Patricia co-founded Alianza NORCO in April 2017 and has the overall management responsibility for our programs. She has a first-hand understanding of immigration, having arrived in the US as a child escaping the violence and instability in her native El Salvador. She has a deep respect for the immigrant contribution to the US, and is driven to provide the Latinx community in Colorado with a network of resources to increase their level of safety. She received her Computer Science degree from Colorado State University and worked at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise for 20 years. In August of 2019, she switched gears when she left technology to devote herself to community work at Alianza NORCO full-time.
Adriana Quintero is originally from Mexico and a founding member of Alianza NORCO. She was the Director of Family Support Services at The Family Center/La Familia for 16 years and worked as a Family Liaison at Poudre High School. She continues to positively impact many lives in the northern Colorado community through her work at the Colorado Trust. Adriana helps spread the word about Alianza NORCO’s workshops, spearheads community outreach opportunities, and is instrumental in helping connect our work to the immigrant community’s needs.
Serena is originally from India, though she was born in England and lived in Nigeria and Brazil before coming to the United States for college, graduating with degrees in Math and Computer Science. She worked in the tech industry for 18 years before switching gears into the non-profit arena in 2005. She currently works as Programs Director at Homeward Alliance, serving those who are homeless or at risk. She joined the Board of Alianza NORCO in 2021.
Evita is originally from Mexico. Her work with Alianza NORCO is rooted in her own passions, goals, and firsthand experiences as an immigrant, as she strives to give back to the Latinx community. She received her bachelor degree in accountanting at the Technologic Institute Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. She worked as an Operational Director of Curves International in Latin America. Under her management she helped open 32 new retail stores in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and El Salvador. In 2011, she oversaw the operation of the Tax Collector department at the revenue service of the Mexican federal government. Evita currently lives in Fort Collins with her husband and stepchildren. In addition to her work with Alianza NORCO, she provides free tax preparation services to our Spanish-speaking community and runs her own fitness business.
Hilda Yanez is originally from Mexico and is a founding member of Alianza NORCO. Hilda has been with La Familia for over ten years helping families reach their goals and connecting them to the resources needed to be successful. She has been a devoted volunteer at Alianza for many years and is now part of the board of directors. Hilda is passionate about helping her community and building healthy relationships where families feel heard and safe.
With well over two decades of experience in non-profit leadership and a steadfast commitment to access to care and social justice, Patricia has dedicated her career to empowering and serving historically disenfranchised communities in California and now Colorado. Her journey includes establishing systems and fostering collaborations in resource centers, hospitals and community helping to provide thousands of families with access to health services and support. Patricia pioneered a regionally acclaimed model for events that assist the unhoused, combining services and crucial census collection.
As a founder of a veteran services organization and a partner in incubating nonprofit startups, she catalyzed systematic change across northern California’s central valley. Her time in Colorado involved building community capacity in Fort Collins, where predominantly immigrant residents often face predatory behavior and abuse. She continues her impactful work by supporting and developing programs that nurture leaders, ensuring the legacy of systems change within their communities and cities.
Proudly following in the footsteps of her immigrant parents who helped lay the foundation for generations of their own family and friends, she remains committed to their mission. Not only does she carry forward her family's legacy, but she also strives to uplift every community she has had the privilege to serve.
Yenny is Alianza NORCO’s Lead Bilingual Navigator and has been part of our team since July 2020. She graduated from Colorado State University with her bachelor’s degree in social work. She hails from Colombia, she came to the U.S. 20 years ago and has lived in seven different states since, making positive connections everywhere she goes. Some of Yenny’s interests include physical and mental wellness, listening to Latin music, and a good homemade meal. Also, spending time with family, her two dogs, one cat, and friends.
Sara joined Alianza NORCO in November 2022 as the Operations Manager. She will lead accounting, grants, human resources, and operations programming. Previously, she attended the University of Texas and graduated with a degree in History from the Liberal Arts Honors program while working at a homeless shelter in Austin. Sara recently moved to Fort Collins from Taiwan. In Taiwan, she taught English and learned about cross-cultural communication. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree with Purdue University’s online Economics program. Sara believes immigrants are vital to continued economic and cultural growth in the U.S. and she is eager to work alongside immigrants in our community. She is excited to join Alianza’s team and enjoy the scenery and outdoor activities in and around Fort Collins.
Jacob is the newest member of our staff. He grew up near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. A graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law, he has lived most of his life in the Rocky Mountains and recently relocated to Fort Collins, CO with his wife. He served as a solo immigration law practitioner in Casper, WY for over three years prior to joining Alianza NORCO as Managing Attorney, where he is excited to provide services for the local community. He enjoys spending time with family, playing sports, experiencing the outdoors, and supporting his beloved Tottenham Hotspur and Milwaukee Bucks.
Freddy is one of our legal assistants at Alianza Norco. Freddy was born in Jalisco, Mexico but calls Greeley, Colorado home. While at Colorado State University he majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and double minor in Spanish and Interdisciplinary Legal Studies. Freddy is a proud immigrant and looks forward to continuing his education and obtaining a law degree in the near future to be able to work as an immigration/ civil rights attorney.
Monica Henao is Alianza NORCO's Navigation and Advocacy Program Manager. She is originally from Cali, Colombia. She studied industrial engineering, but found her passion in helping her community. During the past 22 years, she has focused her work in providing support to those who have experienced domestic violence and trauma. She plans to incorporate her experience at Alianza NORCO with a new support program for women in the immigrant community. In her free time she enjoys traveling, hiking and taking long road trips.
Iris Hinkle is Alianza NORCO's Navigation & Health Specialist. She is a first generation college student and graduated from Colorado Mesa University with her Bachelors degree in Sociology. She is originally from Veracruz, Mexico and has a deep love and appreciation for her roots and culture. Coming from an immigrant family has made her passionate about helping people in her community going through the same experiences.
Atlas (he/they) joined our team the spring of 2022 as a volunteer and since then has gone worked part time on and off; helping to manage communications and aiding with bilingual navigation and now Advocacy starting 2024. Born in the U.S. to Colombian/Mexican immigrants, he was raised in both Colombia, Illinois and Texas. Atlas graduated from high school with a focus on art and loves music composition, poetry, filmmaking, and video editing. His first-generation immigrant experience drives his passion to work with our immigrant community.
Beatriz Sanchez (she/ella) is the Navigation and Advocacy Intern at Alianza NORCO for Spring 2024. She is currently completing her Bachelors in Social Work at Colorado State University. With an extensive background in research within social welfare and contemporary social issues, she has developed a keen understanding of systemic injustices and the frameworks that perpetuate them. Beatriz wishes to continue her education in policy advocacy and serve the immigrant community in the United States. It is Beatriz's goal to address the gaps in the data that inform policy making. Within her work with Alianza, she brings warmth and empowerment to client interactions
