Our Board of Directors

Our Board is Made Up Veteran and Diverse Latinx Fundraisers. Combined experience of over 150 years in fundraising.
BOARD CHAIR
Diana DeJesus-Medina
Chief, External Strategy & Affairs
LatinoJustice PRLDEF. New York, NY

Diana joined LatinoJustice in 2009 to guide the organization’s fund development strategy and informs organizational planning. She has 30 years of experience in fundraising. Before joining the LJP team, Diana served as the national director of affiliate services at Family Promise, where she oversaw and implemented organizational development services, including strategic planning and board training, for more than 100 affiliates. Throughout her career, Diana has worked with myriad non-profit teams, including the YWCA of Brooklyn and the American Folk Art Museum, to strengthen organizational resources and capacity. A Brooklyn native and New Jersey resident, Diana volunteers with several nonprofit organizations and is an avid baker.
Pedro J. Rivera Esq.
CEO and Principal at PJR Consulting LLC

Pedro is CEO and Principal of PJR Consulting LLC, specializing in fundraising strategies, board governance, and planned legacy programs. With 30 years of experience in legal, development, and wealth management, he has raised over $150 million for nonprofits and higher education institutions. At George Mason University, Pedro enhanced Major Gifts programs and launched planned giving initiatives, contributing to their $1 billion capital campaign. As Senior Director at UnidosUS, he was instrumental in their $50 million capital campaign & established their Planned Giving program. He previously served as Vice President at Wachovia Wealth Management-Legal Specialty Group. Pedro has held leadership roles including President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania, Region IV President of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and PA delegate to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential nomination. His accolades include HNBA Latino Attorney of the Year 2024 and HNBA Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2014. A frequent speaker at fundraising conferences, Pedro lectures on topics including Blended Gifts, Charitable Gift Annuities, and Board Governance. He serves on the boards of Somos el Poder and the Latinx Fundraising Institute. Pedro holds a J.D. from Western New England College School of Law and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of South Florida.
Marco Corona
Senior Development Officer at Southern Environmental Law Center. Charleston, SC

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, attending UCLA before embarking on a career in nonprofits. Marco has over 20 years of experience in fundraising. While in California, he worked for Best Buddies International and the Level Playing Field Institute as well as The Jamestown Community Center, where he was the Director of Development for five years. In addition, he is a graduate of Leadership Charleston (class of 2017), Immediate Past President of the AFP SC Lowcountry Chapter, and the current Inclusion Diversity Equity Access (IDEA) Chair for AFP Global. Marco has lived in Charleston since 2013 with his wife and daughter.
Milton Rodriguez
Vice President Growth Strategy & Development, KIPP Chicago.
​Chicago Scholars Foundation, High Jump (former)

​Proven executive focused on creating change for communities through philanthropy, organizational growth, and expansion of impact. Thought leader advancing excellence in executive leadership and investment. Over two decades leading organizations through strategic change. Able to advance a bold set of goals forward while prioritizing organizational culture. Guided by the fundamental belief that transformational growth is a collaborative process that we all own. Chicago, IL.
​Josef Manuel Liles Phd
Director, Prospect Management & Analytics
Santa Clara University. Santa Clara, CA

He has worked in prospect research & management for 14 years. His involvement in the nonprofit sector has given him an understanding of the investment approach to philanthropy in Silicon Valley, coupled with the need for basic services and a stronger educational and professional pipeline for underserved communities. His long-standing passion in promoting compassionate immigration reform is tied to his personal and spiritual connection to the immigration experience, along with historical and critical analysis. He wants to contribute to a world where all can benefit.
BOARD SECRETARY
Lisandra Lamboy
Senior Director of Advancement for The Knowledge House. New York, NY

Experienced non-profit executive with a demonstrated commitment to social justice. In the field of fundraising for over a decade. Skilled in Individual Fundraising, Grant Writing, Corporate Partnerships, Donor-Centric Communications, and Salesforce. Proud Board Member of Somos El Poder and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice.
Yuri E. Casco, CFRE
Director of Major Gifts, Pacific Clinics, South Gate, CA

Fundraising professional with 20 years experience in non-profit management, capital campaigns, government grants, corporate giving, annual giving, employee giving, special events, and planned giving. Yuri is an active member the Association for Fundraising Professionals Greater Los Angeles Chapter and in 2019 became the first Latina President of the Chapter. In 2022 she completed the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) Health System Philanthropy Residency Program, and was a recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award at the AHP International Conference.
Yanira Amadeo
Executive Director of Development, University of Connecticut Foundation.

Yanira is an experienced Frontline Fundraiser and Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education sector for nearly 20 years. Skilled in promoting a culture of philanthropy through individual and major gift fundraising, pipeline engagement, nonprofit strategic planning, board and volunteer management, and social media communications. Strong entrepreneurial development professional with a Master’s Degree focused in Nonprofit & Fundraising Management from Columbia University in the City of New York. Gratuate from La Vanguardia Academy, Fundraising Training Program with Somos El Poder.
Ninette Ayala
Director of Strategic Partnerships at Tonality and a Fundraising Consultant. 

Ninette Ayala is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including 18 years of specialized expertise in fundraising. With a deep commitment to advancing social justice and equity, she is dedicated to helping nonprofits secure the funding needed to advance their missions and create lasting change in marginalized communities. Her commitment to equity is rooted in her lived experience as a Central American immigrant youth in Los Angeles. Ninette is the founding member of the Refugee Children Center and continues to serve as a volunteer on its Advisory Board. In 2024, she launched Ayala Brown Consulting to support small nonprofits throughout Los Angeles County, providing expert fundraising strategy, identifying aligned foundation and corporate partners, crafting compelling proposals, and serving as a trusted ally in realizing grant opportunities. Her services are offered on a sliding scale to ensure accessibility for grassroots organizations. Ninette currently serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships for Tonality, where she integrates fundraising with programmatic impact, communications, and board development, always centering equity and community in her approach. She holds a Master of Arts in Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 

​ADVISORY BOARD COUNCIL / CONSEJO DE ASESORES

We are grateful to our Advisory Board Council for their great council and support!
Stacy Palmer
Chief Executive Officer, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Stacy has overseen the organization’s transition as it became an independent nonprofit in April 2023. Palmer helped found the Chronicle in 1988, when it was started by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc. Under Palmer’s leadership the organization has evolved from its roots as a biweekly newspaper for social-sector professionals into an organization that offers a monthly magazine, robust news, advice, and opinion sections, and a host of webinars, briefings, and other services.She has served as its top editor since 1996. Palmer has appeared frequently on radio and television to offer commentary on news in the nonprofit world.
Eileen R. Heisman
Former President, National Philanthropic Trust.
Eileen Heisman is an accomplished global CEO, board member, and philanthropic leader with nearly two decades of experience at the helm of the National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), one of the largest and fastest-growing donor-advised fund providers in the world. Under her leadership, NPT raised over $63 billion in charitable assets and made more than 778K grants totaling over $31 billion to nonprofits worldwide. Eileen is respected for her expertise in corporate strategy, risk management, cultural adaptation, fundraising, and investment oversight.
Henry Cisneros
Former federal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) & first Latino Mayor of San Antonio, TX.
Henry has over 20 years of experience in infrastructure investment. He is the Founder and Senior Advisor of American Triple I, focusing on infrastructure development and investment partnerships, and Vice Chairman of Siebert Williams Shank, a leading investment bank. As co-founder of CityView, a real assets fund manager, Henry oversaw the completion of over 100 projects across 13 states, deploying $3.5 billion in assets. During his tenure at HUD under President Bill Clinton (1993–1997), Henry led initiatives to revitalize urban centers and achieve the highest U.S. homeownership rates. As Mayor of San Antonio, he spearheaded transformative infrastructure projects that strengthened the city’s economy and modernized its urban landscape.
Kim Klein
​Consultant, Klein and Roth, Publisher, Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
A pioneer in teaching small nonprofits how to raise big money in San Francisco, CA. As a development director at the Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women, Kim helped them decrease their dependence on foundation funding by building a successful individual donor program. Finding that very little information existed about how small grassroots social justice groups could raise money from their communities, she decided (in collaboration with her friend Lisa Honig) to start a magazine, the Grassroots Fundraising Journal. Kim wrote Fundraising for Social Change, now in its 7th Edition, in continuous print since 1985.
Father Rigoberto Calocarivas, Phd
​Founder & Emeritus, Multicultural Institute, Berkeley, CA.
Fr. Rigo founded MI in 1991 and has worked tirelessly for over three decades leading the organization throughout Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa Counties. Through his leadership, the institute has established and provided comprehensive services including housing and assistance for day laborers, youth education programs, immigration services and new programming to address the health needs of the immigrant community during the COVID pandemic.
Sara Lomelin Velten
​Founding CEO, Philanthropy Together.
A recognized expert in diversifying philanthropy, Sara has traveled the world advocating for collective giving and its powerful impact on civic engagement and Latino philanthropy. Her work has been featured at TED 2022 and in leading publications such as Forbes and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Before her role at Philanthropy Together, Sara was instrumental in building the Latino Giving Circle Network™ at the Latino Community Foundation, the largest network of Latinx philanthropists in the U.S.
Stephanie Roth
​Principal, Klein and Roth Consulting.
Stephanie was a co-founder of GIFT (Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training) and was one of the organizers of the first Money for our Movements Social Justice Fundraising Conference in 2006. Stephanie has been a trainer, writer, consultant and coach on fundraising, board development and other organizational development issues for over 25 years.
Birgit Smith Burton
​Founder of the AADO (African American Development Officer Association)
Global Board Chair, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
A trailblazing leader in fundraising and diversity. With over 26 years at Georgia Tech, she raised $700M for transformative initiatives and became the first African American woman to chair the AFP Global Board. An accomplished author and speaker, Birgit champions inclusion, mentoring, and empowering fundraisers of color through initiatives like the R.I.S.E. Fund.
Oren Slozberg
​Executive Director, Commonweal. Co-Director, Healing Circles Global.
Oren’s work at Commonweal is currently focused on fostering the expansion of Commonweal’s capacity and diversity, meeting the emerging needs for new kinds of work and programs in today’s changing world and the polycrisis.