Our Team
OPERATION TEAM
Founder & Executive Director
Christina Collazo
Director of Operations
Raney McKool
Programs Director
Katie Mathews
Interim Development Director
Heather Parsons
Admin and Communications Assistant
Daniela Ramirez-Saralegui
CHILDREN PROGRAMS TEAM
Early Childhood Ed Center Director
Yesenia Prieto
ECE Teachers
Ivett Garcia
Lupita Garcia
Cecilia Gomez
Claudia Méndez López
Anna Morales
Rocio Ramirez
Sarah Steele
ADULT PROGRAMS TEAM
Lead ESL & Citizenship Instructor
Amber Miller
ESL Instructor
Emily Cook
Abbey Flores
Donna Shepperd
HEALTH AND WELLNESS TEAM
Masters of Social Work Intern
Jairo Leon
Our Board of Directors
Melissa Sustaita Acosta (Board Co-Chair) oversees the City’s employer-sponsored volunteer program. Throughout her professional career of 15 years, she has served the Greater Austin community with a focus on youth, families, and education. From managing school-based student support services to developing and implementing district-wide initiatives focused on behavioral health and mentoring, she has had the opportunity to cultivate strong relationships with multiple stakeholders in support of common goals. With a range of experience in working with a number of local non-profit partners, Melissa strives to lead by influence and seek to make an impact through service, engagement, and collaboration. Most recently, her professional experience has focused on program development and project management of K-12 student support services in Austin ISD schools.
Delphi Alvizo is a Case Manager for the Bonilla Law Firm, a personal injury law firm based in Austin with a history of serving the Central Texas community. In this role, she is part of the Media Relations team, which focuses on community advocacy and providing the Hispanic community with important safety information. Her 20+ year experience comprises various roles such as Behavior Intervention Specialist, Financial Auditor for federal and state funded programs, and volunteer projects serving under-represented groups in Austin, TX and surrounding areas. Delphi is passionate about engaging in advocacy and legislative activities that promote and influence policies for sustainable and equitable educational practices. She is also interested in advancing multicultural field experiences that are embedded early in the curriculum of teacher education programs. Delphi holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s degree in Special Education with a concentration in Behavioral Disorders and Positive Behavioral Supports from Texas State University.
Kendra Bolton is the Director of Integrative Wellbeing at Miraval Austin, a wellness resort focused on building mind, body and spirit connection with self and others to live a life in a balance. Kendra is committed to professional work and volunteerism that removes barriers between individuals and their dreams and specifically work that elevates women to achieve their potential and beyond. She brings 10 years of wellness experience from previous roles in higher education, public schools and board service for other Austin non-profits. Kendra loves to dance to live music across all of Austin’s dance floors and travel the world.
Melissa Rios Canon currently serves as a HIV Prevention Consultant for the Texas Department of State Health Services since 2020, and has been in the HIV field since 2006. Melissa has over 15 years of non-profit management experience with strengths in financial oversight, grants management, continuous quality improvement, and program growth. Melissa has worked with a wide range of underserved and marginalized populations including people living with HIV/AIDS, LGBTQIA+, refugees and immigrants, youth with substance use, racial minorities, women, and people living with disabilities.
Erica V. Ekwurzel, CFRE, MPAff, (Board Co-Chair) is the founder of CivicAIM, a philanthropic consulting practice focused on strengthening grantmaking, governance and impact. With experience as a professional fundraiser, a research scholar in philanthropic strategy, grantmaking program officer, and consultant focused on social impact, Erica brings an extensive perspective to her work. Erica holds a BA from Austin College and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the advisory councils and boards of: National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, 21/64 Philanthropic Advisors of Color, and Austin Together Fund. Additionally, she is an investor to the Hispanic Impact Fund, a program of the Austin Community Foundation. When not on land building strong philanthropic ties and impact to the Texas community, you can find Erica, with a passport in hand, traveling to beach destinations and scuba diving exploring the depths and wonders of the sea with her family.
Lina Garcia is the Public Affairs Director at an Austin-based organization, Professional Contract Services, Inc. (PCSI), that places Veterans with PTSD and Persons with Disabilities in Government Contracts. She brings 20+ years of experience working in Communications / Public Relations and Advocacy roles, launching national campaigns in Washington, D.C. Her employers have included: the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Democratic National Committee, the U.S. Department of Labor and Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX) where she served as a spokesperson and speechwriter. She’s launched media campaigns focused on: climate protection, labor rights, arts education and immigration. As a native El Pasoan and immigrant from Mexico, she very much looks forward to doing her part to help advance the important mission of TJ. For fun and as part of her work/life balance efforts, she serves as a yoga and meditation instructor.
MJ Korpela is a senior consultant with MAYA Consulting, where she leads projects related to child welfare, trauma and attachment, early childhood education and 2Gen program building, family power building and DEI, strategic planning, investment and advocacy work in trust-based programs, and community engagement. Prior to joining the MAYA team, MJ spent 7 years building and overseeing trauma-informed 2Gen programming in Austin, TX. She has extensive experience in family-centered programming, including 2Gen models, trauma informed and attachment centered program models, mental health support and therapeutic milieu building, family empowerment and narrative change initiatives, and early childhood partnerships. MJ relocated to Austin in 2014 from Minneapolis, MN, where she worked primarily in mental health and crisis response with women and children, focusing on trauma, attachment, and racial equity. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and will defend her thesis this year on building equitable, attachment centered 2Gen programs to finalize her MA in Counseling Psychology from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Yessica Marroquin is a Former Todos Juntos student and parent. She is an Austin Community College student, and her major is in paralegal studies with a focus on Immigration law. She is an honors student and an officer and chair of a committee in her Honor Society Chapter. She believes in the power of education. Yessica has previously volunteered with the center in some events and as ECE teacher assistant. Her main reason to volunteer with TJ is that she is so happy and truly believes in the work and mission of the center. She has experienced the impact of TJ in the latino community first hand, so she would like to give back to the center that once supported her and her daughter.
Aman Patel (Treasurer) is a Technology Consultant for Deloitte Consulting where he works with local state agencies to drive large-scale technology implementation projects. Aman’s passion for providing education, advocacy, and empowerment to children in underprivileged communities is inspired by his mother: They have worked together to support organizations focused on children’s rights and combating poverty in India for over 7 years. He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Julieta Garcia Seebach is a Director at Fitch Ratings. She conducts bond rating analysis of municipal utility systems and state revolving fund credits across the country and brings 20 years of finance expertise. Prior to joining Fitch in 2008, Julie was a portfolio manager at the Texas Water Development Board where her responsibilities included managing and maintaining cash flows for a $3.5 billion loan and $2.5 billion debt portfolio for the agency. Earlier, Julie worked as a financial advisor at Dell Inc. and served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Austin, TX. Julie began her career at Charles Schwab & Co. as a research analyst at the Schwab Center for Investment Research in San Francisco, where she performed regression analysis and conducted bond fund research. Julie holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago (where she also participated in a study abroad program at the London School of Economics during her senior year of college), and a master’s degree in business administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She was born and raised in El Paso, TX, but has lived in Austin, Texas for 19 years. When not working, you can find Julie spending time with her husband (Chris), son (Luca), daughter (Helena), and two dogs (Ariel & Sydney).
Dan Sharphorn is the General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for the University of Texas System. He manages all of UT System’s legal affairs and the attorneys within the Office of General Counsel and serves on the Chancellor’s executive management team. He also works directly with all 14 UT institutions to serve their varied legal and business needs. Before joining the UT System in 2007, Dan served in the General Counsel’s Office of the University of Michigan for 20 years. He earned J.D., M.S.W., and M.A. degrees from the University of Michigan and a B.S. degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Craig Snook is a consultant for JBL Strategies, a strategic advisory business focused on nonprofit leadership development and organization sustainability. Craig has a passion for working with leaders to grow and develop to strategically lead their organizations in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors through leadership coaching and remote team management. His experience has ranged from individuals to senior management teams at the Dow Chemical Company as well as several Austin area nonprofits. Prior to joining JBL Strategies, he was a consultant with Executive Service Corps of Houston, an organization designed to promote best management practices in nonprofits. Craig is past board chair for EcoRise Youth Innovations, VELA, and past board member of THRIVE Cancer Fertility Network. Craig looks forward to advancing the mission of Todos Juntos in the local community long term.
Creating a better tomorrow for Central Texas. TOGETHER.
There are numerous ways you can help out so that, together, we can make Central Texas a more prosperous, just, and thriving community.