Staff

 

Luis Gutierrez

Chief Executive Officer

E-mail Luis: luis@latinospro.org

Luis founded Latinos Progresando in 1998 to serve Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village communities, where he was born and raised and continues to live today. Beginning in a small office on 18th Street, with just $200 in the bank, Luis has built a now 18-year-old organization that has served more than 25,000 families.

Luis was also responsible for founding the Marshall Square Resource Network (MSRN), a coalition of 20 organizations on Chicago’s southwest side that meets monthly for capacity building and developing collective impact strategies.

In addition to serving on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Advisory Committee to the Office of New Americans, Luis also participated in the Donors Forum’s “Communities of Practice,” a year-long program bringing together leaders from both the nonprofit and funding communities to discuss true costs of running nonprofit organizations. Luis currently serves on the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Illinois, the Latino Policy Forum, and Taller de Jose.

 

Marcy Gonzalez

Chief Operations Officer

E-mail Marcy: marcy@latinospro.org

Marcy joined Latinos Progresando in 2006, bringing 15 years of management experience, through which she specialized in customer service training and management. In addition to managing a staff of 7 and the day-to-day operations of the Legal Services Program—the largest Latino-led in the state of Illinois—Marcy is also responsible for conducting community outreach, often holding workshops and educational presentations in schools, churches and other organizations, and training other legal services caseworkers for accreditation. As Chief Operations Officer, Marcy also oversees internal operations and finance for the organization.

Marcy provides operations-focused technical assistance to emerging and expanding legal services programs, and also served on the committee responsible for developing the Spanish version of Illinois Legal Aid Online. In 2012, Marcy was honored for her work in Community Service through La Raza Newspaper’s Mujeres Destacadas awards, and in 2015 received an Impact Award from the Chicago Foundation for Women. Marcy is accredited by the Department of Justice.

 

Sofia Mendez

Chief Strategy Officer

Coming soon…

 
 

Immigration Legal Services

 

Araceli Dominguez

DOJ Accredited Representative

E-mail Araceli: araceli@latinospro.org

Araceli came to LP in 2009 with her mother, who was filing for her residence card. In July of 2010, she began working as LP’s receptionist. In October 2012, she became an immigration caseworker, and in January 2015 earned accreditation from the Department of Justice.

Araceli graduated from World Language High School in 2010 and worked through Youth Ready Chicago and Fiesta del Sol prior to coming to her work at Latinos Progresando.

 

Andiliana Romero

Legal Assistant

E-mail Andi: andi@latinospro.org

Andi participated in a youth program that led her to LP in 2010, after which she worked as a legal services intern. In 2011, she was hired as full-time Receptionist, where she served as the first point of contact for LP’s clients.

Beginning in 2015, Andi was promoted to become an immigration caseworker to provide administrative support for accredited representatives while she trains to apply for her own accreditation. Prior to her work at LP, Andi was part of Pilsen’s Fiesta del Sol team.

 

Silvia Jimenez

DOJ Accredited Representative

E-mail Silvia: silvia@latinospro.org

Silvia began working at LP as an immigration caseworker in February of 2015. Silvia supports LP’s accredited representatives by preparing preliminary case files and serving clients. Before joining LP, Silvia worked with the Mexican Consulate for six years and volunteered to assist immigrants and refugees with literacy and immigration issues.

Siliva holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations from la Universidad del Valle in Mexico City and is pursuing a Masters degree in Latin-American Studies from la Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Argentina.

 

Gwendolyn Estrada

Legal Assistant

E-mail Wendy: wendy@latinospro.org

Wendy joined the Latinos Progresando family in February 2015, having first visited the organization as a client. Prior to joining LP, Wendy worked at United Auto Insurance as a Sales Representative, obtaining her Casualty and Property License in 2012.

As an immigration caseworker, Wendy supports accredited representatives with their casework, completing preliminary paperwork and serving clients. Wendy’s previous work experience also includes customer service, managing Cherubs Cafe for a year and a half, and mentoring at the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). Wendy graduated from Roberto Clemente High School in 2007 and obtained her Internet Computer Core Certification (IC3) in 2008.

 

Lourdes Castillo

Administrative Assistant

E-mail Wendy: lourdes@latinospro.org

Lourdes came to LP after participating in the second annual Marshall Square Peace March in October 2015. In February, Lourdes started volunteering for LP’s Immigration Legal Services department, and joined the LP family full-time in March 2016.

As the Receptionist, Lourdes serves as the first point of contact for LP’s clients and provides administrative support to the Legal Services team. Before joining LP, Lourdes earned her GED at St. Augustine College, where she also completed casework in Early Childhood Development. She also served as a Local School Council (LSC) member and parent volunteer for two years at Hammond Elementary School.

 

 

Teatro Americano

 

Armando Villegas

​​Teaching Artist

E-mail Armando: armando@latinospro.org

Armando first came to Latinos Progresando as an actor auditioning for Teatro Americano’s ‘Con Raíces, Sin Papeles’ in 2010, in which he played a leading role. Five years after that production, Armando interviewed for a teaching artist position and was brought into the LP Family.

Armando is a graduate of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and has completed comedy programs conducted by Improv Olympics and The Comedy College. He has more than 10 years of experience acting on screen and on stage with groups such as Colectivo El Pozo, a Chicago-area Spanish-language theatre company.

 

Development & Communications

 

Edgar Pineda

Creative Director

E-mail Edgar: edgar@latinospro.org

Edgar began volunteering for Latinos Progresando in 2009, primarily offering pro bono graphic design work and consulting during special events. He later transitioned to the head graphic designer role and helped organize the annual Holiday Party fundraiser—all as a volunteer.

In 2010, Edgar was contracted as a consultant and became LP’s Marketing Director to support LP’s departments and special programs with strategies and initiatives to reach the maximum amount of individuals who could benefit from and support LP’s initiatives. In 2016 Edgar transitioned to become LP’s Creative Director. In his new role, Edgar is responsible for developing and managing the tone of the LP brand using clear and innovative creative tools through on-line activations, print collateral, and other mediums. Before joining LP, Edgar worked as a freelance graphic designer, offered printing services, and co-founded B Natural. Edgar graduated from National Louis University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Administration and Management in 2015.

 

Connie Prater

Grants Manager

E-mail Connie: connie@latinospro.org

Connie started working full-time in June 2014. She first started working with LP as the Marshall Square Resource Network Intern in October 2013. As Grants Manager, she manages the organization’s grant calendar, writes grant proposals and reports, and provides assistance to the Chief Strategy Officer.

Prior to working at LP, Connie interned for a radio station and volunteered as a citizenship class teacher in San Jose. Connie graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Spanish Language and Literature and a minor in Human Rights in 2014.

 

Accounting and Administrative Support

 

Mary Carmen Rincón

Accountant

E-mail Mary Carmen: marycarmen@latinospro.org

Mary Carmen first came to Latinos Progresando as a client filing for residency as a newlywed, and was hired in April 2008.

At Latinos Progresando, Mary Carmen leads the Accounting and Internal Controls department, where she manages the organization’s payroll, tax, and supplies needs. Mary Carmen earned her Public Accountant title from la Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in Mexico.