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Reyna Lopez (she/her) | Executive Director at PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union | reynalopez@pcun.org
Reyna is a leader and proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico, who came to Oregon in the late 80’s following the migration of farm work in the Marion County area. She is currently the Executive Director of PCUN, which was started by farmworkers and is now Oregon’s longest standing Latinx led organization. Reyna grew up in Salem, Oregon and graduated from Willamette University with her BA in Political Science and Sociology. For over a decade, she has been a fierce leader and advocate for the Latinx community in Oregon, receiving the Immigrant Award from the American Association of Immigration Lawyers of Oregon, and Willamette University’s Young Alumni of the Year Award for her work in social justice causes, campaigns, movement and coalition building. Today, Reyna is also leading on national efforts as a member of the board of the Center for Popular Democracy, and the Secretary Treasurer of the Oregon Working Families Party.
Reyna’s passion for organizing and community is reflected throughout her career from her position as Civic Engagement Director at Causa, where she led the Yes on 88 Campaign, Oregon’s first bilingual-bicultural ballot measure campaign! She founded the organization’s New American Voter’s Project and worked tirelessly to win Tuition Equity – a fight that took over a decade – for Oregon’s Dreamer population. In recent years, Reyna was the Outreach Director at Our Oregon, where she managed the Fellowship Program and organization’s base building efforts for Oregon revenue reforms. And most recently, fighting for gender justice at Family Forward Oregon as the Organizing Director where she developed programs around Paid Family and Medical Leave, and nationally focused campaigns fighting back to protect the national budget from harmful cuts, and protecting safety net programs.
Martha Sonato (she/her) | Political Director | marthasonato@pcun.org
Martha Sonato was born in Michoacán, Mexico. In 2000, Martha migrated with her family to Hood River, Oregon where her parents are currently farmworkers. In 2015, Martha became the first in her family to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Willamette University.
Since then, Martha has worked in Governor Kate Brown’s office as a housing and human services policy assistant and as a legislative aide in Senator Sara Gelser’s office. In 2016, Martha joined Accion Politica PCUNista, PCUN’s electoral arm and led a series of electoral victories including running a parallel campaign to elect Representative Teresa Alonso Leon, the first immigrant and indigenous woman to represent House District 22; electing the first Latinx majority school board in Oregon right in Woodburn; passing 620 million bond dollars for Salem-Keizer school district; and re-electing progressive leaders like Kate Brown.
In January 2019, Martha became the new political director for PCUN. She is passionate about building a representative democracy and equitable policies for underserved communities.
Laura Galindo (she/her) | Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships | lauragalindo@pcun.org
Laura was raised in The Dalles, Oregon but has farmworker roots that stem back to Jalisco, Mexico. She studied Political Science and Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University.
At PCUN, Laura is the Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships. She manages the communications content for the organization, creates and builds PCUN’s membership and sustainer program, and is the point of contact for community partnerships.
Laura has paralegal experience at the Northwest Workers’ Project, where she also served as the Immigration Services Coordinator advocating at the intersection of undocumented worker’s rights and immigration. She is also experienced in advocacy campaigns and electoral work, having worked directly on the No on 105 and the Cover All Kids campaigns and organizing for State Representative Teresa Alonso Leon’s campaign in 2016.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with water, animals, and trees.
Ira Cuello-Martinez (he/el) | Climate Policy Associate | iracuellomartinez@pcun.org
Ira is a son of immigrants who came from Puebla, Mexico. In the early 90s, his family migrated to Salem, OR where he was born and raised. In 2018, Ira became the first person in his family to go to college and earn a B.A. in Political Science from Willamette University.
While at Willamette, Ira joined PCUN’s team as an organizer for the Salem-Keizer school bond campaign which successfully passed a $620 million bond for the district. After graduation, he joined State Representative Teresa Alonso Leon’s reelection campaign as her Field Director. Ira’s efforts ensured the successful reelection of State Rep. Alonso Leon and Governor Brown, as well as defeated the anti-immigrant Measure 105. He then became a Community Organizer at Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project in Portland, OR where he worked closely with the day laborer and immigrant community on issues related to wage theft.
Ira returns to PCUN as their Climate Policy Associate where he will work closely at the intersection of farmworker justice, immigrant rights, and environmental justice.
Maria Cortes (she/her) | Healthy Workplaces Organizer/Promotora de Alcance a la Comunidad
Mi nombre es Maria Cortes, nací en la Comunidad de Santa Maria Tindu, Tez, Huajuapan, De León, Oaxaca Mexico. Estudie mi educación primaria en mi comunidad Natal. En 1980 el Programa de Seguro Social, me capacitó para ser una enfermera. Me asignaron para ir a trabajar a la comunidad de San Miguel Cuevas, Juxtlahuaca Oaxaca México como enfermera Titular de la Unidad Médica Rural. Después emigre a Ensenada Baja California Norte donde trabajé en los Campos de Agricultura registrando a los trabajadores de campo. Después comenzemigre a Estados Unidos a trabajar en la agricultura donde empecé a dar clases de conducir y clases de alfabetización.
En Woodburn empecé amos yo y mi hermana a dar clases de Alfabetización para los adultos en el Campo. Ingrese a trabajar con Educacion Indigena y después a trabajar en la Clínica de Salud Medical Center como abogadora, e intérprete para los pacientes que hablan su primera lengua materna que es el mixteco. Daba las clases De Tomando Control para su salud. En el 2006, me gradué del Colegio de Chemeketa con mi GED.
La razón porque me gusta trabajar en PCUN es porque ellos apoyan a los trabajadores del campo. Como por ejemplo: les dan entrenamientos, les informan sobre las Leyes, hacen contratos colectivos, y llevan información a los trabajadores en el campo sobre diferente temas que le puede ayudar al trabajador. Estos temas incluyen derechos laborales, como abogar por salarios justos y eso es lo que me motiva a trabajar con esta organización y por todos los logros y cambios que han podido obtener para los trabajadores de campo.
Tomás Bartolo (he/him) | Environmental Worker Justice Organizer | tomasbartolo@pcun.org
He is a proud first generation immigrant from Oaxaca Mexico. He grew up in a family of indigenous (mixteco) farmworkers and lived in Baja California Mexico for 15 years, immigrating to Oregon in 2002. He has lived in the Marion County community for over 17 years. He graduated from Woodburn High School and attended college at Chemeketa Community College.
Tomás has worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade. He specializes in community radio, latinxs community organizing, and leadership development with youth and adults.
Currently, Tomás is the Environmental Worker Justice Organizer for PCUN. His role will help organize farmworkers and Latinx families by increasing their understanding of the problem, and showing them how to take action against climate change, and to move toward a just transition.
Tomás goal and passion is to focus on bringing community citizens together to work toward achieving a common desire that will improve the well-being of the society, especially the farmworker, indigenous latinx community.
Daysi Bedolla (she/her/hers/ella) | Organizing Director daysibedolla@pcun.org
Daysi Bedolla Sotelo was born in Michoacán, Mexico. In 2006, Ms. Bedolla migrated with her family to Oregon and considers Woodburn her hometown. She is a graduate of Woodburn High School, Chemeketa Community College, and a first-generation graduate from Eastern Oregon University where she received two Bachelor’s Degrees: one in Anthropology/Sociology focused on Social Welfare and the other in Integrative Studies focused in Chemistry and Psychology.
Ms. Bedolla was the Student Body President at Eastern Oregon University from 2017 until she graduated in 2019 and held other leadership roles where she advocated for inclusive and diverse spaces to ensure students felt welcomed and safe within the University and surrounding communities. In these roles, she was recognized as Student Leader of the Year, and the Multicultural Student Service award from Eastern Oregon University. She also received an award in her Sociology Department as an Outstanding Student.
Aside from being an advocate at Eastern, she advocated for a Clean Dream Act in 2017 in Washington DC fighting for DACA and undocumented youths during the legislative sessions of the Federal Government. As our Organizing Director, she is committed to supporting our farm working, and Latinx working for families in our county especially during these times of uncertainty focusing on COVID-19 response and outreach.
Ms. Bedolla currently volunteers as an Oregon DACA Coalition Board Member where she advocates for DACA Recipients and youth undocumented individuals. She also volunteers on Woodburn’s Community Center Advisory Committee and wants to pursue a Masters in Public Health Policy. She is an advocate for self-care and for her self care means playing tennis, or reading a biography book.
Omar Alvarado (he/his) | Advocacy Organizer | omaralvarado@pcun.org
Rising out of Salem Oregon, Omar is a proud 1st generation born Latino. His family relocated from Oaxaca, Mexico to Oregon. Proud of his Indigenous Mixteco heritage, Omar is empowered by his family, culture, and community.
Omar’s background and skills in non-profit, small business, and Latinx community development come to fruition here at PCUN as the Advocacy Organizer in the political department. He will be organizing and collaborating with the community to be more engaged in the legislative processes around issues that affect our Latinx and farmworker community. Currently, Omar is tackling a small business cohort project to empower local business leaders and organize them to be involved in the decision making process that affects their local ecosystem involving small business and economic development.
Aside from working with PCUN, Omar has been operating his own businesses for the last few years, teaches digital music, sits on an Advisory Board in Salem, and is a small business advisor for Chemeketa Community College.
Francisca Aparicio (she/ella ) | Healthy Workplaces Organizer | franciscaaparicio@pcun.org
Mi nombre es Francisca Aparicio Tercero, nací en Michoacán México. Emigre a los Estados Unidos a la edad de 14 años. Estudié en la Escuela Secundaria Federal de Erongaricuaro Michoacan de Ocampo. Estudie la preparatoria en McNary High School.
Tengo experiencia trabajando en empresas familiares donde fui supervisora por 7 años. Fui voluntaria con Causa en la campaña de No on 105- la propuesta de ley que buscaba revocar la ley santuario de Oregon y también para la campaña de Licencias Para Todos, y en otros movimientos de lucha para el pueblo.
Apoyé la organización Family Forward donde fui voluntaria para que en Oregon tengamos una ley de Licencia médica familiar pagada y fue un éxito. Lo que más me motivó fue acercarme a las organizaciones y ayudar e informar a la comunidad Latinx para establecer más relaciones importantes que necesita la comunidad y conectarlas con los asuntos más importantes en nuestras comunidades.
Gracias a estas organizaciones, PCUN me abrió sus puertas para realizar mi sueños de ayudar y abogar por la comunidad. Ahora enfrento un nuevo reto para mi- aprender nuevas cosas que me ponen en una nueva posición para empoderar más a nuestra comunidad e informarlos acerca de sus derechos.
