Staff
- Katherine Wojtan - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Executive Director
- [email protected]
Katherine came to Mary’s Pence with a background in strategic planning, project management and training/facilitation, mostly in a corporate setting. She has facilitated retreats on nonviolence, was a founding member of Conversation with Other (cross-cultural conflict facilitation), has volunteered for Nonviolent Peaceforce, and served as a core team member founding the Minnesota Peace Team which was created to provide a nonpartisan presence during the Republic National Convention. She currently serves on the board of Ignatian Volunteer Corps and Minnesota International NGO Network.
- Mabel Martínez Arriaga - La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras
- ESPERA Program Lead
- [email protected]
Mabel has more than 15 years of experience at international cooperation organizations in advisory roles and coordination of gender programs and projects, especially programs for the political, social and economic empowerment of women in Honduras and Latin America. Mabel is committed and linked to the struggles for social justice in Latin America. Mabel has a degree in Legal Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Honduras. She is convinced that changes towards freedom, equity and justice are urgent and possible.
- Erin Williams Rodriguez - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Grants Program Manager
- [email protected]
Erin Williams Rodriguez (she/her) has a background in nonprofit fundraising and development as an institutional giving officer, grant writer and fundraising events producer. She holds a BFA in Theatre, summa cum laude, from Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, TX), MA in Performing Arts Administration from New York University (NY, NY). She also held a real estate license and took the loan officer licensing education in the State of Texas. She currently lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, young adult child, and beloved pekingese Peaches aka "Puggy." Erin loves connecting with people over food, music, storytelling, celebrations and remembrances. She looks forward to working with grassroots social justice leaders as the grants program manager.
- Anna Becker - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Office Manager
- [email protected]
Anna graduated with a BA in History from Luther College in 2019 where she was the Managing Director of a student run theater company, SPIN Theater, and a member of the student interfaith association. She has directed plays professionally and worked for several years in organic agriculture while living in an intentional community. She was drawn to Mary’s Pence through her values of equity, community building, and access; and currently serves as secretary on the board of directors at Philadelphia Community Farm.
- Clara Chavarria (Horrell) - Suchitoto, El Salvador
- Program Assistant
- [email protected]
Clara has previously lived and volunteered in Suchitoto, El Salvador and now assists the ESPERA Program team with translating and administrative tasks. She has instructed photography, English, violin, and watercolor workshops to communities surrounding Suchitoto. Her passion lies with building strong, interpersonal relationships and creating a better world through education and the arts. In her free time, you can find her hanging in a hammock and tending to her garden.
- Eva Martínez - Suchitoto, El Salvador
- ESPERA Promoter
- [email protected]
Eva Martinez Menjivar supports ESPERA Funds in El Salvador and Honduras. She is from Suchitoto, and is a member of Concertación de Mujeres de Suchitoto, the first women’s network to participate in an ESPERA Fund. Eva was elected by the women of the Concertación to be the first coordinator of the ESPERA Fund in Suchitoto. Eva is a survivor of the armed conflict of 1980-1991 and a trained nurse.
- Brianna Olson-Carr - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Development Manager
- [email protected]
Brianna is coming to Mary's Pence after being a Montessori Preschool teacher for 8 years. She has two bachelor's degrees, from Augsburg University in 2013 and St. Catherine's University in 2022. She is also a field organizer, storyteller and a fierce advocate for children and teachers. She was interested in joining the Mary's Pence team after learning about their mission to fund women-led nonprofits with a strong lens of social justice.
- Natalia Orostegui-Burgos - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Communications Manager
- [email protected]
Natalia has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Social Communication from the University of Santiago de Chile and a Diploma in Ethics of Communication from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. She has worked for more than ten years in corporate communication and corporate social responsibility for several companies in Latin America. There she became familiar with the struggles of the communities she served and the need for a more just, empathetic, and equitable society.
- Brenda Pérez - Suchitoto, El Salvador
- Economic Initiative Advisor
- [email protected]
Brenda graduated with an Agroindustrial Engineering degree from the University of El Salvador. The most important pillars in her life are her parents. She worked for four years with the Suchitoto Women's Concertation, in which she coordinated and executed different projects for the empowerment and economic autonomy of women. Brenda is committed to continuing the fight to defend women's rights. She is happy to be part of Mary's Pence and that with her work she can continue contributing to and strengthening the women of the ESPERA program in El Salvador.
- Nadine Sehnert - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Bookkeeper
- [email protected]
After many years working in the corporate world, Nadine made a change and has worked in several local non-profit organizations in program, finance and management positions. She volunteers at her local parish, St. Albert the Great and is on the board of the Woman's Club of Minneapolis. She and her husband also manage the Twin Cities Board Games Meetup group which advocates for building community through playing board games.
- Lillian Jones - Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Intern
- [email protected]
Lillian is a current junior at St. Catherine University. She studies Economics, Political Science, and Public Policy. Lillian is involved in a number of clubs and activities on campus, but also looks forward to the time she gets to spend off-campus in the community. In her free time, she loves walking by the Mississippi River, reading, traveling, and getting ice cream at Nelson’s Ice Cream in St. Paul. Lillian was drawn to Mary’s Pence because of her interests in social justice and economic empowerment. She hopes to gain knowledge of the support which nonprofits provide to communities around the world.
Board
- Nancy Silva - Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Chair
Nancy is a program analyst with the State of Minnesota in the medical supply chain. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from St. Catherine University. Nancy’s passion for economic social justice and empowering women has led her to work with many non-profit organizations. She also serves on the board for Minnesota International NGO Network. In her free time Nancy likes to travel, explore different cuisines, and practice yoga.
- Mary Zerjav - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Treasurer
Mary has worked in the brokerage and banking industry for over 30 years. She currently works as a banking consultant. A Chicago native, she settled in Pittsburgh over 30 years ago with her husband and has three adult children. She is a long-time animal lover and is a long-time feminist and advocate of the advancement of women. Mary began her journey with Mary’s Pence as a volunteer to reallocate investments and redesign policies to mirror Mary’s Pence’s core values. She is delighted with the opportunity to serve on the board and affect vital community change.
- Sister LaKesha Church - Redlands, California
- Secretary
Sister LaKesha Church, C.PP.S, is a Sister of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH). She ministers as an elementary teacher in Southern, California. She serves the local community as a member of the Knights of St. Peter Claver women’s auxillary as well as serving on the board of the National Black Sisters’ Conference. She hopes to serve Mary’s Pence through her previous Peace Corps experience, by helping individuals at the grassroots level. Sister LaKesha holds a master’s in theology and in education. In her free time she enjoys cross-stitching and reading great stories.
- Nohely Álvarez - Hyattsville, Maryland
Nohely is a doctoral candidate in Urban and Regional Planning and Design at the School of Architecture, Preservation, and Planning at the University of Maryland. With her dissertation, Contextualizing Marginalized Economies: Narratives of Cultural and Economic Practices in Langley Park, MD, she hopes her findings will assist policymakers and planners in understanding and adopting better practices for engaging with immigrant communities more inclusively. Aside from that she works at the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN) at the University of Maryland and has worked in nonprofits prior to starting her doctoral degree.
- Anne Betzner - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Anne oversees program development and standardization, program impact measurement, and quality improvement for Children’s HeartLink, an NGO based in her home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. In her work life, Anne loves working with systems and using stories and hard statistics to help non-profit organizations achieve their missions. Anne has a master’s degree in policy analysis and a doctorate in research methods from the University of Minnesota. In her free time, Anne loves baking delicious treats for her herself and her family and exploring every one of Minnesota’s 64 state parks. She currently serves on the Board of the Minnesota International NGO Network.
- Halima Hamud - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Halima Hamud is a passionate advocate and community organizer with a strong commitment to empowering refugee and immigrant communities. Born and raised in the largest camp in Kenya, Dadaab, she witnessed the challenges faced by women in her community. For the past six years, Halima has been engaged in advocating for refugee political inclusion and has collaborated with the Boise Mayor's Office as a Community Engagement Intern, fostering social cohesion between marginalized communities and local government. She also founded Circle of Excellence, an online community that provides resources and support for highly skilled refugee and immigrant professionals, assisting them in navigating the workforce.
- Amparo Martinez Ruiz - Mexico City, Mexico
Amparo presently serves as Chief Legal Counsel at Grupo Jumex, where she has corporate-wide responsibility for legal, regulatory, and compliance matters. Her educational background includes a Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers by Harvard Business School Online and postgraduate studies in Negotiation and M&A at Stanford University. She possesses exceptional corporate acumen to consider non-legal factors in decision-making, such as long-term market ramifications, reputational risk, and internal business culture.
- Emma Tacke - Washington, D.C.
Emma Tacke was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Gender Studies from the College of Saint Benedict in 2015, Emma moved to Seattle, Washington for a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) Northwest. Upon completing her year with JVC Northwest, Emma spent several years living in Washington D.C. working for social justice through various faith-based national organizations. Currently, Emma serves as the Senior Manager of Advocacy and Policy for the D.C. Charter School Alliance.