Em Creahan

Lead Policy Organizer

Em Creahan has been a policy organizer with COFI for three years, mostly supporting the Campaña Saliendo de la Pobreza. This work has included a focus on deepening community power in spaces of fines and fees justice, utility affordability, tax credits, and more. Em has a Masters of Social Work from the the University of Chicago, with an emphasis in community organizing. Em believes in the power of parent voice and collective family action in shaping systemic change, and is also enjoying building a family of her own with her partner and his two little ones. Em enjoys exploring the outdoors and going on hikes with their plott hound, Abel.

Sara Gonzalez

Co-Director of Organizing, Local

Sara’s passion is to work with diverse parent groups to support them with developing their leadership skills and capacity to impact change in their own lives, families, and communities. She believes in The COFI Way as a way to strengthen family voices and transform communities, plus build relationships between parents and community organizations, advocacy groups, and policymakers.

Jacqui Guillen

Gerente de Comunicaciones

Jacqui apoya a COFI gestionando las comunicaciones externas, la narración de historias y las relaciones con los medios. Está entusiasmada de unirse al equipo y amplificar las historias y victorias de los padres utilizando comunicaciones estratégicas y su experiencia en comunicaciones gubernamentales y sin fines de lucro. En su tiempo libre, le gusta pasar tiempo con su familia y ser tía de su nueva sobrina, andar en bicicleta por el sendero frente al lago y cocinar nuevas recetas.

Syretta Joiner

Gerente administrativo

Syretta ayuda con todas las tareas administrativas de la oficina y organiza la logística de las reuniones y eventos de COFI. Ha trabajado anteriormente en la gestión de propiedades residenciales. Le gusta hacer manualidades, hacer camisetas y crear decoración para eventos y artículos de regalo personalizados para familiares y amigos.

Calzas Dexter

Local Chicago Organizer

Dexter is an outspoken advocate for removing police from schools and has been featured on various local and national outlets speaking about his work as a leader of POWER-PAC IL. He serves as a Restorative Justice Peace Keeper at Melody STEM Elementary (West Garfield Park) to coordinate one of the only parent-led Peace Centers in Chicago Public Schools. A foster parent and an adoptive father of over 25 years, and now a proud grandfather, Dexter is committed to supporting young people in his community in any way he can. He is excited to grow as a COFI organizer and support POWER-PAC IL leaders on the South and West Sides of Chicago.

Jennifer Little

Gerente de COFI Center for Action and Learning

Jennifer leads COFI’s Center for Action and Learning. Her role supports many of the COFI-trained community partners across the nation. With a background in community engagement, early childhood capacity building work, and on-the-ground experience implementing The COFI Way, Jennifer is passionate about supporting communities to create systemic change. Based in Chicago, Jennifer enjoys running or biking on the lakefront path and watching the Chicago Bulls.

Esmeralda Martínez

Local Chicago Organizer

María Cristina Martínez

Coordinadora de Proyectos Iniciados por Padres

Maria Christina first got involved with COFI at a Self, Family & Team Training as a Whittier School parent many years ago. She later became an Ambassador and Teambuilder, and now serves as Projects Associate at COFI. As a mother of three and grandmother of six, she loves to help and support parent leaders in their efforts to make a difference in their communities. Her passions are Zumba, arts and crafts, and traveling.

Kiela McNair

Administrative and Organizing Associate

Kiela McNair was born and raised in Chicago. Throughout many years of education and work in nonprofit spaces she has honed her skills in operations management and supporting nonprofits behind the scenes. In 2017, Kiela finished a two year service program, Public Allies, which has provided extensive professional development. Outside of work, Kiela’s passions include writing, traveling, and teaching herself to make jewelry and clothes, sew, and knit. As a first time parent she is tired but energized to challenge the norm to create a better world for her daughter.

Talibah Moore

Lead Chicago Local Organizer

El viaje de COFI de Talibah comenzó en 2013. Después de completar la capacitación de COFI y unirse a POWER-PAC IL, se involucró aún más activamente, sobre todo como líder clave de la Campaña de Aprendizaje Temprano. Además, también se ha desempeñado como embajadora, capacitadora de pares y constructora de equipos. Se convirtió en organizadora comunitaria de COFI en 2018 y ahora pasa sus días apoyando y colaborando con padres líderes que continúan marcando la diferencia en sus comunidades. Es la orgullosa madre de cuatro hermosos hijos.

Tracy Occomy Crowder

Deputy Director, Policy and External Affairs

Tracy has been with COFI since 2005. She oversees the statewide policy work and supervises organizers. Tracy is also a Senior Trainer with COFI Center for Action and Learning. Before COFI, Tracy served as Administrative Director and Statewide Organizer for the Statewide Housing Action Coalition. In that role, she organized advocates and public housing residents around affordable housing issues at the statewide level in Illinois. She is mother of a grade-school son and stepmother to a young man. Tracy is a lifelong South Side Chicago resident.

Jessica Paul

Asociado Administrativo y Fiscal

Jessica, también conocida como Jessi, apoya al personal administrativo, fiscal y de programas del COFI. Tiene experiencia previa trabajando con jóvenes LGBTQIA+, negros y morenos, de bajos ingresos, para ayudarlos a brindarles acceso a servicios sociales, atención médica y recursos críticos adecuados. Le encanta leer, alabar la danza y escribir poesía. En su tiempo libre, realiza estudios de posgrado en línea.

Aida Palma Carpio

Co-Director of Organizing, Policy

Aida apoya la Campaña de Justicia Elemental de POWER-PAC IL se centró en la política y la defensa para poner fin a la tubería de la escuela a la prisión y promover inversiones en apoyo social y emocional en la escuela y Justicia Restaurativa. También apoya a los equipos de padres en el condado de Kane para desarrollar campañas locales. Aida fundamenta su trabajo de organización en el activismo comunitario de su familia que le allanó el camino como ex inmigrante indocumentada y estudiante de primera generación. En su tiempo libre, a Aida le gusta tocar Mariachi y ser parte de espacios de arte que centran el activismo negro y moreno y las historias latinas.

Ellen Schumer

Directora ejecutiva

Ellen is a co-founder of COFI and has been the Executive Director since its founding. Ellen is a long-time organizer who has done community, electoral, and labor organizing, working previously at the Midwest Academy, United Neighborhood Organization, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, AFSCME Council 31, among others. She is a proud foster and adoptive mother of two adult children and three grandchildren who keep her very busy in her off-time.

Amy Snodgrass Mukanda

Gerente de Desarrollo

Amy apoya los esfuerzos de COFI para construir y hacer crecer una base de financiación diversa para aumentar la visibilidad de COFI y amplificar la voz y el liderazgo de los padres. Antes de COFI, Amy ocupó una variedad de funciones dentro de la administración sin fines de lucro, la gestión de subvenciones y el desarrollo de programas. Está emocionada de aprovechar el impulso reciente para sostener y hacer crecer el trabajo de COFI al centrar las relaciones, la comunidad y el impacto. Amy vive en Chicago con su familia y tiene dos hijos en edad escolar que le enseñan algo todos los días.

Graciela Suarez

Senior Finance Manager

Graciela has worked for the past 17 years with COFI developing parent leaders and parent leadership teams in schools and communities across Chicago, Illinois, and nationally to share The COFI Way. Graciela has also served as finance coordinator for COFI. Prior to her work at COFI, Graciela was a COFI-trained parent leader and a Parent Organizer and Community School Coordinator in Chicago with West Town Leadership United. Graciela is the mother of a former Chicago Public School student, now an adult and a college graduate.

Darius Vinesar

Programs and Administrative Associate

Darius has been in the nonprofit space for nearly five years, performing administrative, technical, and creative work. Using his various skills, Darius supports the Share the Learning team at COFI, assisting with communications, development, and the COFI Center for Action and Learning. Darius enjoys experimenting with audio and video; eating good food and sweets; hiking and biking on trails; and writing fantasy and speculative stories.

Jalen Williams

Local Metro East/Southern Illinois Organizer

Jalen organiza y apoya a padres líderes en la región de East St. Louis en Illinois. Originario de St. Louis, Missouri, su pasión por la defensa se encendió durante su juventud y ha influido en su trabajo comunitario. Jalen también tiene un profundo interés en el cine y la narración, que integra en su función en COFI para cambiar narrativas de larga data. Sus esfuerzos en COFI se centran en empoderar a las familias, particularmente a las madres, para abordar problemas comunitarios profundamente arraigados.

Daisy Zamora

Kane County Local Organizer

Daisy is the new Kane County Local Organizer working in the Aurora and Elgin areas. She holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has always believed in people power, as it is one of the only things that has changed things positively over history. In her free time she enjoys spending time in nature, laughing with her friends, and cuddling with her dogs. She is excited to learn from the parents and staff at COFI and support the work in Kane County.

Alma El Issa

Gerente de Comunicaciones (UPLAN)

Alma supervisa los mensajes externos de UPLAN y destaca sus campañas de organización y promoción dirigidas por los padres. Con una sólida formación en participación y liderazgo de los padres, así como experiencia previa como consultora de comunicaciones, aporta una gran cantidad de conocimientos a este puesto. Alma se enorgullece de ser madre de cuatro hijos y le encanta animar a sus hijas en las presentaciones escolares y apoyar a sus hijos en sus competencias de robótica Lego.

Erin Moore

Directora Nacional (UPLAN)

Erin lidera el increíble equipo de personal de UPLAN, organizaciones miembros y padres líderes. Antes de incorporarse a UPLAN en 2017 como organizadora, Erin implementó el liderazgo familiar en escuelas comunitarias en su ciudad natal de Chicago. Como orgullosa madre de dos hijos, se puede encontrar a Erin cambiando pañales, corriendo por el patio de recreo y mostrando a sus hijas el poder de sus voces para generar cambios.

Yeraldi Perez

Organizadora Nacional (UPLAN)

Yeraldi Perez is UPLAN’s National Organizer, focused on the Early Care and Education (ECE) campaign. Yeraldi, originally from New York City and now living in Iowa, has over seven years of organizing experience at local and state levels. Her commitment to growing leadership in others and her love for community shines through. Outside of UPLAN, Yeraldi enjoys spending time with her family and toddler, listening to music, and thrift shopping.

Kathia Sotelo

Organizadora Nacional (UPLAN)

Kathia Sotelo is UPLAN’s National Organizer focused on the Real Parent Engagement Campaign. She brings over a decade of experience in community organizing, youth leadership, and transformative justice. Before joining UPLAN, she led campaigns supporting immigrant and youth communities. Kathia’s lived experience and deep cultural awareness fuel her passion for organizing and building people power. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, writing, and making arts and crafts with her family.

Jacqueline Turner

Gerente Administrativo y de Programas (UPLAN)

A Jacqueline le apasiona usar sus habilidades de planificación y coordinación de eventos para apoyar el importante trabajo que UPLAN realiza todos los días dirigido por los padres. Antes de unirse al personal en 2020, Jacqueline trabajó para organizaciones sin fines de lucro que se especializaban en llegar a estudiantes y familias en comunidades de bajos ingresos. Ella es una orgullosa tía de más de 25 sobrinas y sobrinos y una “madre de plantas” de más de 35 plantas tropicales.

Jonathan Ulanday

Administrative & Program Coordinator (UPLAN)