Stacie Marez
Early Learning Program, ESD 105
Term Expires 2023
Stacie Marez was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. She spent 12 years in the Seattle area working, earning her college degree and starting a family. She, her husband Dylan and their daughters Kendall and Taylor decided to make the Yakima Valley home again in 2009. Since then Stacie has served children and families in her role overseeing high quality early learning programs. She is currently Early Learning Program Manager for Educational Service District 105 overseeing ECEAP, the state-funded preschool program and Blossoms Early Learning Center, a newly opened child care center serving preschoolers. Stacie has a Bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Human Development with a focus on leadership in education from Pacific Oaks College. Stacie is committed to serving children and families, working toward social justice and working with teachers to provide the best classroom experiences for our young learners. In addition to spending time with her family Stacie enjoys cooking, eating, yoga and sunshine.
Isabel Garcia – Treasurer
Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing
Term Expires 2023
She is originally from Nayarit, México and migrated to the United States as a teenager after her father’s passing. She attended University High School in Los Angeles, California and later moved to Yakima, Washington to be closer to her siblings. She worked and attended Yakima Valley Community College for six years. She continued her education taking affordable housing development; homebuyer counseling training, grant writing, workshops, classes and conferences to become a certified Home Ownership and Community Lending professional and Housing Counselor from Neighbor Works Institute and National Council of La Raza. In addition, she is a certified social services interpreter through the Department of Social & Health Services of the State of Washington.
Juan Ramirez, MPH – Secretary
Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic
Term Expires 2025
Juan Ramirez first heard about Yakima at a job fair while finishing a Masters degree at the University of Texas at El Paso; he had studied public health with the goal of working with underserved communities, especially in areas with large Hispanic populations. The Yakima Valley made an obvious new home for the recent graduate. A native of Lerdo, Durango, Mexico, takes pride in Yakima, saying “Here I am doing what I love.” Juan has helped further develop programs serving the Latinx community: adult chronic illness management classes, parenting classes, and a program that provides free books to young children when they visit the doctor.
Juan first heard about La Casa Hogar from a coworker and knew he had to be a part of it. “I am very excited to be on the board… Sometimes people in the (Latinx) community can demotivate themselves and can be afraid of the systems in place,” Juan says. “(At La Casa) it’s great how everyone comes together to accomplish big things… even though there is a lot of need, there are also a lot of people trying to help each other become stronger, healthier, and better.”
Quinn Dalan
Yakima County Volunteer Attorney Services
Term Expires 2024
She is an attorney and has practiced as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney before beginning her work at the YWCA. She teaches Business Law at Yakima Valley College in the evenings during fall and spring quarters. She loves Yakima and is passionate about making it the best place to live – for everyone. She lives in Yakima with her husband, Aaron, and their two sons.
Rodrigo Rentería-Valencia Ph.D.
Central WA University
Term Expires 2023
Rodrigo is a Mexican scholar teaching since 2015 at Central Washington University’s Anthropology and Museum Studies program. Upon conclusion of his bachelor’s degree in Ethnology in Mexico City, he moved to northern Mexico where he work among indigenous communities for a number of years prior to continuing his doctoral studies at the University of Arizona. “As a professor I believe service is a fundamental transformative, social responsibility. I am honored to now be a part of La Casa Hogar in Yakima.”
Elvia Bueno – Board Chair
Columbia Legal Services
Term Expires 2024
I was born in Zapotiltic, Jalisco, Mexico. I was 6 months old when my parents left Mexico and settled in the Yakima Valley to work as farm workers. Years later we were granted amnesty under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and in my early 20’s I chose to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Watching my parents struggle to give our family a better life in the U.S. instilled in me a strong work ethic and a desire to make things better for my community. After high school, I decided to pursue a degree in teaching and took courses at the local community college. I quickly became discouraged by the lack of support and mentorship and decided to work full time to support myself. For most of my adult life I worked corporate jobs including retail management and banking, and obtained certification as a massage therapist. Working in those professions never provided me with a sense of purpose. In early 2013, I applied for a temporary administrative position with Columbia Legal Services. Having two sisters that worked for CLS, I understood the job responsibilities but did not have a clear grasp of the work being done. I felt the job would provide me with an opportunity to gain a few skills before moving on to something else. Immediately after starting I realized this organization was something special and something I had to be a part of. I feel privileged to work alongside some of the most amazing advocates and am inspired by the brave clients who are willing to risk everything in their pursuit of justice.
Blanca Rodriguez
Columbia Legal Services
Term Expires 2024
Andrew Sund
Heritage University
Term Expires 2024
Andrew Sund is President of Heritage University since 2017. Prior to that he was president of St. Augustine College in Chicago, where he resided for many years. Andrew is a strong believer in the power of education and has dedicated his entire career towards making higher education accessible to populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in colleges and universities. Since moving to Yakima, Andrew has been very impressed with the work of La Casa Hogar and is now honored to be part of its board.
Candida Alpizar
La Casa Hogar Alumna & Childcare Assistant
Term Expires 2025
Maria Berrospe
La Casa Hogar Alumna & Community Volunteer
Term Expires 2025
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Angelica Hernandez
Transitional Kindergarten/WAKIDS Coordinator, ESD 105
Term Expires 2025
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Language Arts Teacher, Toppenish School District
Term Expires 2025