him), Communications Associate
Nick is originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and has a strong strategic communications background, specializing in crafting messaging to mobilize action. His primary focus lies in utilizing these skills to empower the Latinx community and elevate their political influence. In his role as Communications Associate at Poder Latinx, Nick plays a critical role in advancing the organization's mission by continuously promoting its message.
Nick has worked in various public relations positions in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Most recently, he worked as a public affairs intern at SKDK, working intensively to develop communication materials and research projects for various client teams. Nick also worked as an intern focusing on fundraising outreach for Fulkerson Kennedy and Co, and before that worked as a Field Intern for the Glenn Ivey Congressional Campaign (MD-4), where he organized and mobilized canvassers to improve voter outreach.
Nick graduated with a Political Science and Public Relations B.A. from American University in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Political Communication from Johns Hopkins University at its D.C. campus.
Erick Abarca (He/Him), Arizona Canvassing Manager
Erick Abarca embodies the spirit of dedication and community service. As a first-generation Mexican-American, born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, he understands the challenges and opportunities facing his community intimately. Being the eldest of three siblings instilled in him a sense of responsibility and leadership from an early age.
Erick's journey into nonprofit work began humbly in 2016 when he volunteered for various grassroots organizations. This early experience exposed him to the profound impact that grassroots efforts can have on local communities. His decision to join Poder Latinx in 2022 as a voter registration canvasser reflects his commitment to empowering his fellow citizens and amplifying their voices in the political process.
Through his hard work, perseverance, and dedication, Erick quickly ascended within Poder Latinx, earning a full-time position as a senior lead and eventually being promoted to Canvassing Manager. His ability to manage simultaneous voter registration and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaigns speaks to his organizational skills and effectiveness as a leader.
What truly sets Erick apart is his unwavering passion for helping others and making a positive impact in his community. This drive fuels his advocacy work and motivates him to continue pushing for positive change. Erick Abarca serves as an inspiration to others, demonstrating the power of individual action and the importance of community engagement in creating a better future for all.
Cristina Gutierrez (sHe/Her), California Environmental Justice Organizer
Melissa Saucedo (She/HEr), Florida economic justice organizer
Melissa Saucedo is a proud first-generation Mexican-American. Born in Los Angeles and raised in South Florida, she immersed herself in Latinx culture and struggles. Her parents' immigrant experiences influenced her to advocate for BIPOC and immigrant communities. Her passion for advocacy through public policy was solidified after surviving a school shooting in 2018 and a severe case of COVID-19 in 2020.
Melissa has spent the last five years working for her community through the Florida Democratic Party, Future Leaders of Orlando, People Power for Florida, former Florida State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith's campaign, House Representative Maxwell Frost's campaign, and multiple student organizations at her alma mater, the University of Central Florida. Melissa worked as a legal assistant for a local law firm specializing in probate and guardianship law. She has dedicated her life thus far to fighting for gun reform, voting accessibility, racial justice, and a fair educational system.
In 2023, Melissa graduated from UCF with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies and a Certificate in Politics of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity. She continues to be a champion for equity and liberation, guided with the knowledge that centuries of systemic oppression impact the pathways to freedom that marginalized communities can access today.
DANIEL Campos (He/Him), georgia Community organizer
Daniel is a passionate community organizer, driven by a deep-seated motivation to create positive change within his community. As a natural leader, he inspires others to take action and join him in his efforts to address social issues. Daniel is a fierce fighter for justice, relentlessly challenging systemic barriers and tirelessly pushing for a fairer, more equitable society.
merivet lombera, Washington community organizer
Merivet is a first generation college graduate, she received her BA in Psychology and Communication from Central WA University in 2021. Currently, Merivet is earning her MA from Gonzaga University in Communication and Leadership studies. She started her work in non-profit organizations in 2015 as a youth fellow in environmental justice. In her free time Merivet enjoys going on hikes, running, spending time with loved ones and her dog.