Our
Staff
The Latino Center of the Midlands prides itself on having a strong, dedicated staff full of individuals committed to the development and growth of the Latino community.
Silvia Velez has been part of the Latino Center of the Midlands team since January 2010 and currently serves as Operations Director. In her position, Silvia oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the organization. Silvia loves spending her free time reading a good book, traveling to new places, listening to music, and working out.
Tyler Wilcox has been the Chief Financial Officer for the Latino Center of the Midlands since December of 2018. Building on his experience at Velu, Tyler works diligently to identify growth opportunities while simultaneously gaining funding for all the programs we offer. Tyler considers himself an outdoors person and spends most of his free time camping, fishing, and golfing.
Viridiana Almanza joined the Latino Center in 2019 as our Family and Community Well-Being Program Director. Viridiana oversees designs and implements Health and Well-Being, and Social Integration programs for our families. Viridiana enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and mentoring young women in her community during her free time.
Carmen Chagolla joined the Latino Center in 2014 as a Student Advocate and now serves as the Senior Program Manager for the Pathways to Success program. In her role, Carmen oversees the Attendance, Parental Engagement, and Círculos programming. Carmen’s free time is spent dancing, listening to music, watching movies, participating in community involvement activities, and spending time with her friends and family.
Abraham Mora joined the Latino Center as Siembra Nebraska Team Manager in March 2021. In his role, Abraham creates internship opportunities and professional development for youth in our community. Abraham loves to spend time outside during his free time on his bike, at a disc golf course, or at a campsite.
Dien Tran joined the Latino Center as the Human Resources Manager in April 2022. In his role, Dien is an Ambassador to the Latino Center staff and community, working to provide an inclusive and engaged culture. Outside of work, Dien enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Jim has been supporting our community through several different programs with the Latino Center of the Midlands since July 2017. His passion for teaching has allowed him to teach ESL classes, lead our Siembra Construccion internship, and now serve as Office Manager. Jim loves to golf, cheer on Creighton basketball, and go shopping with his wife.
Adriana Mesa Rodriguez joined the Latino Center as the Family and Community Well-Being manager in February 2023. In her role, she manages the Health and Well-Being and Social Integration programs. In her free time, Adriana enjoys spending time with her family, doing outdoor activities in warm weather, and listening to music.
Abigail Ceremuga joined the Latino Center as an ESL 2 instructor in January of 2020. Abigail is an ELL teacher at Omaha South High School and has had the pleasure to teach some of her daytime student’s parents in the evenings. In her free time, Abigail enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time outdoors.
Alejandra (Ale) Pacheco Navarro joined the Latino Center in May 2022 as a Youth Specialist. Ale oversees and coordinates Healthy Kids Club, promoting a healthier lifestyle for kids and their families. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and taking her dogs out for walks.
Alexandra Llorens joined the Latino Center as the Adult Education Coordinator and Substitute Instructor in February of 2021. In her role, Alexandra assists both the Program Manager for Adult Education and the Instructors with keeping track of students and their progress in the classes offered by the Latino Center. Alexandra spends her free time reading, looking for books in a bookstore or library, or going on nature walks to look for the wildlife described in her favorite science books.
Andy Travis is a native Nebraskan who lived in Chicago, New York City, and Barcelona before joining the Latino Center of the Midlands in 2022. He has taught ESL for ten years and is happy to share his experiences with his students at the Center. Outside of teaching art and languages, Andy enjoys painting, dancing, going to the gym, riding his bike, and being with his friends.
Carlos Muñoz started at the Latino Center of the Midlands in October of 2020 to assist with the distribution of CARES Act funds to the community. Afterward, he joined the team permanently as a Computer and Literacy Instructor, helping adult learners familiarize themselves with both computer hardware and software. Outside of his work at the Latino Center, Carlos works with different companies in sales, marketing, and radio broadcasting.
Colton Schlines joined the Latino Center in May 2022 as the Social Integration Coordinator. Colton leads the Family and Community Well-Being department’s community support by helping clients apply for resources and also by referring them to outside assistance programs. In his spare time he likes hanging out with friends and going out dancing.
Dafne Alvarado- De La Cruz joined the Latino Center as a Siembra Medios intern in July 2022, and later became a Communications intern in October 2022. In July 2023 Dafne became the Communications Specialist. As Communications Specialist, Dafne assists the Communications team with design, marketing, social media and video and photo work. In her free time, Dafne enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and watching horror movies.
Dania Arciniega joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in January 2023 as a student advocate at Norris Middle School. In her role Dania enjoys helping students see their strengths at school and in their personal life. During here free time, Dania enjoys going to the movies, going to the park, and eating frozen yogurt with her kids.
Eh Tha You Moo joined the Latino Center as Siembra Nebraska Carreras Coordinator in January 2022. She assists the Siembra Nebraska Team Manager in creating opportunities for youth in the community to shape their own future. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
Elmer Gonzalez joined the Latino Center in September 2022 as a High School Student Advocate at Bryan High. As a Student Advocate, Elmer helps his students reach their full potential personally and academically. In his free time, he enjoys taking his motorcycle out for a ride, working out, and spending time with his friends and family.
Felipe joined the Latino Center in April 2022 as a Family Strengthening Coach. In his role, he facilitates our Nemilistli Talking Circle, which supports healthy relationships between parents and their children through cultural dialogue. In his free time, Felipe likes to read, work on his PC, and learn more about computer hardware and software.
Gustavo Servin-Maciel joined the Latino Center as the Siembra Salud Coordinator in July 2022. In his role, Gustavo helps inform families on basic gardening skills, nutrition, and resource referrals while also guiding interns through an exploratory program centered on gaining experience in the health field. In his free time, Gustavo enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, listening to music, and trying new foods.
James DeMott joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in April 2021 as an ESL teacher. James has had experience teaching students in many different multicultural environments. James likes to run, read, write, and ice skate in his free time, especially with his family and friends.
Jaszmin joined the Latino Center in early March of 2023 as a Siembra NE Internship Coordinator. In her role, Jaszmin is a part of the Siembra NE team of coordinators that help develop and sustain internship programming. Jaszmin will specifically help coordinate the Siembra Raices and the Siembra Construction internship program. When Jaszmin is not working with community organizations she spends her time at home reading, knitting, and watching Disney movies with her son.
Jennifer Travieso joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in August 2023 as a Student Advocate at Ralston High School. As a Student Advocate, Jennifer helps students identify their educational obstacles and guides them towards their academic success. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling, and watching the L.A Dodgers play.
Joanna Preciado Alvarez joined the Latino Center in January of 2022 as a Health and Well-Being practicum student. Joanna works with the Healthy Kids Club by implementing the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go! Curriculum and helps coordinate health and well-being events for the community. In her free time, Joanna enjoys spending quality time with her family, taking her dog on walks, and reading books.
Jose Avalos joined the Latino Center in June 2022 as Ollin Facilitator in the Pathways To Success program. In his role, he facilitates and guides young men through their “rites of passages” by leading sessions surrounding topics such as the power of your words, identity, and culture. He facilitates groups at four different high schools in the Omaha Metro area. In his free time he loves to listen to music, take a drive, and spend time with family and loved ones.
Kathy Alejandra Lopez joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in July 2023 as a student advocate for Bellevue East High School. As a student advocate, Kathy is dedicated to supporting her students academically, emotionally and socially. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, drinking iced coffees and spending time with her family and cat.
Lizbeth Hermosillo-Najar joined the Latino Center as an intern in September 2021, and later became Development Specialist in August 2022. Lizbeth creatively communicates and develops relationships within the organization as well as the public to promote brand awareness. In her free time, she enjoys trying new food with her family and friends.
Mahatma joined the Latino Center in October 2014 as a Student Advocate, and now serves as Supervisor of our three Círculos programs. As a supervisor for our Círculos program, Mahatma develops cultural leadership programming and events for Pathways to Success students. Mahatma enjoys spending time playing with his dog, Loki, and expressing himself creatively through painting and drawing.
Maria Ojeda Rosas joined the Latino Center in February 2022 as a Family and Community Well-Being practicum student. Maria helps with social integration by providing support to community members through making referrals, filling out applications, and translating/interpreting documents. In her spare time, Maria enjoys trying out new recipes and spending time with her family.
Maria has been volunteering at Latino Center for many years but became the literacy instructor in September 2017. She is passionate about helping others and loves seeing her students read for the first time. During her free time, Maria enjoys dancing, cooking, oil painting, and playing tennis.
Mayra joined the Latino Center in June 2022 as the facilitator for our Talking Círculo for young women, Xochikalli. Mayra supports young women in the program and guides them through their rites of passage process, focusing on building a positive value system. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dancing, listening to music and spending time with her family and friends.
Melissa Lara joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in July 2023 as a Student Advocate at Marrs Middle School. As a Student Advocate, Melissa provides support and a safe space for her students, helping them work towards their academic and personal goals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, watching shows or movies, and reading.
Merrisa Santos | Executive Assistant to CEO
Merrisa Dawn Santos joined the Latino Center as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of the organization in June of 2023. In their role, Merrisa Dawn aids in developing, researching, and creating relationships with key stakeholders within the organization’s mission statement alongside the CEO. Merrisa Dawn is an avid traveler, has a fondness for the outdoors, a passion for the Arts & Culture, and takes great pleasure in discovering connections between Global Culture & Society.
Miriam Bolanos-Rubio joined the Latino Center in November of 2022. In her role as the Program Assistant for P2S, Miriam provides administrative support by keeping records, data entry, and answering phone calls. In her spare time, Miriam likes to go hiking, sightseeing, and trying new foods.
Nicole Williams joined the Latino Center in 2023 as the Adult Education Program Manager. In her role, Nicole oversees the Adult Education programming and supports our talented instructors. In her free time, Nicole loves to spend time with her daughter, extended family, and friends. Nicole enjoys listening to music, traveling, and sings in her church choir.
Noemi Bravo joined the Latino Center as Special Projects Coordinator in July 2022. In her role, Noemi coordinates and innovates the Center’s rural and urban agricultural programming as well as any collaborative agriculture-related projects. She enjoys being outdoors with her family when the weather is right or creative painting in her free time.
Octavio has been teaching our community in multiple positions at the Latino Center since October of 2007. His education and his passion for helping the community have made him a versatile instructor who has helped hundreds of students obtain their GED. During his free time, Octavio enjoys sports and continuously learning by studying.
Rosana has been a constant figure at the Latino Center of the Midlands since August of 2007 and currently serves as Front Desk/ Administrative Assistant. Her constant dedication to her community and joyful spirit has enabled her to help a multitude of individuals throughout the Omaha Metro. During her free time, Rosana enjoys picking up a good book to read and taking time to meditate.
Ruth has been helping the LCM community since 2017 as an instructor in our Adult Education program. She believes people who come to our organization want to become a better version of themselves, and with her passion, she hopes to bring self-empowerment to individuals. When she has free time, she enjoys reading books and going on bike rides around the town.
San Juana Paramo joined the Latino Center as the Communications Coordinator in June 2022. In her role, San Juana is responsible for developing marketing materials, coordinating social media activity, and ensures brand synergy. In her free time, San Juana enjoys reading, binge watching shows, and spending time with friends and family.
Shane Pekny became VGA’s Grant Writer in January 2020, spearheading collaborations with the Latino Center of the Midlands, YMCA of Greater Omaha, and the Nebraska Journalism Trust. Beyond grants, Shane’s career includes managing volunteers, teaching, leading cultural immersion tours around Nebraska, and training high school dropouts in construction.
Xochitl Rincón Hernández joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in March 2022 as Student Advocate at Omaha South High School. In her role, she helps students recognize their potential and motivates them to continue pursuing their dreams. In her free time, Xochitl enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Yulisa Escobedo first joined the Latino Center as a practicum student in May of 2022 and later became a Student Advocate at Bellevue West High School in January of 2023. What she enjoys most of her role is being able to motivate students and help them recognize their strengths. In her free time, Yulisa enjoys listening to music and spending time with her friends and family.
Header image courtesy of IRIS22 Productions