Staff
Administration and Fundraising
Jaime Alvarado, jalvarado@somosmayfair.org Executive Director
Jaime earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of California-Santa Cruz. He is a life-long resident of Mayfair who began working with the Mayfair Improvement Initiative as Program Director in 1999, then as Associate Director. He became Executive Director in 2004, leading the organization through its successful transition to Somos Mayfair. Prior to joining Somos Mayfair, Jaime was the Executive Director of MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana) and prior to that worked for 20 years as a journeyman electrician with the IBEW Local 332.
Rebecca Bauen, rbauen@somosmayfair.org Associate Director
Rebecca holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington. She has worked for over 20 years in community development within low-income and immigrant communities developing leadership training and adult literacy programs, and forming worker cooperatives. Prior to joining Somos Mayfair, Rebecca was Executive Director of WAGES (Women's Action to Gain Economic Security) and prior to that taught popular education, participatory research and political economy at The Evergreen State College. Rebecca leads our Resource Development Department.
Nayhieli Cruz-McLeskey, ncruz@somosmayfair.org Operations Manager
Nayhieli holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San José State University. She is the Board Treasurer for the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley and a 2006 graduate of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute. She has volunteered with San José programs like Puente, Girls for a Change, and the Role Model Program. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters degree in Counseling at Santa Clara University. Nayhieli manages our human resources, finance, and other business administration.
Aryeh Shell, ashell@somosmayfair.org Program Director Community Engagement
Aryeh holds a M.A. in Education: Equity and Social Justice from San Francisco State University. She has worked as a theater artist, popular educator and activist with many groups and coalitions including Art and Revolution, Teatro Visión, the Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble, Direct Action to Stop the War and is the founder of the Herstories Project, a multicultural women's oral history and theater project. In 2006, through ArtCorps, she developed a theater and social arts program for youth in El Salvador. Aryeh leads our Community Engagement Program.
Arturo Gomez, agomez@somosmayfair.org Artistic Director for Community Engagement
Arturo has a Bachelors degree in Art from the University of Mexico and studied theater at the National School of Drama-Mexico. Since 1968 Arturo has been working as a community, labor and cultural worker in both Mexico and California. He began his theater work with El Teatro Campesino in the 70’s. He was a community organizer with the Mexican Electricians Union and National Agricultural Workers Union in Mexico. Arturo was instrumental in bringing teatro and cultural work to Somos Mayfair, and now develops and presents popular theater with Mayfair residents.
Kathy Cordova, kcordova@somosmayfair.org Resource Development Associate
Kathy was born and raised in San José and earned a B.A., New College from San José State University, where she was elected Student Body President. For the past 25 years, she has worked for nonprofits and local government, and volunteered with community programs, mostly serving women and youth. Kathy has served on the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women and the Domestic Violence Council and nonprofit boards, including currently the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley and as the Vice President of Diversity for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Silicon Valley Chapter. Kathy assists with our resource development efforts.
Siembra Family Support Program
Pamela Gudino, pgudino@somosmayfair.org Program Director Family Support
Pamela holds a Masters degree in Public Health from San Jose State University. She has worked as a community organizer, primarily in farm worker communities in the Central Valley, and as a health educator, with an emphasis on chronic disease prevention and self-management. She also has experience conducting research & evaluations of health promotion and disease prevention programs. Pamela leads our Family Support Program.
Josefina Carrillo, jcarrillo@somosmayfair.org Family Support Promotora
Josefina began working in Mayfair as a volunteer with the Even Start Program at San Antonio Elementary, assisting mothers in early childhood education and leadership development, organizing youth activities, and participating in theater performances. Josefina was born in Sinola, Mexico. Josefina now provides case management services to Mayfair families through Somos Mayfair.
Diana Jauregui, djauregui@somosmayfair.org Family Support Lead Promotora
Diana holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from San José State University. She spent the first six years of her life in Sonora, Mexico and has lived in San José ever since. She began her community work at SIREN (Services, Immigration Rights, and Education Network) first as a volunteer and then as Administrative Assistant. While working towards her degree, Diana interned with Somos Mayfair, and then was hired as a Lead Promotora. She now provides direct case management services to Mayfair families and coordinates the Family Support team of promotores.
Angelica Lujano, alujano@somosmayfair.org Family Support Promotora
Angelica was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico where she imported goods from the United States and sold them in her family’s store. In 1997 Angelica moved to San José to join her family. Since then, she has volunteered with Nuestra Casa in the Mayfair neighborhood, leading a substance abuse group. Angelica provides case management services to Mayfair families.
Jesus Dora Moya, jmoya@somosmayfair.org Family Support Promotora
Jesus holds a Masters degree in Medical Technology from her home country of Peru where she worked for over 25 years conducting research in biochemistry. She immigrated to California in 1999 to be close to her family. Her work in the United States has been focused on health education, specifically in the areas of insurance, nutrition, diabetes and obesity. Jesus provides case management services to Mayfair families.
Laura Espino, lespino@somosmayfair.org Family Support Administrative Assistant
Laura provides administrative support to the Family Support team as well as the organization overall. She is originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, and has lived in the Mayfair community for 10 years. Before joining Somos Mayfair, Laura worked at Grail Family Services for eight years as Administrative Assistant. Laura loves to support the families of her community and enjoys volunteering for programs and projects that help families and their children.
Civic Action Program
Evangelina Nevarez, enevarez@somosmayfair.org Program Director Civic Action
Evangelina, Chicana daughter of immigrants from Durángo, México, grew up in East San José and studied Sociology and Political Science at San José State University. She began her organizing career in the grape and strawberry fields of California with the United Farm Workers of America, led organizing campaigns of blue-collar workers all over the country with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and has now returned home. She has been involved in the Chicana/o social justice movement for over 15 years. Evangelina leads our Civic Action Program.
Luisa Chavarin, lchavarin@somosmayfair.org Civic Action Promotor
Luisa has been a San José resident since 1988. She is native of Jalisco, Mexico, and has three children. Luisa began to work as a Community Organizer for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition in 2001, facilitating workshops on health with Latina immigrant women. Luisa currently is a Civic Action promotora working with Mayfair residents in a participatory action research project on health.