Comité Ejecutivo y Consejo de Gobierno de POWER-PAC IL

Susana Salgado

Copresidente y Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign Co-Chair

Susana Salgado is Co-President of POWER-PAC IL and has been a parent leader since 2010. She has been the Co-Chair of the Aprendizaje temprano Campaign, part of her school network’s Bilingual Parents Advisory Council and Parent Action Council, and is currently an Early Learning Ambassador, a Family Leader with Raising Illinois, and a member of the Local School Council at Otis Elementary School. She is a mother of three children and lives in West Town in Chicago. Susana enjoys advocating for changes for future generations and making sure that the voices of Latino and African American communities are heard.

Chanelle Brown

Vicepresidente (Fuera de Chicago) y Justicia elemental Campaign Co-Chair

Chanelle Brown es vicepresidenta de POWER-PAC IL, copresidenta de la Justicia elemental Campaign, and a member of the POWER-PAC IL Evanston Branch, PEACE-POM (Parents of Evanston Advocating for Children and Education – Parents on a Mission). She is also a member of Evanston’s Mental Health taskforce and a staff member at the YWCA. Chanelle is proud to have been a single mother for ten years and continues to use her voice to advocate for single mothers and children of single mothers.

Charlene Campbell

Vicepresidente (Chicago) y delegado de la sucursal de Chicago Southside

Charlene Campbell of Kenwood is a Delegate of SPUR (Southside Parents United Roundtable) and has been in POWER-PAC IL for 10+ years. She has seven children and many grandchildren. She works as a nurse at Northwestern Hospital in labor and delivery and has helped welcome babies into the world for 25 years. She has served as Co- Chair of the Campaña de Justicia Elemental y fue miembro de la paz en la escuela primaria Reavis, ayudando a acabar con el conducto de la escuela a la prisión al limitar las suspensiones fuera de la escuela. Ha sido Embajadora de Head Start con COFI durante muchos veranos, compartiendo su sabiduría con sus compañeros de equipo.

Marisol Luna

Vice President (Out of Chicago)

Marisol Luna es vicepresidenta de POWER-PAC IL, delegada de la sucursal de Aurora y ha sido miembro de POWER-PAC IL desde 2017. Marisol es parte del Consejo Asesor de Padres Bilingües que representa a la escuela de sus hijos en SD131 Aurora. Actualmente representa a los padres en Raising IL Cross Systems Coalition. Es miembro activo del Consejo de Padres del Condado de Kane, apoya a las familias y facilita los Cafés para Padres. Originaria de Durango, México, está casada y tiene cinco hijos.

Delia Pérez

Vice President (Chicago) and Chicago North/Northwest Branch Delegate

Delia Perez is a Vice President of POWER-PAC IL. She is a proud mother and grandmother. Delia is a fierce advocate around economic security issues and the racial wealth gap, as well as access to early learning and removing police from schools. Delia was a team leader for the Early Learning Ambassador project in 2022 and has also been active as a vaccine outreach ambassador. She is a Survivor Moms Companion (SMC) tutor with POWER-PAC IL’s work around mental health on Chicago’s Westside and also serves as a Parent Leader with BRIDGES, a mental health advocacy group also on the Westside.

Donna Carpenter

Saliendo de la pobreza Campaign Co-Chair

Donna Carpenter, is a lifelong Englewood resident who attended her first COFI training in 2006. She has been actively involved in the Saliendo de la pobreza Campaign (particularly within the Utilities Affordability sub-campaign) and Aprendizaje temprano Campaign ever since. In 2021, Donna played a pivotal role in passing Senate Bill 265, which expanded access to a utility affordability program, and spoke at the press conference with Governor J.B. Pritzker. That same year, she was one of five COFI mother leaders selected to be part of a national women’s economic security fellowship. Donna has six adult children and three grandchildren.

Adriana Carpio

Justicia elemental Campaign Co-Chair

As the new Co-Chair for the Justicia elemental Campaign, Adriana is excited to bring her decades-long experience as a community leader and mother navigating the education system. Adriana is a member of the Elgin branch of POWER-PAC IL. She has lived in the community for over 15 years, where she raised three daughters who are graduates of U-46 schools. Supporting her daughters through their educational journeys taught Adriana how important it is for children to have access to an excellent education to achieve academic and professional success. As a prominent leader in the Elgin community, Adriana has spearheaded community efforts in education, immigration, health access, and women’s issues. She currently also coordinates the Mujeres Latinas Unidas en Arte y Bienestar project in Elgin, creating a healing and connection space in Spanish for Latina women. In her new leadership role, Adriana hopes to continue advocating for equality and children’s rights in schools, so that all children have access to equitable resources and opportunities that prepare them for lifelong success.

Valerie Carroll

Aprendizaje temprano Campaign Co-Chair

Valerie Carroll is the Co-Chair of the Aprendizaje temprano Campaign and a member of the Southside Parents United Roundtable (SPUR) Branch. She has been a part of POWER-PAC IL since 2015. She is a proud mother of three and grandmother of eight. She believes that parents have a powerful voice and deserve to be heard.

Katrina Falkner

Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign Co-Chair

Katrina Falkner is the Co-Chair of the Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign, a SPUR (Southside Parents United Roundtable) member, and a leader in POWER-PAC IL for ten years. She joined POWER-PAC IL because she is passionate about helping others and wants to make positive changes to her community. The Health, Food and Recess Campaign is important to her because she wants to address the mental health challenges in Black and Brown communities, advocate for healthier meals in schools, and ensure every child has recess. She is a proud mother, parent-guardian, and auntie.

Liliana Olayo

Saliendo de la pobreza Campaign Co-Chair

Liliana Olayo es la Copresidenta de la Saliendo de la pobreza Campaign and an active parent leader in Aurora with Padres Lideres Activos. She also serves on the COFI Board of Trustees. Locally, Lili is also the President of the Oak Park School Neighbors group and President of the Bilingual Parents Advisory Council of District 131. In 2021, she joined four COFI mother leaders as part of a national fellowship focused on closing the women’s wealth gap. Originally from Mexico, she is a proud mother of three and recently became a grandmother.

Rosalía Salgado

Aprendizaje temprano Campaign Co-Chair

Rosalia Salgado is co-chair of the Aprendizaje temprano Campaign. As the newly elected early learning co-chair, Rosalia hopes to continue to advocate to expand childcare access to every community and ensure high-quality early childhood services for all of Illinois. She has served as a parent ambassador, generating interest in her neighborhood in community solar projects and enrolling young children in Head Start. She has also advocated for making more mental health resources available to families. Originally from Mexico, she is a proud mother of two young girls. Photo credit: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang/WBEZ Chicago

Patricia Bolden

Delegado de la sucursal de East St. Louis

Patricia Bolden es una delegada de la sucursal de East St. Louis para POWER-PAC IL y una madre líder activa en East St. Louis con Parents United for Change. También es miembro de la Junta Directiva de Padres Unidos por el Cambio. A nivel local, ella está en el comité ejecutivo de Greater East St. Louis Early Learning Partnership y es miembro de Make Health Happen-ESTL. Es una orgullosa madre de tres hijos y recientemente también se convirtió en abuela.

María Gamino

Delegado de la sucursal de Aurora

María Gamino is a prominent community leader and new delegate for the Aurora, Illinois Branch of COFI/POWER PAC Illinois. Committed to the well-being of her family and community, María is a member of the Kane County Health Department System of Care Parent Council and an active advocate for public policies that benefit families. Through her work at COFI/POWER PAC IL, she has driven local and statewide change, focusing on parent unity as a driver of social justice transformation. María takes advantage of every educational opportunity to better support her community. Her vision is to empower future generations, helping them overcome barriers and achieve a better future. María firmly believes that the collective strength of parents is key to creating lasting change. María has two daughters and began her leadership within COFI back in 2020.

Sherita Hamlin

Delegado del lado oeste de Chicago

Cynthia Lara

Delegado de la sucursal de Evanston

Cynthia Lara is a Delegate for the POWER-PAC IL Evanston Branch, PEACE-POM (Parents of Evanston Advocating for Children and Education – Parents on a Mission). She has been a member of the branch since 2020. She is a proud mother of two boys (11 and 21). She initially joined COFI during the pandemic to socialize (the convenience of Zoom helped). Soon enough, though, she became passionate about addressing the issues parents in her community face – specifically, addressing issues with parents being part of the solution.

Lucy Lopez

Delegado de la sucursal de Elgin

Lucy Lopez is a Delegate for Elgin Padres con Poder, the Elgin branch of POWER-PAC IL. Lucy has lived in Elgin for 32 years and is the proud mother of two sons. She began her journey as a community leader in 2005 when she became active in the U-46 Bilingual Parent Advisory Council. Since then, Lucy has continued to grow as a leader, collaborating on projects with various local agencies like Ecker Center, Chicago Workers Collaborative, Hamilton Wings, Gail Borden Public Library, Elevating Equity, and District U-46. Lucy cares deeply about health and immigration justice, and she continues to advocate for these issues as a member of the Kane County Health Department Parent Council, a partnership with COFI. Lucy is committed to building leadership in others and advocating for the Latino and immigrant community in Elgin.

Michelle Morton

Delegado del lado oeste de Chicago

Michelle Morton is a Delegate for the Westside Chicago branch and has been involved in POWER-PAC IL since 2008. She joined POWER-PAC IL because she wanted to learn to be a part of the fight before she had to fight. She is a proud mother of one teenage daughter. Michelle is an advocate for early childhood education and was an Early Learning Ambassador for many years. This year, she worked in the call center, helping parents decide and find a school for their children. Since joining POWER-PAC IL, she has worked diligently as Co-President and as a member of the Saliendo de la pobreza Campaign and Salud, Alimentación y Recreo campaña.

Gabriela Piceno

Delegado de la rama suroeste de Chicago

Gabriela Piceno is an active parent leader in Chicago and serves as one of the Southwest Branch Delegates. She is from Mexico. She has been a Head Start Ambassador for two years, and is always willing to learn and help communities. Married for 22 years, she has four children and one grandchild.

Juan Rocha

Delegado de la rama suroeste de Chicago

Juan Rocha is a member of the Southwest Branch of POWER-PAC IL. Juan has supported the growth of POWER-PAC IL as a parent trainer, ambassador, and Branch Delegate. A proud father of two sons, Juan cares deeply about supporting the community, informing parents, and ensuring a bright future for all kids. Juan is an immigrant from Mexico, and a lifelong participant and judge of charreadas (Mexican rodeo).

Regina Simms

Delegado de la sucursal de Chicago Southside

Regina Simms is the Delegate for SPUR (Southside Parents United Roundtable). She joined POWER-PAC IL because she believes in the goals of the Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign, and believes in creating healthy schools for all children. She is a proud mother of 10 including six adopted children, and a proud grandmother of nine grandchildren.

Stacey Simon

Delegado de la Rama Norte/Noroeste de Chicago

Stacey Simon es la delegada de la sucursal norte/noroeste de Chicago y ha estado involucrada en COFI y POWER-PAC IL desde 2013. Primero se unió a COFI como madre caminando en el autobús escolar y luego se unió a POWER-PAC IL debido a su pasión por ayudar a las familias. de entornos de bajos ingresos. Además, quería defender a los niños y las familias y garantizar que las comunidades de bajos ingresos obtuvieran los recursos que necesitaban para prosperar. Ella también está involucrada en el Mental Health Justice and Equity, Justicia elemental, y Aprendizaje temprano Campañas. Stacey es una orgullosa madre de cuatro hijos adultos.

Zor Zapata

Delegado de la sucursal de Aurora

Zor Zapata is a Delegate for the Aurora Branch and has been a member since 2020. She joined COFI after witnessing how COFI parents, even without citizenship, had a voice. Through COFI, parents became leaders; they knew their rights and how to advocate, so she joined! This motivation was cemented when she shared her stories with legislators during COFI’s annual advocacy day and witnessed it make a difference in helping pass laws to support families in Illinois.