Florencia Velasco Fortner

Florencia Velasco Fortner is particularly passionate about the work The Concilio does in parental involvement because as a child growing up in California to migrant farm workers, her parents and family were instrumental to her success in life. As she puts it, “They set the expectation early on for me to attend college and attain the skills and opportunities their lives did not afford them.” Florencia is a member of Commit!, the Hispanic 100, the Dallas Assembly, and the Chamber of Human Services, as well as an alumna of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2010. Florencia also positively impacts the Dallas community by serving on the Board of Directors of such worthy organizations as the Dallas Women’s Foundation, the Texas Leadership Forum, and the Compelling Why. She has won the La Cima Emerging Leader Award from the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was an American Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2010 where she represented Texas and the Southwest abroad for 4 weeks in western and eastern Europe. Florencia understands education is the great equalizer for people who are disenfranchised, marginalized, and in poverty: “Sometimes the only chance they have to get out of poverty is education. Education gives them the opportunity to contribute to America and to take part in the American Dream.” Her favorite memory of working with The Concilio is the day she asked a little girl attending a Concilio event what she wanted to be when she grew up, and the little girl pointed to one of The Concilio instructors. Florencia says, “I asked her, ‘Why do you want to be like her?’ and she said, ‘Because she is nice to my mommy and she is teaching my mommy how to help me more.’ Those are the moments that help me realize our services are truly [needed].” 

Tara Dunn

Tara Dunn has worked with The Concilio for five years. Tara grew up in the Philippines and moved to Texas 13 years ago from Missouri, where her family is from. Tara received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Southwest Baptist University in Missouri. Tara is currently the Development Director for The Concilio. She also serves as a Board Member for the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and she was Chair of the 2011 AFP DFW Philanthropy Conference. She also volunteers at Methodist Dallas Hospital. Tara believes that education is the way out from poverty. She realizes that not all health problems can be prevented, but knows that so many can, which is why health is so critical. One of Tara's favorite things about working at The Concilio is the support the staff gives to one another, both professionally and personally. 

Silvia Gallegos

Silvia Gallegos has worked with The Concilio for 11 years. She is currently our Community Health Manager. Silvia was chosen as a Cheerio’s “Angel de mi Corazon” in 2007, one of only five across the country, for her work to prevent heart disease among Hispanics. She was also selected as the winner of the National Health Advocate award in partnership with Macy’s and Reader’s Digest and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red de Corazon” campaign in 2008. Silvia believes “health and education are important because they are relevant to the success of our communities.” As a veteran of The Concilio, Silvia enjoys having the opportunity to work with The Concilio staff and to see first-hand all the changes and progress that the organization has accomplished throughout all these years.

Dannele Pinson

Dannele Pinson has worked with The Concilio as the Business Manager since August 2011. However, she has had intermittent contract positions with The Concilio since 2006. Dannele attended the University of Texas at Arlington where she received her Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance. Dannele also has two Associate’s degrees in Business and Urban Education. She is a member of both the National and Dallas Associations for the Education of Young Children and the GoodNEWS Health Program. Dannele believes that “Knowledge is Power” and knowledge cannot be taken away from you. However, to be knowledgeable she argues that you have to have good health as well. Dannele really enjoyed working with the parents of our PASE program because she knew they left our classes feeling empowered.

Judy Saldaña

Judy Saldaña has worked with The Concilio for eight years. She received her Associate of Applied Sciences in Accounting from El Centro College. Judy is currently The Concilio’s Education Manager. Judy has worked with many other organizations such as the Girl Scouts of Tejas and the Dallas Independent School District. Judy realizes that health issues are a major concern for the Latino community because we have very tasty food and are not always the healthiest eaters. However, Judy thinks that health is not the only concern Latinos should have: “Our culture teaches us that teachers are the experts, when in reality we are our children’s first teachers.” Judy loves the way The Concilio opens parents’ eyes to become more involved in their child’s academic career. These occasions make up some of Judy’s favorite moments when working with The Concilio.   

Edith Diaz

Edith Diaz has worked with The Concilio for two years. Edith grew up in Guerrero, Mexico and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Theology Studies from Vision International University. She is an Education Coordinator for The Concilio and has helped The Concilio receive many appreciation awards from the schools she has worked with. Edith believes it is important for families to have good health and a good education so they can lead better lives. Edith finds the work she does with The Concilio very rewarding; she loves knowing families can have better lives and futures because of the knowledge The Concilio can provide them through the programs. 

Maria-Lourdes Iyescas

Maria-Lourdes Iyescas, known as Lulu around the office, has worked with The Concilio for six years. She is currently a Parents As Leaders Education Coordinator. Lulu attended the Universidad National Autónoma de Nicaragua-Managua, where she grew up. While attending the university Lulu studied journalism. The Concilio was honored by R. Quintanilla Middle School, the Sequoya Learning Center, and Stephen C. Foster Elementary because of the outstanding services Lulu and her education team provided. Lulu believes that education and health are important because these factors lead to great success: “Education makes individuals.” Lulu loves working with The Concilio because of the gratitude the parents express to The Concilio and the education program. She finds her work very rewarding. 

Karla Lopez

Karla Lopez has worked with The Concilio for six years as an Education Coordinator. She attended the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon and received her Bachelor’s in Administration and Vital Statistics. When she moved to Texas she attended TWU and took some courses in Early Child Development. She also received a Certificate from UTA to be a Maestra de la Comunidad. Karla believes health and education are the two fundamental keys for personal and professional success: “I believe that sharing information about health and education is important when it comes to our community; therefore, the first step for visualizing what will be a reality starts with prevention and learning about the effects of the lack of health and education.” Karla’s favorite memory of working with The Concilio was running into one of her program graduates and discovering they had learned English and gotten a job as a medical assistant.  

Araceli Luna

Araceli Luna has worked with The Concilio for one year as an Administrative Assistant. Araceli is from Mexia, Texas; she moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to attend the University of Texas at Arlington where she double majored and received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and Spanish. Araceli minored in business administration. She is a proud member of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Education and health have always been an important part of Araceli’s life. Her father emphasized the importance of receiving a college education. Araceli also believes that being healthy is the motor to one’s life and that without health you cannot achieve your goals and be there for your family. Araceli really enjoys attending the graduation ceremonies for our PASE programs because she gets to see the reactions the parents have and how greatly the programs impact their lives. These occasions make her realize that The Concilio is doing a great job encouraging parents to see there is a future for their children.

Guillermina Montoya

Guillermina Montoya, known as Mina around the office, has worked with The Concilio as an Education Coordinator for five years. Mina attended El Centro College and was certified in Early Childhood training. She also received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology Education from Vision International University in Miami, Florida. Mina is a member of Jesus Cristo Es Mi Refugio, a church located in Mexia, TX, where she works with the youth and women. Health and education are important to Mina because she believes these factors help people reach their goals. One of Mina’s fondest memories of working with The Concilio was when she was able to help a suicidal teenager. “Thanks to the trainings I received from The Concilio, I was able to intervene and help this teen better their self-esteem and academics. I worked closely with the teen’s mother, a graduate from one of our PASE programs; together we made sure the teen was safe, felt secure, and confident. To know that I was able to touch these lives makes me feel valuable and awesome.”

Annebel Ramos

Annebel Ramos graduated from The University of North Texas and started working with The Concilio in May 2011 as the Communications Specialist. Annebel received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with minors in Spanish and Marketing. Annebel is a member of the North Texas Alumni Association and the Public Relations Society of America. Education is and will remain an important part of Annebel’s life because her mother is a retired bilingual teacher. Health is also a very vital part of her life because her grandmother and aunt both have diabetes; she is very aware of the need to manage one’s health. Annebel’s favorite memory of working with The Concilio is the time she went to a client’s home with a news reporter for a story. The children were so excited they drew pictures for her, the reporter, and camera man. At that moment, she realized that the reporters were an inspiration to these children - they may actually know what they would like be when they grow up and pursue that goal because of that experience.

Claudia Rivera

Claudia Rivera is from Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas, México. She came to the United States when she was 10 years old. Claudia attended the University of Texas at Arlington where she received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts, concentrating in Painting and Photography. Claudia has been the Education Administrative Assistant since January of 2011. Claudia believes that education and health are vital components to leading a good life; “Ignorance is unacceptable in our society in which information is so readily available.” Claudia’s favorite memory of working at The Concilio is attending the program graduations because the work The Concilio does is clearly demonstrated through the parents' achievements and changes.

Martha Rodriguez

Martha Rodriguez worked for the private sector before working with The Concilio, but she felt a need to give back to the community. In her quest to fill that void in her life, The Concilio found her and she has been with us for the last two years. She began as an instructor for our PASE and DG programs and currently works as an Education Coordinator. Martha attended the University of Texas at Arlington where she received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. She believes that education opens doors and that knowledge is something no one can take from you. Her daily focus is on the families, as we are helping shape their lives. According to Martha, “Every day offers an opportunity to learn something new so we should take advantage of this!”

Elida Ruiz has worked with The Concilio for three years. She was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Elida finished high school in Dallas, and is currently at El Centro College studying to become an ESL teacher. She is a Project Coordinator for The Concilio. Elida has been a part of many community service activities including a Dallas Independent School District project called T-CALL, which helped students gain a better understanding of the English language. She is also a member of a church youth group. Elida was honored as The Concilio MVP in 2008. Elida believes that health and education are the keys to a bright future: “The Concilio helps these families realize their potential, and they can do so much as long as we inform them.” Elida says her favorite memories at The Concilio include seeing the change and progress in the children she works with through our education programs.

Martha Sanchez

Martha Sanchez has worked for The Concilio for two years. She is currently a Promotora de Salud (Community Health Worker). Martha attended El Centro College where she took classes toward a Medical Sonographers’ Science Degree. She then received a certificate as an Accounting Clerk from Mountain View College. Martha grew up in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and she fully understands the needs that families face when they move to the United States. Martha believes health and education are important because everyone has the right to be informed about the diseases in our world and how they can be prevented through simple education. Martha’s fondest memory at The Concilio is a time when a participant in a program kept declining having his blood pressure checked by her, and at the last meeting, he finally decided he should check it because he had learned the importance of knowing this information. Martha said “that moment made [her] feel complete and satisfied with working at The Concilio.”

Maria Guadalupe Springer

Maria G. Springer has worked with The Concilio for two years. Maria is from Mexico City and she attended El Centro College in Dallas, Texas. She is currently one of The Concilio’s Promotoras de Salud (Community Health Workers). Maria believes The Concilio’s work is important because we teach people that by eating healthy and exercising regularly, they can prevent disease. Her favorite part of working on the Community Health Team is seeing the results as people progress through the programs.

Claudia Vargas

Claudia Vargas was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and has worked with The Concilio for three years. She attended The University of Texas at Austin where she double majored and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Mexican American Studies. Claudia currently works as a Development Associate for The Concilio and represents the organization as a member of the Steering Committee for the Hispanic Youth Institute. Claudia believes that without health you cannot be the “best” you; eating and exercise are in our hands. When we help our community feel like they have what it takes to be the “best” they can be then she has done her job. Claudia enjoys working with The Concilio because she recalls “there was a time that [she] really did not consider going to college, and [her] parents encouraged [her] to go.” Claudia emphasizes that “our parents and youth need to know that college is not out of reach, and The Concilio reminds them of that.”