LCF Leadership Team
Our success is directly attributed to leadership, expertise, and visionary insight of this team.
Learn more about the dynamic individuals leading the way to a stronger community.
Finance and Capacity Building Team
Lilliane Ballesteros
Executive Director
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Lilliane is a development and fundraising professional who has worked with nonprofits in Seattle and her hometown, Los Angeles. Lilliane works to communicate LCF’s broad vision and increase resources to benefit the community.
Alejandra Tres
Senior Strategist
aleja[email protected]
Alejandra Tres is Senior Strategist and brings her decades of advocacy, organizing, research, and leadership experience to forward LCF's community-led systemic change. Alejandra is thrilled to work alongside committed, talented, and tenacious community leaders and organizers. She believes that the best solutions are community-led solutions and that anyone, regardless of the details of their background, can be a changemaker. Alejandra is on partial loan to the Battle for Democracy Fund.
Luis Fernando Ramirez Limon
Director of Finance
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Salomon Gonzalez
Finance and Grants Supports Specialist
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Salomon is from Michoacán, Mexico and is a first-generation college graduate. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelors in Business Administration and a minor in Hispanic Studies in 2018. He is responsible for the internal finances and works closely with LCF's fiscally sponsored groups. He grew up in south King County and enjoys hiking and playing fútbol.
Deserea Brito
Operations and Capacity Building Coordinator
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Deserea currently serves as Executive/Operations Assistant at the Latino Community Fund. In this role, she assists the Executive Director and provides administrative, operations fundraising, and board support. Before coming to the Latino Community Fund worked as a Project Coordinator at the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofit & Philanthropy, where she supported leadership programs for nonprofit professionals and social entrepreneurs. She continues to serve as a Leadership Seminar Chair for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, inspiring youth to create social change through services to their communities. Deserea holds a Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington and received her Bachelors in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Healthy Families Team
Luzmila Freese
Director of Community Programs – Health and Economic Empowerment
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Luzmila manages LCF’s Economic Empowerment and Healthy Latino Family Initiatives, both of which focus on creating and establishing long terms solutions to address deeply rooted problems affecting underserved Latino communities. She has been leading efforts to foster relationships between underrepresented communities and governmental institutions, increase awareness about existing socio-economic disparities, and elevating the role of promotoras in community-based interventions. With a background in international non-profit organizations and companies, she joined LCF in 2018. Luzmila holds a dual Master’s degree in Sustainable International Development and Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from the Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis University.
Maria Martinez
Health Program Coordinator
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Maria is the Program Coordinator for the Healthy Latino Families Initiative. In her role, she supports various projects that address food insecurity, unequal access to healthcare services, and food safety and pollution. She is responsible for the administrative aspects of the projects and for the organization of effective community engagement activities. María is deeply invested in education and community work; she believes that engaging in meaningful conversations and listening with purpose are critical to understand the needs and challenges of the Latino community. She joined LCF in September of 2019; the same year in which she received her Bachelor of Arts in Education, Community and Organization from the University of Washington.
Mario Bañuelos
SHIBA Program Coordinator - Staff Development Trainer
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Mario coordinates the SHIBA program, outreaching and providing Medicare solutions for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. He also informs, trains, and develops Community Health Workers / Promotoras and assists with strategic project development. With a background in Youth Workforce Development and 20 years’ experience working with Latinx nonprofit organizations, He studied Medical Assisting at Whatcom Community College, has a Community Health Worker Certification from the Washington State Department of Health, an Accounting Supervision certificate from TPJCC, and a Business Systems Analysis and Leadership Certificate from Tulane University. Mario recently joined LCF in 2020.
Economic Program Team
Angela Soto
Economic Empowerment Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Angela is the Economic Empowerment Program Coordinator in LCF. She works with small Latino business owners to identify opportunities for empowerment, and raise understanding about the different labor ordinances established by the City of Seattle. She coordinates and manages the development and implementation of activities aimed to increase community engagement, and build leadership within the Latino community. Before joining LCF she has been working with Latino communities, building capacity at the individual and community level in areas related to tenants and worker’s rights, health, and technology through outreach, advocacy, and education. Her experience spans over eight years in marketing and communication. Born in Lima, Peru, Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from the University of San Ignacio de Loyola. Additionally, Angela is a seasoned radio host, who enjoys keeping our Latino community aware of the different social services and resources available and bringing positive change.
Environmental Program Team
Micaela Razo
Program Manager for Central Washington
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Micaela has lived in Yakima County for most of her life where she involves herself with community organizations to make a positive change. She is known for her effective workshops, outreach planning, community engagement and developing civic leadership. Micaela resides in Yakima with her two daughters, golden retriever Sadie and sassy cat.
Civic Engagement and Policy Team
Oskar Zambrano
Director of Civic Engagement and Advocacy
[email protected]
Oskar has his roots as a community organizer since 1994 fighting California's Prop 187. Ever since he's been advocating in the community to ensure that disenfranchised communities are civically engaged and their voices get heard.
Margot Spindola
Partnerships Coordinator
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Margot is a first generation Mexican-American, hailing from Eastern Washington, and a graduate from Whitworth University with experience in civic engagement and development, family immigration processes and rights, and statewide Census organizing. Her work ensures that LCF's statewide partner organizations receive equal and fair representation while cultivating empowerment and leadership within our communities.
Alexia Estrada
Community Organizer for Civic Engagement & Advocacy - Tri-Cities
[email protected]
Alexia Estrada is a first generation Mexican-American and a graduate from Seattle Pacific University. She brings experiences from her work in refugee resettlement, years of multicultural outreach to students pursuing higher education and her work alongside those experiencing homelessness. Currently, Alexia resides in Tri-Cities working to empower her community through civic education and community collaboration.
Alianza Youth Leadership Program Team
Merivet Lombera
Alianza Youth Leadership Co-Manager
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Merivet is a first-generation college student at Central Washington University, where she studies Psychology and Communication. She first got involved with Latino Community Fund in 2015 through the Alianza leadership program, where she continues to develop youth leadership in Yakima. In her free time, Merivet enjoys running and reading non-fiction books.
Tanya Medina
Alianza Youth Leadership Co-Manager
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Alianza Leadership Program Fellows
Silvia Leija
Communications Fellow
Silvia was raised in Yakima, WA and is currently a Western Washington University undergraduate pursuing a BA in Public Relations, as well as minors in Education and Social Justice and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. She plans to work with nonprofits and the sports industry to provide education and sports opportunities to students of color. Silvia is passionate about social media and the opportunities it brings to connect and learn with communities across the state and world wide.
Juan Ibarra
Alianza Youth Fellow
Juan is from Mount Vernon, Washington and is currently pursuing a BS in Psychology and a minor in Nutritional Sciences with the end goal of achieving his masters in Kinesiology. He hopes to one day open up his own practice so that he can give back to his community by helping people rehab their injuries and achieving their fitness goals. Juan applied to become an Alianza fellow because he wanted to be a part of a project greater than himself and looks forward to helping advocate for the youth. He hopes to be able to inspire youth to be the change they want to see in their communities and motivate them to achieve their goals.
Barbara Medina
Alianza Youth Fellow
Barbara Griscelda Medina Prieto lives in Seattle and is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. She attended Seattle University and received a degree in Humanities for Teaching and Mechanical Engineering. She applied for the Alianza fellowship to work with folks that live up to the LCF vision, expand her Latinx network and more than anything to work with youth to shine a spotlight on all the potential they have. While at LCF she hopes to positively contribute to a statewide organization that amplifies the leadership of young People of Color. She hopes to make a positive impact on young people's lives as well as her own through the connections and things that she will learn from this experience.
Sheila Avila
Alianza Youth Fellow
Sheila Jocelyne Avila is originally from the Southern California San Bernardino Valley and has resided in Washington state for a decade now. Sheila is the oldest of six siblings and is a first generation college graduate from Central Washington University with a BA in Sociology. During her undergraduate she was involved in student led organizations where she learned how to do community outreach, student mobilizing, direct action activism, and voter registration. She was also involved with ASCWU student government and often volunteered for the Diversity and Equity Center. During her time at CWU she became influenced by her older peers about social justice, civic engagement, voter suppression, gender discrimination, and many other topics. Sheila first became involved with Alianza last year when she attended the Alianza youth summit and applied to the Alianza fellowship because she believes that she can have an impact on youths' lives by sharing her story of resiliency. Sheila is excited to be a part of the fellowship because she wants to help establish a youth led program that will give youth in the Yakima Valley hope and more options for their future.
Sára Mustre-del Rio
Alianza Youth Fellow
Hi! My name is Sára, I use they/she/ella pronouns and I’m the student fellow for the BSK mentorship program! I’m a third-year student at UW-Seattle double-majoring in Sociology and Law, Societies and Justice. I focus my work about social justice, youth education and immigrant rights. In my free time I like to dance, write slam poetry, ride my bike, skateboard, work out and make earrings!