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Staff

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Arcenio Lopez

Executive Director

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 822-2418
arcenio.lopez@mixteco.org

Arcenio Lopez

Arcenio J. López is a Ñuu Savi leader from San Francisco Higos, Oaxaca, México. When he arrived in Oxnard in 2003, Arcenio worked as a farmworker in the strawberry fields. 
Arcenio received his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting from Cal Lutheran University in 2019.

In 2006, Arcenio was hired as MICOP’s first Community Organizer. Arcenio became the Associate Director of MICOP in 2010. Eventually he was promoted in 2014, and became the first indigenous Executive Director for the organization.  Under his leadership, MICOP has grown and flourished in size, scope and reach; from adult literacy classes to indigenous youth organizing to a community radio station. Because of his work, MICOP is the trusted voice of the indigenous community and a respected partner to dozens of local and statewide agencies.

Biography
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Genevieve Flores-Haro

Associate Director

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 302-1912
genevieve.flores-haro@mixteco.org

Genevieve Flores-Haro, MPA

Genevieve Flores-Haro serves as the Associate Director for the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project(MICOP), a nonprofit serving the indigenous migrant community in California’s Central Coast. In this capacity, she oversees the organization’s policy priorities, special events, communications and is a founding member of the 805 UndocuFund. She also supervises MICOP programs specific to health access & advocacy, families with children ages 0-5, unaccompanied minors, mental health and domestic violence.
 
In 2021, she was appointed to the Ventura County Behavioral Health Advisory Board by Supervisor Matt LaVere, and represents MICOP on the Ventura County Public Safety Racial Equity Advisory Group. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, her focus has been on advocating for farmworker labor rights, mask distributions (for both healthcare workers and farmworkers), language access and safety net programs for undocumented Californians. 
 
Genevieve received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.  She is the immediate past Board President for Ventura County’s local LGBTQ organization Diversity Collective, is Board President of the 805 UndocuFund and is a board member for the Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund. In 2018 she was awarded a Women of the Year Award by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and Assemblymember Monique Limón for her work during the Thomas Fire. She was named as part of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 by the Pacific Coast Business Times. In 2022 she was named Woman of the year by Assemblymember Steve Bennett for her work in support of farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biography
Ana Huynh

Ana Huynh

Program Director
MICOP in Santa Maria

Office: (805) 623-5862
Cell: (805) 940-5526
ana.huynh@mixteco.org

Ana Huynh

Ana Huynh has been an active agent for social justice for over 15 years. Ana migrated to the U.S. at an early age and navigated the public education system and society as an
undocumented immigrant. As an English-learner and first-generation college student, Ana experienced and overcame obstacles that many members of our community still face today. While advocating for her daughter’s right towards equitable education, inclusion of all students
and families became a passion that sparked her leadership in the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria communities. Cultural relevance, language access, multilingual/multicultural safe spaces and quality education -with and for indigenous students and families- has been the drive of the
committed and hard work, where she thrives. Ana continuously creates opportunities to generously share her enthusiasm with others, empowering them to use their voice to speak up and advocate for their needs through dialogue and community building. Enjoying life with her daughter and husband is what Ana loves doing most when you don’t see her out there avidly learning, sharing and creating change.

Biography
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Victor Espinosa

Behavioral Wellness Director

Office: (805) 978-6388
victor.espinosa@mixteco.org

Victor Espinosa

Victor Espinosa is the Director of Behavioral Wellness at MICOP and currently oversees three programs: Living with Love, Healing the Community, and Proyecto Acceso. Victor was born in Ventura and raised in the city of Santa Paula, CA. Victor credits his family for instilling in him social awareness and the importance of serving one’s community.  

Victor completed his education in the Environment and Community Masters in Social Science  program at Humboldt State University, where he conducted research on Indigenous knowledge and culture in Northern California.

He joined MICOP in 2020 as the Census Data Manager and later as the Census Project Director. He has also served as Development Director and Grant Writer. In his role as Director of Behavioral Wellness at MICOP, Victor manages wellness programs that promote access to care and services, family harmony, and Indigenous-based healing practices.

Biography
Vanessa Terán

Vanessa Terán

Policy Director

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 978-6892
vanessa.teran@mixteco.org

Vanessa Terán

Vanessa Terán is a LGBTQ2+ Mexican-American, social justice, environmental & human rights political advocate. They joined the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project in the summer of 2013.
 

At the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Vanessa previously oversaw programming in indigenous youth leadership, higher education, adult education, literacy, indigenous migrant culture, indigenous women’s workforce development and economic security, indigenous language services, language preservation & maintenance, indigenous reproductive justice and early childhood education.

As of January 2022, Vanessa Terán​ became MICOP's first Director of Policy in its history.​They have history in various advocacy and policy issues of focus ​such as; ​COVID-19​ rapid response and community mobilization, health access, public charge, environmental justice​. Vanessa supports and co-directs​ the organization's policy priorities in education, language access, labor, ​immigration, labor, environmental, health and mental health​. Through their work at MICOP, they envision a strong & vibrant indigenous community, actively engaged to achieve just working and living conditions, equality, and full human rights in the broader community.

Vanessa is from Oxnard, California and a graduate of Chicana and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Biography
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Donna Foster

Operations Manager

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 978-6890
donna.foster@mixteco.org

Donna Foster

Donna Foster is the Operations Manager at Mixeco/Indigena Community Organizing Project. She started working at MICOP in 2006 as an Administrative Assistant. In addition to Operations Manager, Donna is also the Human Resources manager at MICOP.

Donna was born in Brooklyn, New York. She has an AA from Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn. She has lived in Ventura for 36 years, has two children, and enjoys traveling, reading, photography, and spending time with friends and family in her spare time.

Biography
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Juvenal Solano

Organizing Manager

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 891-5189
juvenal.solano@mixteco.org

Juvenal Solano

Juvenal Solano is originally from the community of San Sebastian del Monte Oaxaca, he came to the United States in 2001, he worked harvesting strawberries for 8 years, in the last 4 years working in strawberries he began to get involved in defending his labor rights and that of his colleagues, that's how he began to work as an organizer with the United Farm Workers (UFW) which he served for about 6 years where he also learned the method of organizing house meetings, a model that Cesar Chavez, co-founder of the UFW used in his day to organize farm workers in California. In 2014 he arrived as a community organizer with MICOP, in his first year with the organization he led the language access campaign in the Department of Motors and Vehicles (DMV) to ensure that our community that speaks Mixtec and other indigenous languages could take their driver's knowledge exam in their own languages. By 2015 Juvenal was part of an 8-member committee to create the Farmworker Resource Program, unique in Ventura County. He is a person who likes music, reading and learning something new every day.

Biography
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Irene Gomez

PUENTES Program Manager

Office: (805) 483-1166 
Cell: (805) 280-1549
irene.gomez@mixteco.org

Irene Gómez

Irene Gómez was born in Santiago Asunción, Silacayoapan, Oaxaca, Mexico.  At the age of 14, she migrated to the US and worked alongside her family in farming jobs in Oxnard, Sacramento and Washington State.  Irene speaks fluent Spanish and Mixteco, and learning English.  Irene currently resides in Oxnard CA and has four children, three girls and one boy.  In 2001, Irene became involved with the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) as a volunteer.  In 2007, Irene joined MICOP staff as a Community Promotora, assisting families in accessing needed support.  Irene is now the Program Manager for the women’s empowerment, mental health, and Puentes case management programs at  MICOP.

Biography
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Elizabeth Diniakos

MICOP's Immigration Legal Assistance (MILA) Manager

Office: (805) 483-1166
Cell: (805) 837-4872

Elizabeth Diniakos

Liza Diniakos began working with MICOP in 2018 as its DOJ Accredited Legal Representative. 

In December 2020, Liza became the Program Supervisor of MICOPs Immigration Legal Assistance (MILA) program to assist in moving the program from immigration assistance for positive relief, such as citizenship and lawful permanent residents, to include Removal Defense for persons in deportation proceedings.  MILA is working at MICOPs Santa Maria and Oxnard offices, has a full-time immigration lawyer, and is host to two Removal Defense Fellows.
Prior to her work at MICOP, Liza worked with Freedom for Immigrants as its Volunteer Visitor Coordinator for Adelanto Detention Facility.

Biography
Griselda Reyes

Griselda Reyes Basurto

COVID-19 Rapid Response Manager

Office: (805) 982-9002
Cell: (805) 865-5699
griselda.reyes@mixteco.org 

Juana Zaragoza

Juana Zaragoza

Health Navigators Program Manager

Office: (805) 483-1166 
Medi-Cal at MICOP: (805) 215-0730
juana.zaragoza@mixteco.org

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Jorge Rios

Radio Indigena 94.1FM Station Manager

Office: (805) 483-1166 ext 306
Cell: (805) 978-6417
jorge.rios@mixteco.org

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Dulce Vargas

Living with Love Program Manager

Office: (805) 483-1166 
dulce.vargas@mixteco.org

Dulce Vargas

Dulce Ma. Vargas was born in Santa Cruz de Bravo Oaxaca, Mexico. Dulce is the youngest of five siblings and mother of two daughters. In 2002, she attended Benito Juarez University in Oaxaca. Presently, she continues with her education in Oxnard College. Dulce became involved with the program Mujeres de MICOP in 2009. In 2013, she coordinated and developed the MICOP’s Living with Love Program and co-authored along with Barbara Marquez, the Living with Love handbook that focuses on prevention, well-being, and domestic violence around the indigenous community in Ventura County. As of now, Dulce is the Program Manager of the Living with Love Program, which was selected as an evaluation project under the California Reducing Disparities Project. Dulce will be managing the Pilot Project in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Health Equity.

Biography
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Adriana Mandujano Angel

Marketing & Communications Associate

Office: (805) 978-2532
adriana.mandujanoangel@mixteco.org

Adriana Mandujano

Adriana Mandujano Angel was born in Corral Falso, Guerrero, Mexico and came to this country at a very young age. She lived in Santa Barbara for a few years but grew up in Oxnard. After high school she moved to Riverside, CA to pursue a degree in Media & Cultural studies at the University of California, Riverside. 

During her undergraduate career she worked for the on-campus newspaper, The Highlander, and worked her way up from marketing intern to section editor. She quickly became passionate about utilizing her platform to help out on-campus resources such as the Undocumented Student Programs, Chicano Student Programs and The Women's Resource Center among many others. Now it is an honor to be able to continue her passion at MICOP as the Marketing and Communications associate. 

Biography
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Omar Reyes Benitez

Events & Individual Giving Coordinator

Office: (805) 840-8912
omar.reyes@mixteco.org

Omar Reyes Benitez

Omar was born in 1999 and raised in Oxnard. After graduating from Adolfo Camarillo High School, he attended Oxnard College for a year before transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Bachelor’s in English, specializing in creative writing and journalism. Omar then, took a break from school during the pandemic and worked at the Consulate of Mexico, Oxnard in documentation. In 2021, he attended the University of Southern California, Annennberg, where he received his Master’s in Journalism. Before being hired by MICOP, he served as a staff reporter for the Beverly Hills Courier.

On a slightly more personal note, Omar is a trained musician with a deep love for pop and alternative culture. In his freetime, he's a casual climber of rocks and a professional watcher of boxing matches.

"I’m proud of being able to call myself your new coworker and can’t wait to see what lies ahead for us in our fight for equity!" he commented.

Biography
Norma Gomez

Norma Gomez

Project Manager

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 280-6509
norma.gomez@mixteco.org

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Maritza Lopez

Tobacco Research Coordinator

Office: (805) 982-9002
Cell: (805) 431- 4115
maritza.lopez@mixteco.org

Maritza Lopez

 Maritza Lopez was born in Huajuapan de Leon, Oaxaca, and raised in Santa Cruz de Bravo, Oaxaca. In 2006, she immigrated to Oxnard, CA where she has remained for the last 16 years. She recently graduated from UCLA where she majored in International Development Studies. My specific areas of focus were mainly focused on analyzing socioeconomic factors within Mexico, Central America, Africa and the Middle East and their trajectory when compared to their colonial histories. Some of her research topics included: transborderism and representation, women's economic mobility, educational attainment and retainment within farmworker families, and media representation and Indigeneity in Oaxaca.

Outside of work she likes to go on walks, explore new coffee shops, make jewelry, and travel. She is excited about this opportunity at MICOP and looks forward to assisting and empowering the community in any way she can.

Biography
Liliana Manriquez

Liliana Manriquez

ACCESO Program Manager

Office: (805) 982-9002
Cell: (805) 825-5876
liliana.manriquez@mixteco.org

Liliana Manriquez

Liliana Manriquez (Chicana) is an Oxnard Native, raised by two Mexican immigrant parents. Working as the Coordinator for Proyecto Acceso with MICOP and as a Research Assistant and Evaluation Coordinator for MICOP’s Healing the Soul –Curando el Alma – Na Sana’e Ini’e project, she is utilizing her degrees in Psychology (CSU Channel Islands, 2016) and Mexican American Studies (The University of Arizona, 2018) to help better the people in her community. Liliana has experience working as a teaching assistant for universities, community organizer, and student outreach for higher education. She has worked as a long-term substitute teacher for the Ventura school district and is studying to be a Reiki Master. Her goal is to do work in life that makes an impact on the people in underserved and underrepresented communities, but most importantly she values the impact of her family.

Biography
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Javier Garcia

Indigenous Language Services Coordinator

Office: (805) 247-1188
Cell: (805) 270-9483 
javier.garcia@mixteco.org

Javier Garcia

Hello my name is Javier Garcia. I am originally from San Martin Peras, Oaxaca. I came to the U.S at seven years old and I have been living here for eighteen years along with my family. I attended Rio Mesa High School and graduated in the year 2015, and I plan on continuing my education very soon. My first language is Mixteco but growing up and studying here I learned Spanish and English and it became my second and third languages. I work as an Interpreter Coordinator with MICOP and at the same time learning more about the problems related to language access that are happening inside and outside of our county.

In my free time I enjoy playing the guitar and go hiking in California’s backyard accompanied by my camera.

Biography
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Ana Avendano Torres

Opportunities for Youth Program Manager

Office: (805) 940-5284
ana.avendanotorres@mixteco.org

Ana Avendano Torres

Ana Avendano Torres is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. Her family migrated to the United States in hopes of better opportunities. Ana became the first in her family to pursue higher education and obtained her B.A in Sociology. Her indigenous roots are an integral part of her personal and professional life. Her roots and background play an important role in her work as she can connect with the community she is serving. Her commitment and passion for her work comes from her own personal and professional experience. She is proud that she is able to make a positive impact in her community.  

Biography
Rachel Sprouse

Rachel Sprouse

Grants & Contracts Manager

Office: (805) 247-1188 
Cell: (805) 891-5190

rachel.sprouse@mixteco.org

Rachel Sprouse

Rachel Sprouse grew up in Connecticut but has lived in California for the last three years. As an undergrad, she studied Spanish and became involved in Quechua initiatives in New York City. She coordinated programs for the Quechua Collective of New York for two years and continue to collaborate on their projects. Rachel has also worked with immigration and language revitalization projects in DC and Alaska, including the National Immigration Forum and Where Are Your Keys?. Rachel came to California in 2019 to pursue her master's degree in American Indian studies at UCLA, focusing on language. Rachel wrapped up her degree last year and is excited to be a part of MICOP.

Biography
Fernando Martinez

Fernando Martinez

Organizing Manager

Office: (805) 623-5862
Cell: (805) 940-5528

fernando.martinez@mixteco.org

Fernando Martinez

My name is Fernando Bautista Martinez.

My parents and I are from San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. We moved to Santa Maria California in 2005 where we have been living since then. I graduated from Santa Maria High School in 2015 and moved to Turlock, California to pursue a degree in Psychology at California State University, Stanislaus where I recently graduated. I am proud to be part of the Oaxaqueño community and be able to assist my people in any way I can.

During my free time, I like to play the accordion and keyboard. I also enjoy outdoor activities with my family. I am excited about this new opportunity to become part of MICOP and assist our community

Biography
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