Staff Members

Alejandro Tecum directs the Adelante Agricultura program. He is from Guatemala, and moved to Oregon in 1999. He joined Adelante Mujeres in 2002 working as a Mathematics and Spanish teacher. In 2003 he helped launch the Micro Enterprise Program; through this program he assisted in restarting the Forest Grove Farmers Market in 2005, and in the same year, he initiated the Adelante Agricultura program. Alejandro loves working for Adelante Mujeres, because he gets paid for fulfilling his passion which is promoting sustainability and serving his neighbor.   

Arturo Villaseñor, Adelante Educación Instructor and Sabor Color Program Coordinator, was born in Mexico City, where he lived until 2000. That same year Arturo moved to Oregon and started working in the area of adult education with Centro Cultural. In 2009 he joined the staff of Adelante Mujeres teaching a variety of topics including mathematics and computer skills for the adult education program. He loves the opportunity to work with people that are looking forward to a better future for themselves and their families.

Bridget Cooke, Co-founder and Executive Director, has over 25 years of experience working with non-profits in Oregon, California and Chile. She is committed to implementing innovative programs for immigrant women and families that address key obstacles to justice and promote respect and dignity for all. Bridget obtained her B.A. in Education from Western State University and a Masters of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. 

Carrie Schmid is from Portland, Oregon. She is the English Language Development instructor, Volunteer Coordinator and coordinates volunteers for the education programs at Adelante Mujeres. She has been with Adelante Mujeres since July of 2010.  “Working at Adelante Mujeres, I really feel a part of a team with the staff and participants. I have a chance to get to learn about everyone’s projects and interests. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with this group of enterprising and dedicated people every day.”

 Cecilia Giron, Director of Adelante Chicas joined in April of 2010.She comes to the organization with more than 15 years of experience working with Latino children, youth, and at-risk families in Washington County.  Throughout her professional career, Giron has maintained a commitment to the Latino community, and is honored by the opportunity to work with Adelante Chicas.  She is inspired everyday by the young girls in the program and their families.  Her passion in life is to empower and serve the children, youth, and families in the Latino community.

Eduardo Corona has worked as the Business Development Coordinator with the Adelante Empresas program since 2010.  Recently he was promoted to Empresas Program Coordinator. He has a background in International Trade and Finance, and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.

Francisca Pérez is the Coodinator of the Early Childhood Education program. She grew up in Mexico City where she studied and worked as a nurse. She has dedicated her professional career in the United States to providing early childhood education to immigrant and migrant children. She has over eleven years experience preparing young children for kindergarten and supporting parents. She became the Early Childhood Education Coordinator in 2008 and has consistantly led her team to surpass state and federal benchmarks for child progress.

Guadalupe Maldonado, Parent Support Coordinator, wears many hats at Adelante Mujeres.  She teaches parenting classes for the women in the Adelante Educación program and acts as the Adelante Chicas parent coordinator.  Lupe also owns a catering business and sells her tamales and pupusas at the Forest Grove Farmers Market.

Kaely Summers manages the Forest Grove Farmers Market.  She has lived in Forest Grove for over six years and joined Adelante Mujeres in 2011 after finishing two years of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer service with the Center for Civic Engagement at Pacific University.  Kaely has a deep interest in nutrition and food systems and is looking forward to the 2013 farmers market season.

Karin Pfeiffer-Hoyt, has been an AmeriCorps volunteer serving as Sustainable Farming and Conservation Educator with Adelante Agricultura since Sept. 2011.  Recently, Karin was promoted to Outreach and Marketing Coordinator for Adelante Agricultura. Karin is originally from Acme, WA and says, "What I enjoy most about working at Adelante Mujeres is the fact that everyone who works here is passionate about what they do and is dedicated to each other and the organization.

Kymberli Contreras, Administrative Assistant, joined the Adelante Mujeres team in early 2012. Her professional background includes fundraising for academia and logistics coordination and program development for state government agencies in Oregon and New York. She is passionate about education achievement for the disenfranchised and social justice for women. She is excited to be a part of  Adelante Mujeres and creating the next generation of dynamic leaders for Oregon.

 Leticia Aguilar joined Adelante Mujeres in November of 2009. She is a Youth Site Facilitator and Volunteer Coordinator for Adelante Chicas after school program. "I am inspired by the work that I do on a daily basis to empower young Latinas and open their horizons to further their education." Her passions in life are her family and making a difference in the life of each of the girls she works with. 

Leocadia Montero-Hainley is the Coordinator for the ESPERE-Violence Reduction Program. She is originally from the Dominican Republic, where she studied law and served as District Attorney for two years. Leocadia previously served as a member of the Board of Adelante Mujeres for three years. She graduated with a Master of Art in Counseling Psychology in Pacific University in 2009. Prior to joining Adelante Mujeres, she worked as a counselor with Bienestar in Hillsboro. She loves helping people think positively.

Mari Esther Rizo is a member of the Early Childhood Education teaching team.  She loves children and using her creativity to help them learn. In 1996 she came to the U.S. from Jalisco, Mexico, with her parents. Mari has a real gift for music which she shares with the children in her classroom. She also leads a weekly class for all the children and their moms. Together everyone has a great time singing, dancing, and playing percussion instruments.

Rosalia Castro Bernabe is a member of the Early Childhood Education teaching team.  She loves working with the 1-3 year-olds, and helping them learn. Rosalia is originally from Oaxaca, México.  She came to the U.S. in 2002 and has been working with young children ever since. In addition to bringing her passion for education to the classroom, she also shares her love of nature with her students. 

Virginia Petersen joined Adelante Mujeres as the Director of Development and Outreach.  She comes to the organization after serving on the board of directors for seven years.  While on the board, she chaired the Board Development and Training Committee, served as Secretary, and for the last two years served as the Board President.  Virginia is a local attorney.  Prior to joining the staff of Adelante she practiced law in Hillsboro and Forest Grove in the areas of elder law, family law, and criminal law.  Virginia brings a wealth of knowledge about our local community and excellent communication skills to her position as Director of Development and Outreach.

Emely Castañeda recently joined Adelante Mujeres as an Adelante Chicas Facilitator. She has a background in Latin American Studies and Business. After college graduation, she realized that her goal in life was to work for a non-profit organization. Now that she is part of the team, this is what she shared with us: “Working with Adelante Chicas is a dream come true for me”. She is very excited about being a role model for the Latino Community.

Cristina Delgado graduated from Oregon State University and majored in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy.  During her college career Cristina was part of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan (MEChA) where she grew as a community leader and became more conscious on social justice issues. Cristina became highly interested in women and immigration issues which led her to educate herself more about those topics.  Cristina is very excited to be part of Adelante Chicas team as a site facilitator and Individual Development Account Coordinator.  My passion in life is to be able to make a difference in the lives of  Chicas.

Rocael De Leon has joined the Early Childhood Education team.

Laura Fralich is serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer as the Sustainable Farming and Education Coordinator with Adelante Agricultura. Laura is originally from Maine and graduated from Skidmore College where she started a student run garden on campus. She has worked for various farms and social justice non-profits before coming to Adelante Mujeres. This position combines many of her passions for farming, social justice and women’s empowerment.