2023 Agenda TBD
Saturday, March 18th: Welcome Dinner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (optional)/Sábado, 18 de Marzo: Cena de bienvenida de 6 a 8pm (opcional)
Sunday, March 19th: Day One Program from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m./Domingo, 19 de Marzo: Programa del día uno de 8:30am a 4pm
Monday, March 20th: Day Two Program from 8:30 a.m. to noon/Lunes, 20 de Marzo: Programa del día dos de 8:30am a medio día
10th Year Anniversary of LAD
SPEAKERS
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Dusti Gurule
President & CEO, COLOR
Dusti Gurule is an accomplished executive leader with more than 20 years of national, state and local public sector and nonprofit experience. She has an extensive track record in collaborative leadership, strategic planning, public relations, organizational management, public engagement and coalition/partnership building. Dusti launched Colorado Latina/o Advocacy Day and Latinas Increasing Political Strength (LIPS)
Alex Sanchez
President & CEO - Voces Unidas de Las Montañas
Alex Sánchez is one of the original founders and now serves as the executive director of Voces Unidas, the first Latino-created and Latino-led advocacy organization in the tri-county region. Alex is currently a Trustee of Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, appointed by Gov. Polis in 2019 to a four-year term. He also currently serves on the boards of COLOR, COLOR Action Fund, Conservation Colorado and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center.
Beatriz Soto
Director, of Protegete for Conservation Colorado
Beatriz Soto, Director of Protegete for Conservation Colorado, her mission is to elevate Latino driven solutions to protect our lands, water, air and fight for environmental and climate justice. Beatriz has been at the intersection of community building and working towards a stable climate for the past two decades. She is a co-founding member and chair of the board of Voces Unidas de la Montanas and serves as a commissioner representing disproportionately impacted communities in CD3 on the Environmental Justice Task. Force
Governor Jared Polis
Governor of the State of Colorado
Governor Jared Polis is an entrepreneur, education leader, and public servant. After launching several successful companies, Governor Polis committed himself to making sure other Coloradans had the opportunity to pursue their dreams through founding schools for at-risk students and new immigrants and started nonprofits to help veterans. Prior to serving as Governor, Polis served on the State Board of Education and represented Colorado's 2nd Congressional district.
Phil Weiser
Colorado Attorney General
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser was sworn in as the State’s 39th Attorney General on January 8, 2019. As the state’s chief legal officer, Attorney General Weiser is committed to protecting the people of Colorado and building an innovative and collaborative organization that will address a range of statewide challenges, from addressing the opioid epidemic to reforming our criminal justice system to protecting our land, air, and water.
Before his appointment at the Justice Department, Weiser served as a law clerk to Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Supreme Court and to Judge David Ebel at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado.
The son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, Weiser is deeply committed to the American Dream and ensuring opportunity for all Coloradans.
James Coleman
Senator, District 33
Senator James R. Coleman was born and raised in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver and is a resident of the district he so proudly serves: Senate District 33. When elected to his first term in 2016, Senator Coleman was the youngest Colorado state legislator. After serving 2 terms as the State Representative of House District 7, he then won his election to the Senate District 33 seat in November 2020. His groundbreaking legislation, though wide-reaching, has a focus on his three legislative priorities: eliminating the Black wealth gap, decreasing prison recidivism, and ending youth violence.
Christina Soliz
Political Director, COLOR
Christina has nearly eight years of organizing and running electoral work experience. Christina moved to Colorado in 2019 and began working with America Votes as their Colorado Program Director, where she had the opportunity to work with many progressive organizations. Prior to joining the COLOR team, Christina served as Board Chair for COLOR Action Fund. Christina has a passion for reproductive justice and social justice – she knows that the community must be at the center of everything we do, and wants elected officials to know that as well.
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Jamie Torres
Denver Council Member, District 3
Councilwoman Jamie Torres took office as the Denver City Council Member representing District 3, Denver’s westside, on July 15, 2019. Jamie is a community advocate and community connector to her core. Prior to being elected, Jamie spent 18 years in the Human Rights & Community Partnerships Agency (HRCP) in the City and County of Denver where she helped ensure Denver is focused on the civil rights, human rights, and social justice needs of its residents. Over the years in working for local government, Jamie worked directly on issues of poverty, equity, food insecurity, community and civic engagement, immigrant integration, and approaching innovative ways of direct leadership development in underrepresented communities.
Martha Lochamin
Boulder County Commissioner, District 2
Marta Loachamin was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2020, with a term continuing through January 2025, representing District 2. Marta is a long-time Longmont resident who has worked for social, economic, and housing justice by building opportunities for families throughout Boulder County and the Front Range.
Amanda P. Sandoval
Denver City Council Member, District 1
Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval is a proud lifelong resident of Northwest Denver. Her dedication to Northwest Denver is rooted in the relationships she forged from serving others in the family restaurant La Casa de Tamales, which remains a community gathering place. Through serving as an aide to several former Denver Councilmembers, Sandoval developed the skills crucial to successful leadership, including challenging the status quo and forging diverse partnerships to affect real change. As Councilwoman for District 1, she has been a leader in her passions of land use, development and zoning. Her genuine compassion has been integral to addressing issues both large and small and creating a community where both current and future generations will thrive.
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Crystal Murillo
Aurora City Council Member, Ward 1
Crystal has accomplished an impressive list of firsts. She is the first in her family to graduate high school and college. In 2017 she became the first in her family to be elected to office, first Latina and at 23 became the youngest person ever elected to Aurora City Council. Currently serves as the Chair of the Housing, Neighborhood Services, and Redevelopment Committee. She led the effort to develop Aurora’s first strategic housing plan to preserve and expand the affordable housing stock and will continue to push for more equitable growth and development throughout the City. Crystal is committed to be an advocate for the community and helping others become change-makers in a way that honors her Mexican-American heritage.
Stacy Suniga
President, Latino Coalition of Weld County
Stacy is proud to be a founding member of the Latino Coalition of Weld County. In 2010, her peers recognized her outstanding accomplishments and dedication in developing family emergency services and self-sufficiency programs, and for her success in helping Greeley homeless families find long-term, sustainable housing. Stacy received recognition in 2018 by the Hispanic Women of Weld County, who honored her with the Community Leadership Award.
Stacy has served as a commissioner for the City of Greeley Urban Renewal Authority in 2015-2017 and recently served the Greeley community on the Greeley City Council, in the At-large seat. She currently works full-time as an Operations Manager for the Boulder Valley School District.
Rhonda Solis
Vice President,
Latino Coaliton of Weld County
Rhonda brings 30 years of managing experience, community outreach and customer service. She has served on the 19th Judicial nominating commission, the City of Greeley Judicial review board, and eight years on the Greeley/Evans school board. She has won many awards for her commitment to her community with the most recent being 2021 Female leader of the year by the Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Committee of Denver. She currently manages a dental office, is co-creator of the podcast Latino Northern Colorado, Vice-President of Latino Leadership of Weld County, and board member on the Greeley Dream team.
Josette Jaramillo
President, Colorado AFL-CIO
Josette Jaramillo was born and raised in Pueblo Colorado. She has been working for the Pueblo County Department of human services since 2005. She has been the elected president of AFSCME local 1335 since 2009 and was elected as president of the Colorado AFl-CIO in 2017 making her the first woman of color, first LGBTQ person, and first person from outside the Denver Metro area to hold this seat.
Paul Lopez
Denver County
Clerk & Recorder
Clerk and Recorder Paul López' office serves a number of important functions for the City and County of Denver including administering elections, preserving various records and making them available to the public, recording land transactions, and overseeing foreclosures.
Yadira Caraveo
Representative, Colorado District 31
Representative Yadira D. Caraveo is a pediatrician serving as a Democratic member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 31st district. Elected in 2018, she assumed office on January 4, 2019. The district is located entirely in Adams County.
Jennifer Arreola-Soria
Civic Engegment Coordinator
Jennifer Arreola-Soria (she/her/ella) is a first-generation Mexican-American. She first joined COLOR in 2020 as a LIPS participant. and in 2021 as a Youth of COLOR Fellow . Her time as a youth advocate in High School and recent work with COLOR has now brought her full circle to this staff as the Civic Engagement Coordinator. Jennifer’s passion for Reproductive Justice stems from the strong women in her life who taught her to always speak up for what she believes in, and that with hard work – great things can happen.
Representative Alex Valdez
House District 5
Committees: Energy and Environment
Capital Development Committee
State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs
True Apodaca
Political and Community Coordinator at SEIU Local 105
True has over the last 7 years had his eyes and ears tuned to the grassroots community, True is able to bring diverse voices to the table and help foster communication as well as implement policy solutions for various key communities. He graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, Summa Cum Laude, earning his Master’s Degree in Ethnic Studies. He serves as the vice chair for the CLLARO board of directors. His lobby firm True Strategies Colorado advocates for communities of color with an emphasis on housing policy, reproductive justice, economic justice and state policy regarding immigration.
David Ortiz
Representative, Colorado House District 38
David’s lifetime of service is defined by fighting for Equity of Opportunities. He brought his effort to the Colorado State Capitol; his servant leadership has been and is founded in fighting for that Equity of Opportunities for all. Representative David Ortiz has been fortunate to have an impact on better policy, nonprofit work, the military, and this community. He has a track record of delivering results and is bringing that record to the Colorado House of Representatives.
Mandy Lindsay
Representative, Colorado House District 42
Lindsay assumed office on January 18, 2022.
Katherine Riley
Policy Director, COLOR
Katherine joined COLOR in August 2020, and has policy and legislative support, research and analysis, and advocacy as primary functions. Katherine is a queer Mexican/Salvadoran-American (Chicana pride!). She has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Katherine to pursue a dual-Master’s in Social Work and International Development with a certificate in Global Health at the University of Denver. . Katherine’s lived experiences with abortion, visual disability, and as a woman of color have emboldened her to work at the intersection of policy, community organizing, and social justice.
Saul Alfaro
Youth of COLOR - Organizing Fellow
Saul Alfaro, pronouns are he/him/his he is the organizing fellow for COLOR. Saul is from Los Angeles California a first generation Guatemalan American. He moved to Colorado about 20 years ago. Over the past three years he has found love for non-partisan politics and gained a lot of experience working in advocacy for things such as abortion access and reproductive rights.
Victoria Acuña
Youth of COLOR Fellow - Policy
Victoria (she/her) joined COLOR in November 2021. She is from San Antonio, Texas, and identifies as Latinx/Tejanx. She received her BA in Ethnic Studies and is currently finishing her last year for an MA in Education Foundations, Policy, and Practice, as part of a 5 year concurrent degree program. Her areas of passion are ethnic studies, abolition and the relationship between disciplinary policies and the school-to-prison pipeline, and youth engagement in social justice.
Esther Castillo
Prestimista Hipotecaría
Esther Castillo is a panelist in Votando for our Comunidad. Esther believes in sharing her perspective of gaining her citizenship and voting. Mortgage banker Esther Castillo-Lerma believes in the value of homeownership and understands that each individual’s financial situation is unique. Her goal is to make the home loan process as easy and seamless as possible and find the right mortgage to get you into your dream home. Esther has a deep understanding of the many loan programs on offer at HomeVantage and works closely with her clients to find the right home loan product to fit their needs.
Sayuri
Youth of COLOR- Communications Fellow
Sayuri is a first- generation student at Regis University currently studying Business Management with a specialization in Marketing and a Minor in French. She is also bilingual in Spanish and English. Sayuri graduated from the LIPS program in May 2021 and has since continued with COLOR as a Youth of Color Communications Fellow. Sayuri is passionate about reproductive justice, immigrant rights, language access, education, and gender equality.
Raquel Lane-Arellano
Policy Director, CIRC
Raquel Lane-Arellano is the Policy Manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). Born and raised in Denver, Raquel is the proud daughter of working class parents who taught her the value of family, community, and hard work. Raquel is a first-generation college graduate and graduated from Stanford University in 2017 with a BA in Chicanx/Latinx studies. At CIRC, she has worked closely with community leaders statewide to pass pro-immigrant legislation like HB21-1194 that creates a legal defense fund in immigration proceedings and SB21-131 that helps protect the personal information of immigrants in Colorado.
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Siena Mann
Campaign Manager, CIRC
As an immigration paralegal, Siena helped found the Colorado Springs Sanctuary Coalition in 2017. Siena joined CIRC as the South Regional Organizer from 2018-2019. As one of CIRC’s Organizing and Campaign Managers, Siena's work now focuses on making improvements to the SB251 Driver’s License for All program, coordinating the I Drive/Yo Manejo Coalition, and fighting for data privacy for all!
Patricia Ferrero
Content Management- Protegete
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Patricia joined us Protegete in 2015. She previously worked as a Family Aid Coordinator for Mayan Families. Favorite spot in Colorado: Mesa Verde.
Kwasi Dennis
9to5, Organizer
Kwasi is a community and political organizer who was born and raised in Aurora, CO who uses They/Him pronouns. Kwasi has a deep commitment to simplifying public policy and other political languages to increase accessibility to holding those in power accountable. Economic justice is a big part of increasing equity and Kwasi is excited to organize towards that goal!
Edith Mata
9to5 Community Organizer
Edith is a proud Chapter Organizer with 9to5 that holds the same values that she is dedicated to fighting together with our communities. As a DACA recipient since the age of 18 and born in Durango Mexico, she knows too well what it is like to fight and push for better opportunities. She has gone through many obstacles but none that she has not been able to overcome. Excited to begin this journey with 9to5 has been one of the greatest opportunities she has come across, not only to work with her own community but to push others to fight alongside 9to5 as well!
Phillip Roybal
Youth Organizing Manager - Colorado Circles for Change
Phillip grew up in Denver and has served his community as a youth coach and mentor for over 10 years. Despite not finishing middle school Phillip is a first-generation college graduate and completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2016. Phillip is a Licensed Healthcare Professional and is currently the Youth Organizing Manager at Colorado Circles for Change in partnership with the National Center for Youth Law. Phillip’s goal is to create stability in his community through advocacy and athletics.
Dana Walter Flores
National Center For Youth Law, Youth Justice Initiative-- Colorado Campaign Coordinator
Dana Walters Flores joined the NCYL in November of 2021 to serve as Colorado Campaign Coordinator for the Youth Justice Initiative. She has worked for two decades to keep children out of the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems. She began her career as a bilingual direct-service provider for young people charged as adults with serious felony offenses in New York City. That experience cemented a lifelong commitment to fight for the basic human rights of children; including the right to make mistakes and learn from them in a setting that includes love, family, access to education, and the opportunity to repair harm. Walters Flores holds a law degree from the David. A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia and a Bachelors in Sociology from Colorado College. She is a former Equal Justice Works Fellow.
Kwasi Dennis
9to5, Organizer
Kwasi is a community and political organizer who was born and raised in Aurora, CO who uses They/Him pronouns. Kwasi has a deep commitment to simplifying public policy and other political languages to increase accessibility to holding those in power accountable. Economic justice is a big part of increasing equity and Kwasi is excited to organize towards that goal!
Oscar Juarez Luna
Political and Civic Engagement Organizer, Movimiento Poder
Oscar Juarez Luna grew up only knowing the US as home, he was a captain of his high school soccer team, and wanted to serve our nation in the Armed Forces. When he tried to enlist, he learned he was unable to do so because he was undocumented. Oscar is now a DACA recipient (a DREAMer) and has grown into an advocate for other immigrants who he says are ‘left in the shadows.’
Oscar is an outstanding representative for the millions of aspiring Americans throughout this great nation who contribute so much to our communities and economy.
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