Our
Staff

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.

Bob Van Haute joined the the Latino Center as the Siembra Salud Program Manager in September 2023. Bob leads a team of coordinators, specialists, and student interns to plan and deliver health and gardening education to low-income households enrolled in the Siembra Salud program. Bob enjoys gardening, cooking, woodworking, and spending time at the family cabin.

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.

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.

Lorena Zamarripa joined the Latino Center in January 2024 as the Siembra Nebraska Program Manager. In her role, Lorena focuses on engaging, recruiting, and guiding interns through enriching educational and career-focused initiatives through the Latino Center’s signature internship program, Siembra Nebraska. In her free time, Lorena enjoys baking, dancing, traveling, volunteering, and hanging out with family and friends.

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.

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.

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.

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 and later became the Siembra Nebraska Program Coordinator in May 2024. In his role, Colton focuses on guiding interns through enriching educational and career-focused initiatives through the Latino Center’s signature internship program, Siembra Nebraska.  In his spare time he likes hanging out with friends and going out dancing.

Cristina Richarte joined the Latino Center of the Midlands as an ELL instructor in 2024. Cristina is passionate about giving back to the community and in her role she helps adult learners learn English. In her free time, Cristina enjoys outdoor activities such as cycling, walking, and traveling.

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.

Elizabeth Neri joined the Latino Center as Data and Development Coordinator in April 2024. In her role, Elizabeth enhances donor engagement by assisting with the solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship of current and prospective donors. She also contributes to data reporting and the development of best practices for data management. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys going on hikes and spending quality time with her dogs.

Elmer Gonzalez joined the Latino Center in September 2022 as a High School Student Advocate at Bryan High and later became the Attendance Program Supervisor in July 2024. As the Attendance Program Supervisor, Elmer provides support to Student Advocates and Family Strengthening Coaches and coordinates recruiting and community outreach for the Attendance program to reduce barriers and improve attendance. In his free time, he enjoys working out and spending time with his friends and family.

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.

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.

Kiel Pratt joined the Latino Center in January 2024 as the Executive Assistant to Albert Varas. In this role, Kiel provides comprehensive administrative support to ensure the smooth operation of the office and assists in various projects and initiatives. In his free time, Kiel enjoys hanging out with his great dane Atlas Fredrick, exploring the outdoors, and spending quality time with his furry companion.

Lizbeth Palmerin Anguiano joined the Latino Center in February 2024 as the Siembra Nebraska Program Coordinator. In her role, Lizbeth focuses on guiding interns through enriching educational and career-focused initiatives through the Latino Center’s signature internship program, Siembra Nebraska. In her free time, Lizbeth enjoys going to soul cycling classes and watching movies.

Lucia Castro Jacobo joined the Latino Center of the Midlands in September 2024 as a Student Advocate at Bryan High School. In her role, Lucia provides students with support, helping them work towards their academic and personal goals. In her free time, she enjoys reading and going on walks with family or 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.

Manuel Vasquez joined the Latino Center of the Midlands as a GED instructor in 2024. With several years of experience as an online educator, Manuel brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching to his role. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys playing music and photography.

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.

Miriam Bolanos-Rubio joined the Latino Center as the Program Assistant for the Pathways to Success program in November 2022. In January 2025, she transitioned to the role of Student Advocate at Ralston High School, where she empowers students to achieve their academic and personal goals. In her free time, Miriam enjoys strength training, outdoor excursions, and discovering new cuisines to expand her palate.

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.

Nydia Lugo Diaz joined the Latino Center in January 2024 as the Adult Education Coordinator and part-time Instructor. In her role, Nydia assists both the Adult Education Program Manager and the instructors with keeping track of students and their progress in the classes offered by the Latino Center.

Ricardo Solis joined the Latino Center as a Siembra Salud Intern in April 2022 and later became a Siembra Salud Specialist in April 2024. In his role, Ricardo delivers health education including gardening, nutrition, and available social services through bi-monthly home visits. During these visits, families acquire essential gardening skills and knowledge in nutrition and health practices. In his free time Ricardo enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends and reading.

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.

Sebastian Chacon joined the Latino Center in April 2024 as the Siembra Nebraska Program Coordinator. In his role, Sebastian focuses on guiding interns through enriching educational and career-focused initiatives through the Latino Center’s signature internship program, Siembra Nebraska. Outside of work, Sebastian enjoys playing gigs around Omaha.

Shane Pekny started with VGA in 2020 and has managed grants with the Latino Center since that time. In January 2024 he became Co-CEO & Director of Business Development at VGA. In addition to working with the Latino Center, Shane also serves the YMCA of Greater Omaha and the Nebraska Journalism Trust. Prior to this work, he has 20 years of experience in grants management and fundraising, including service with Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill Industries, the University of Nebraska, and Boys Town. He’s also taught English and led volunteers.

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.