Board and Staff

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Board of Directors

Kymberli Contreras
Kimberly Contreras
Chair

Kymberly is the Executive Administrator at The Collins Foundation. Born in Dallas, Texas, she has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Alfred University in N.Y. Kymberli’s professional background includes fundraising for academia and program development for state agencies in Oregon and New York. She is passionate about social justice and has been a proud Yamhill County transplant for over 15 years.

Rafael Salazar
Rafael Salazar
Secretary

Rafael is an Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance Specialist at Head Start of Yamhill County. He is an immigrant from El Salvador and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He is bilingual/bicultural.

Juana Pizano
Juana Pizano
Treasurer

Juana Pizano is the Branch Manager for Embold Credit Union in McMinnville and had the honor to open the credit union’s first locations in Yamhill County. She has over 20 years in the banking industry. Through her banking experience, she has delivered financial wellness classes to the community. Juana was born in Mexico and raised in Oregon. She has two daughters and enjoys beach trips, bowling, and spending time with their family.

Kathryn McNeill
Kathryn McNeill
Member

Kathryn lives and works in Yamhill County’s beautiful wine country as a wine professional. In her prior career, she spent almost a decade working with immigrant families in Washington and Oregon, providing free legal services as an attorney for TeamChild and the Oregon Law Center.

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David Flores Juarez
Member

David Flores Juarez is a son of immigrant parents and grew up in Newberg. He is a commercial loan underwriter at First Federal Savings and Loan Association and gives back to his community as a swim coach at Newberg High School.

Staff

Miriam Vargas Corona
Miriam Vargas Corona
Executive Director
Miriam earned a Bachelor of Political Science degree at Linfield University and an Associate’s Degree at Chemeketa Community College. She has over 12 years of experience serving Latinx, immigrant, and rural Oregonians with advocacy and social wellness services. Miriam serves on various boards, including Governor Tina Kotek’s Racial Justice Council. She is a first-generation immigrant from Michoacan, Mexico, formerly undocumented, and grew up in Yamhill County.
Fabiola Ramos
Fabiola Ramos
Director of Programs

Fabiola (Faby) earned an Associate’s Degree at Chemeketa Community College. She has 15 years of experience serving Latinx and immigrant Oregonians in youth leadership development, early childhood development, business administration, and public radio management. Fabiola is a first-generation from Oaxaca, Mexico, and moved to Marion County as a teenager. 

Alejandra Cortes
Alejandra Cortes
Oregon Health Plan Manager

Alejandra is a state-certified Oregon Health Plan enrollment assister and supports access to healthcare coverage and navigating the health and social service systems. She serves our Latinx immigrants through direct outreach and individualized resource navigation support. Alejandra is skilled in explaining complex information in an accessible manner and strives to provide high-quality services in Spanish. She is a first-generation immigrant from Puebla, Mexico, and raised her family in Yamhill County.

Sanjuana Aguirre
Sanjuana Aguirre
Community Outreach Specialist

Sanjuana provides health prevention outreach to our agriculture workers and Latinx immigrant communities. She is skilled in developing creative strategies to reach our population and developing community partnerships. Before joining Unidos, she was a program participant in Unidos’ Latinx women empowerment group and volunteered with the McMinnville School District and the Salvation Army. Sanjuana is a first-generation immigrant from Guanajuato, Mexico, and raised her family in Yamhill County.

Blanca Plancarte
Blanca Plancarte
Community Outreach Specialist

Blanca provides our Latinx youth career exploration and internship experiences. She is skilled in data collection and connecting local partners to our work. Before joining Unidos, Blanca volunteered on our Law Enforcement Relations Team and assisted in developing open communication with local law enforcement agencies and community town hall gatherings. She is a first-generation immigrant from Queretaro, Mexico, and raised her family in Yamhill County.

Yahaira Rodriguez
Yahaira Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant

Yahaira works part-time with Unidos and is currently a Linfield University student majoring in Economics and Spanish. She is on the women’s soccer team and anticipates earning a Bachelor’s Degree in May 2025. Yahaira enjoys data collection and analysis and is skilled in learning and adapting new concepts to our administrative processes. She supports our fundraising strategies and donor communications. Yahaira is a first-generation college student who grew up in Marion County.

Yulissa Rojas
Yulissa Rojas
Intern

Yulissa is an intern attending Chemeketa Community College. She anticipates earning her Associate’s Degree in June 2024 and aspires to transfer to a four-year school to major in Psychology. Yulissa coordinates our Wellness Group program and does outreach and coordination of logistics. She also supports general outreach activities when we need additional support. Yulissa is a first-generation college student and grew up in Yamhill County.

Cecilio Peña
Cecilio Peña Anaya
Program Assistant

Cecilio works part-time with Unidos and is currently a Linfield University student double majoring in Law, Rights and Justice, and Latin American Studies. He is a first-generation student mentor and writing fellow for the Linfield Writing Center. Cecilio anticipates earning a Bachelor’s degree in May 2024. He supports coordinating our various programs and preparing outreach equipment and materials for outreach activities. As an easy-going conversationalist, you will see him attending outreach events to engage with our community and provide logistical support. Cecilio grew up in Yamhill County.

Cecily Gray
Cecily Gray
Intern

Cecily is an intern in pastoral training with the Lutheran church (ELCA). She is a second-career student who previously worked in criminal justice and raised a family in Berkeley, California. Cecily grew up in Salem and is delighted to return to Oregon. Cecily is trying to become proficient in Spanish – she welcomes all attempts to teach her new words and correct her mistakes.

Ines Peña
Ines Peña
Director of Operations

Ines grew up in Newberg, Oregon. Her family migrated from Jalisco, Mexico. She graduated from Linfield College with a B.A. in Sociology as a first-generation college student. She was the first Latina to run for the Newberg School District Board of Directors and served for three years. Her experience in nonprofit management comes from her eight years working at Capaces Leadership Institute. Ines continues to be passionate about advocating for the rights of those who are underrepresented while also honoring and rescuing ancestral knowledge.