Board of Directors
Katynka Martinez, Board PresidentKatynka Martinez is Professor of Latina/Latino Studies at San Francisco State University where she teaches media studies and communication courses on topics such as film, television and journalism. She received her Ph.D. in communications from the University of California at San Diego and has published original research on topics such as Latina/Latino media representations, and the diverse ways in which youth use new media/technology. The students in her Latina/Latino Journalism class research the history of the U.S. Latino press and they also contribute articles, photography and artwork to El Tecolote newspaper.
J. Scott Weaver, Board Treasurer
J. Scott Weaver, Board Treasurer is an attorney specializing in tenants’ rights. He was in private practice for over 30 years and is now a Supervising Litigation Attorney at the Eviction Defense Collaborative. With longstanding ties to the Mission, he has been involved in many anti-gentrification efforts. He has been an Accion Latina board member since 2005.
Ana Montes, Board Secretary
Ana M. Montes is currently the Organizing Director at The Utility Reform Network. She worked for 12 years as the director of technology and consumer education at the Latino Issues Forum. She has created innovative models for bringing technology to low income and minority communities, developed community civic engagement in limited English-speaking communities and managed statewide consumer education projects geared towards Latino and Asian communities. A published poet, Montes has also worked as a teacher of La Raza Studies at San Francisco State University, and as an editor and columnist with El Tecolote.
Juan Gonzales, Board Member
Juan Gonzales is the founder of El Tecolote. He is department chair of journalism at City College of San Francisco where he teaches courses in news writing, investigative reporting, feature writing, public relations, copy editing, and newspaper production. Gonzales also serves as adviser to the awarding-winning campus newspaper, The Guardsman. He is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, the San Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, Consortium, the California college Media Association, and the Associated Collegiate Press. He also a board of director for the San Francisco Press Club. Gonzales received his master’s degree in mass communications from Stanford University, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State University, and an associated degree in journalism from San Joaquin Delta Commnunity College. He is also a former general assignment reporter for United Press International and the Associated Press.
David J. de la Torre, Board Member
David J. de la Torre, museum director, curator and educator, received his professional training at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), holds an M.A. in Museum Studies from John F. Kennedy University (JKFU), and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Francisco (USF). Currently, he is Curator of Exhibitions, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas (OAS) and the US National Committee for the International Council of Museums (ICOM-US).
Staff
Fátima Ramírez– Executive Director, Acción Latina
email: fatima@accionlatina.org
Fátima Ramírez became the Executive Director of Acción Latina in July 2021, after serving as Interim Executive Director for five months. Since 2019, Ramírez also worked as Deputy Director and Cultural Arts Manager at Acción Latina. She studied journalism and Latin American Studies at the University of San Francisco, and also earned a Master’s in Family and Community Education in Museums from Columbia University. Raised in the Mission, Ramírez is committed to bilingual storytelling that uplifts Latinx communities in San Francisco and beyond through community media, cultural arts and civic engagement.
email: editor@eltecolote.org
Alexis Terrazas took over as El Tecolote’s editor-in-chief in June of 2014. A San Francisco native with extensive experience, both as a reporter and as an editor, he was awarded a Peninsula Press Club Herb Caen scholarship in 2006, before going on to study journalism at San Francisco State University. While at State he earned many journalism awards and did some writing for El Tecolote. He graduated in 2010 and began work for the San Francisco Examiner as a sports writer.Kari Vides – Managing Editor, Acción Latina
email: managing@accionlatina.org
Kari Vides is the Managing Editor of Acción Latina. Her pronouns are she/her. Kari graduated class of 2021 from San Francisco State University with a major in Technical and Professional Rhetoric and a minor in Journalism. She also works for the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers as Associate Editor and has published her own written work with the Sunset Beacon. Kari hopes to further develop her career as a journalist working with well-established publications.
Mara Cavallaro – Reporter, Mental Health & Health Care Inequality, El Tecolote
email: managing@accionlatina.org
Mara Cavallaro graduated from Brown University, where she majored in Ethnic Studies and International and Public Affairs. At Brown, she was Managing Editor of the College Hill Independent, New-England’s largest alt-weekly newspaper, as well as an editor for SOMOS Latinx Magazine. She speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Mara was born in Brazil and grew up in Redwood City, California, and she is beyond excited to return to the Bay Area! In her free time, she choreographs and performs with Mezcla Latin Dance Troupe and organizes music shows with Brown Concert Agency.
Danny Acosta – Web & Communications Manager, El Tecolote
email: danny@accionlatina.org
Danny Acosta is a multimedia professional with writing credits such as Maxim, Vice, and USA Today Sports. He was a SiriusXM radio host, worked in live television at FOX Sports, and produced viral documentaries cumulatively seen by millions on YouTube. A photographer, documentarian, and filmmaker, Acosta’s creative drive stems from the San Francisco Mission District’s murals.
Monti Rosseti – A/V Editor, El Tecolote
email: monti@eltecolote.org
Monti Rossetti is an AV Editor at El Tecolote. He earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from San Francisco State University in 2015. Rossetti worked as a studio technician for NBC Sports Bay Area and a Spanish language content creator for the San Jose Earthquakes.
Paul S. Flores – Paseo Artistico Coordinator, Acción Latina
mail: paseoartistico@accionlatina.org
Paul S. Flores began coordinating the Paseo Artistico, the Calle 24 Cultural District’s bi-monthly art walk, in 2018. Flores is a playwright, a Doris Duke Artist, a Creative Capital awardee, and a MAP Fund grantee as well as an adjunct professor of theater at the University of San Francisco. His comprehensive body of work, which includes “On The Hill: I Am Alex Nieto,” “Pilgrim Street” and his latest “We have Iré,” touches on the immigrant story in all its complexities: from the violent—forced migration, gang life, war, incarceration and separated families—to zooming in on intergenerational relationships and the struggle of preserving important cultural values. Flores’ ability to paint vivid pictures of bi-cultural Latino experience is shaped by his personal background and experience growing up near the Mexican border.
mail: abner@accionlatina.org
Abner Morales joined Acción Latina in 2018, providing part-time bookkeeping and operations support. A long-time Bay Area resident, he’s worked in finance and supported various San Francisco non-profits as a volunteer writing tutor, editor, board member, as well as a Spanish interpreter and translator for asylum seekers. Born in Antigua, Guatemala and raised in southern California, he studied literature and history at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.
Linda G. Wilson – Photo Archivist, El TecoloteLinda G. Wilson has been the Photo Archivist at Acción Latina since 2005. She is a former gallery director for Intersection for the Arts and one of the co-founders of the Eye Photography Gallery Collective. Linda received her MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute and her master’s in photography and art history from San Francisco State University. She has sat on the board of directors for many local arts organizations, including the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. She is a past member of the Art Institute’s Artists’ Committee, curating exhibits and helping to select artists to be given awards by the Art Institute.
Katie Beas – Spanish Copy Editor, El Tecolote
email: katieb@eltecolote.org
Originally hailing from Jalisco, Mexico, Katie Beas has been the Spanish language copy editor for El Tecolote since 2012.
Chiara Di Martino – Advertising Manager, El Tecolote
email: chiara@accionlatina.org
Chiara Di Martino became Advertising Manager for Acción Latina in July 2020, having previously volunteered as designer and illustrator. In Italy, where she is originally from, she got a Master Degree in Psychology. She arrived in 2015 in San Francisco and eventually joined the City College’s Design Department. Along the road, she worked as Design Director at The Guardsman, the college newspaper that is curated by Juan Gonzales, founder of El Tecolote. She is also currently working as freelance Designer and Illustrator for various companies in the Bay Area.
Christian Urrutia – Layout Designer, El Tecolote
email: layout@eltecolote.org
Christian Urrutia joined El Tecolote as their Layout Designer in November 2021. An East Bay native, Urrutia studied journalism at Contra Costa College before transferring to San Francisco State University. During his time on The Advocate newspaper, Urrutia gained experience as a reporter, photographer, designer and eventually editor-in-chief. He later served as Photo Editor and Art Director for the Golden Gate Xpress and graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism and a minor in Latin American Studies.
Johnny Garcia – Distribution Manager, El TecoloteJohnny Garcia distributes 10,000 copies of El Tecolote every two weeks to various neighborhoods in San Francisco including the inner and outer Mission, Bernal Hill, the Tenderloin / Civic Center area, and to select parts of South City, Daly City and the East Bay.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered over the last year
*Allison Martinez *Coral Figueroa *Imelda Carrasco *Monique Mosqueda *Valeria Olguin *Janeth Membrero *Alondra Correa Almanza *Arturo Gomez *Jessica Ramirez *Claudia Cortez *Dulce Salgado de Palmisano *Valentina Mantilla *Cristina Vergara *Cecilia Quintana *Sage Mace *Mayra Pedroza *Carlos Barón *Pamela Harris *Robert Jalon *Jessika Karlsson *Madeleine Bair *Adriana Camarena *Eduardo da Silva *Vitta Oliveri *Luisa Restrepo *Mabel Jiménez *Chelis Lopez *Michael Middleton *Kelly Rodriguez Murillo *Gabriela Alemán *Alejandro Galicia Díaz *Aaron Levy-Wolins *Arturo Mendez *Jasmine Diarte *Raven Sanchez *Hilda Ayala *Arturo Ayala *Katie Beas *Jose Luis Caicedo *Adriana Morga *Jacqueline López *Karlos Rene Ayala *Natasha Dangond *Constanza Hevia *Kyler Knox *René Alvarez *Desiree Rios *Destiny Arroyo *Beth LaBerge *Adelyna Tirado *Jason Brown *John Carson *Russell Morse *J. Scott Weaver *Jocelyn Carranza *Emma Marie Chiang *Rodrigo Jardón Galeana *Emmely Benitez *Nestor Castillo *Kirk Stevenson *Ekevara Kitpowsong *Estivaly Moreno *Nestor Garcia *Yuri Ugarte *Kathryn Wren *Drago Renteria *Mark Jason Quines *Lara Kaur *Dane Pollock *Izzy Alvarez *George Eduardo Barahona *Julian Espinoza *Amanda Peterson *Natalie Alemán *Amarah Hernandez *Brianna Kalajian *Daniel Valencia *Cynthia Blanco *Alexandria Carabajal *Teresa Carrillo *Ama Cortes *Stephanie Diaz-Cornejo *Ian Firstenberg *Sadie Gribbon *Gabby Grijalva *Cris Jimenez *Miguel Lozano *Estaphany Monge *Pamela Alejandra Padilla *Henry Salazar *Emmanuel Tapia *Italo Tapia *Gustavo Reyes *Maria Garcia-Hernandez *Leslie Hicks *George Khoury *Ella Ramrayka Rogers *Max Paik *Calindra Revier *Fernando A. Torres *Sirron Norris *Chris Carlsson *Tongo Eisen-Martin *LisaRuth Elliott *Sarah Lapidus *Lito Sandoval *Gino Abrajano *DeLara Armijo *Maria Burboa *Emmely Benitez *Lupe Cisneros *Francisca Icaza *Gardenia Zuniga-Haro *Jessica Sabogal *Robin Evans *Judy Goddess *Remigio Madrigal *Gabrielle Bojorquez *Jessica Delatorre *Eva Martinez *Marissa Perry
