Mr. Shiras serves as CASA's Board President, and has been with CASA's Board since 2003. Mr. Shiras is also the Vice President for Employment at the International Youth Foundation (IYF), which works in 70 countries to improve the conditions and prospects for young people where they live, learn, work, and play. Prior to his position at IYF, Mr. Shiras was Senior Vice President at Independent Sector (IS), the largest American association of non-profit organisations, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programmes based in Washington D.C. Previously, he worked for thirteen years in international development in Latin America and Africa. He speaks fluent Spanish and has published articles in major newspapers including The New York Times and The Washington Post as well as chapters in several books. Mr. Shiras was nominated by the Cultural Movement of Antelias for "Man of the Year". He is currently a member of the Board of trustees of the Chronic Care Centre, Committee for National Action, Committee for Development Studies, Cultural Arab Club, Human Rights League, and the Cultural Committee for the South Lebanon.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Rev. Simon Bautista first immigrated to the United States in 1991, arriving in NYC. He has lived in the Washington, DC area since 2000. Rev. Simón Bautista began work as the Diocese of Washington's new Latino Missioner in 2004. As a former Roman Catholic priest, he was received into the Episcopal Church in January 2004. He is Vice-President of the Board of Directors at CASA. He is currently in the Latino Ministry Committee of the Episcopal Dioceses of Washington.
Andrew Kleine is a federal executive with 15 years of experience in budgeting, financial management, policy analysis, evaluation, and performance measurement. He has worked at every level of the federal government – the White House, Capitol Hill, a cabinet department and an independent agency – and is currently the Deputy CFO for Planning and Program Management at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Mr. Kleine has devoted his career to helping agencies achieve better results through performance management. At the U.S. Department of Transportation, he helped write one of the first performance plans under the Government Performance and Results Act, and he has implemented performance-based budgeting at two agencies.
Mr. Kleine is deeply involved in his community, and he has led efforts to expand affordable housing and improve pedestrian safety and forest conservation. He revived the Presidents Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations, an umbrella group of 12 associations representing more than 7,000 households in and around downtown Silver Spring. He also serves as Treasurer of Casa of Maryland, a Latino social services and advocacy non-profit, and is a member of the Long Branch Advisory Committee. He served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Affordable Housing Corporation for six years. In 2003, his work to create Maryland’s Neighborhood Intervention Fund was recognized with a national advocacy award from the Opportunity Finance Network.
Mr. Kleine is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He also completed the Senior Executive Fellows at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife and two children.
Originally from Peru, Herminia Servat is the elected representative for domestic workers for CASA de Maryland. She is a committed volunteer and her background includes an emphasis in women’s rights, particularly domestic workers in the United States as well as in Peru. She worked under contract with CLARK Construction. Mrs. Servat is the Secretary of the Board of Directors at CASA de Maryland.
Jaime Contreras immigrated to the United States from El Salvador, CA in 1988. Having family “roots” in political and social justice activism, Jaime quickly became involved in social justice issues here in Washington, DC.
Working as a janitor in a Washington, DC downtown office building, Jaime, saw first hand the injustices that many janitors face: low wages, unjust treatment, and little hope for change. In 1992, at age seventeen, Jaime helped organize his co-workers by providing leadership and valor at this worksite. He led workers to fight for union representation and won significant wage increases and benefits for these employees. Jaime has been a union activist since then. Jaime has had several positions in his labor union: a Union member, Union Shop Steward, Union Representative, Union Organizer, Lead Organizer, Division Supervisor, and in 2001, at age 27 became the youngest Latino to hold a full time elected officer position in an SEIU Local.
Jaime has been the Secretary Treasurer of SEIU Local 82 for three and a half years and through his leadership and dedication has been extremely crucial in bringing the organization’s finances into order. Even as he works long hours, Jaime has also been able to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies from the National Labor College.
In his short time as an elected leader of SEIU Local 82, Jaime has not only provided the Union with a tremendous amount of skill and leadership, he has been very dedicated to working with the Latino community in the Washington, DC area. Jaime has been able to build alliances with the growing immigrant community in DC, Maryland, and Virginia and has been able to bridge the gap between the labor and immigrant community. Jaime helped found the National Capitol Immigration Coalition (NCIC), a coalition of labor union and community groups that strive to improve the lives of immigrants through activism. He currently serves as the NCIC chair and District Chair and supervisor of the newly merged SEIU Local 32BJ.
Jaime has earned the respect of his peers in labor, and community. He has not only been successful in working with the immigrant community, he has also been able to work with diverse groups of community leaders from different walks of life. Jaime continues to see his mission as one of social justice and carries a strong belief that change is possible through strong commitment to civic involvement.
Patricia Arzuaga is a health care attorney currently serving as Counsel in the Legal Division advising Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., a Maryland-based health maintenance organization. In this capacity, she counsels clients on the application of federal and state laws, including COBRA, ERISA, FMLA, HIPAA, Medicare, and state insurance and health care laws governing the payment for and delivery of health care services.
She received her law degree at Harvard University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree at Yale University. She has practiced law for over 15 years, holding positions in the federal government as well as the public non-profit sector and the private sector. She has served as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice as a regulation attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor, and has also held advocacy positions at the BlueCross BlueShield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans, the premier advocacy organization for managed care health plans. Patricia is a member of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New York Bars and of the American Health Lawyers Association. She is also an active member of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association
Patricia currently serves on the Board of Directors of CASA de Maryland as well as the Latin American Youth Center, D.C. and the Advisory Council of the Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers. Previously she served on the Archdiocese of Washington’s Board of Trustees for the Catholic Youth Organization, and directed the Youth Ministry at her parish, St. Joseph’s Church in Largo, Maryland.
Delegate Jolene Ivey has been a Member of House of Delegates since January 10, 2007. Delegate Ivey has had a wide array of experience with various organizations & committees, like the following: Ways and Means Committee, member 2007- (election law subcommittee, 2007-; revenues subcommittee, 2007-). Vice-Chair, Bi-County Committee, Prince George's County Delegation, 2007-. Member, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 2007-; Women Legislators of Maryland, 2007-.
After graduating from Towson University, B.A. (mass communication), in 1982; Del. Ivey earned her MA in Journalism from University of Maryland, in 1992.
Del. Ivey has also excelled in the following positions: Co-Host, "Say Baltimore," WMAR-TV, WNUV-TV, 1983-84. Writer and Producer, WMAR-TV, 1984-88. Freelance writer, 1989-. Director, Media Relations, Community Teachers Institute, 2004-. Co-Founder and President, Mocha Moms, Inc., 1997-2002. Member, Board of Directors, Cheverly Swim & Racquet Club, 1997-; Cheverly Young Actor's Guild, 2001-. Co-Chair, Family Crisis Center Advisory Council, 2006-. Member, Cheverly United Methodist Church (staff-parish relations council). She also held the position of Press Secretary for U.S. Representative Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, 1988-89.
Del. Ivey is currently in the Board of Directors of CASA de Maryland. She is married and has five children.
Adraiana Pelaez earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications at the Universidad Juarez Autonoma in Tabasco, Mexico. Later she earned her master’s degree in Administration of the Human Factor in Universidad del Valle, Mexico.
Adriana has been a volunteer at CASA since 2005. She has played an important role in organizing pro immigration reform rallies with CASA staff. She is currently a member of CASA’s ASIM group, a group that addresses issues for the betterment of the immigrant woman. She has also lobbied in front of the Senate in Washington, DC.
She was elected Board member at CASA by the Baltimore constituents.
Joseph E. Eyong was born in Cameroon, Central Africa and moved to the United States of America in 1986. After graduating from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan he served as the program director of the Manor Foundation in Jonesville, Michigan. He moved to Silver Spring, Maryland in 1995 where he got involved with the Jubilee Association of Maryland were he currently serves as the president of African Community Gateway, Inc. Mr. Eyong served as the District 20 Caucus Chair in Montgomery County for 4 years (1999-2003). He is currently the Precinct Chair for 5-10 in District 20. Mr. Eyong vast multicultural and community related experience includes serving as the National Chairman of Manyu Elements Cultural Association (MECA-USA) from July 1999 to July 2003, Trustee Member of the African University Foundation and Technical Adviser to the Executive Director of the All Cameroon Cultural Development foundation (ACCDF).
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Ms. Delgado is currently a Tenants’ committee leader at CASA. She is also an entrepreneur and a long time resident of the Langley Park area. She is currently running a day care center in Langley Park. Lourdes is an elected member of CASA’s Board of Directors.
Currently the Chief of Staff at the Management Center, Rebecca Ann Epstein has a long and active history working with non-profit organizations and with social justice leaders in Washington, DC.
Her professional experience consists of a broad array of organizations with a common objective of social justice. The following are organizations where she has developed her professional skills: The Advocacy Institute, Taub Urban Research Center, Blocks Together, Office of Public Interest Advising, Harvard Law School.
Rebecca has also participated in community activities, with the following organizations:
Center for Progressive Leadership, Founder of Wagner Policy Alliance, at NYU Wagner; Ethnographer & Helath worker at the Institute for Central American Development Studies, in Costa Rica; and Founder and co-president of Teach!, at Amherst College.
Rebecca has a master’s in Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy, from New York University, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; and a bachelor’s in Anthropology, from Amherst College.
Ober|Kaler attorney Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales has been named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. The honor, bestowed by Maryland’s business and legal daily newspaper, The Daily Record, recognizes those women who demonstrate a high level of achievement through professional accomplishment, community service, leadership and mentoring. Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales will join the other Top 100 honorees at a special ceremony to be held at Baltimore’s Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on May 12.
An attorney in Ober|Kaler’s Litigation Group, Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales is dedicated to the legal profession and to public service. She is active in numerous professional and community groups, including the American, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, District of Columbia, and Maryland bar associations, as well as the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Maryland Women’s Bar Association, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She serves on the MSBA Immigration Committee, the Maryland Immigrant Rights Coalition Steering Committee, and the Baltimore City Bar’s Pro Bono Legal Services Committee, among others. Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales mentors law students in the MHBA program and high school students in the Mentoring to Empower Program sponsored by Community Law in Action. She also serves as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Volunteer and Spanish language interpreter for the Maryland State Judiciary, and as a Casa de Maryland board member. Governor O’Malley appointed her to the Maryland Health Care Commission in October 2007.
Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales has previously been awarded the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) 2007 Educator Award and the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association Public Service Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual. She was also granted the Women's Role Model Award by Attorney General of Nevada, Frankie Sue Del Papa.
Originally from Peru, Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales is a graduate of the University of Nevada at Reno (B.A., with high distinction, 1993; M.A., 1996) and the George Washington University Law School (J.D., 2002). She has been a professional print and television journalist, documentary maker, minister, religious publishing editor, college professor, published poet, and jungle explorer. She resides in Baltimore City.
Mr. Bianchi has 25 years of accounting and finance experience. He began his career in public accounting, working for one of the original 'Big Eight' accounting firms. Over the last 10 years he has held senior level finance positions for leading technology and communications companies. Presently, he serves as CFO for North American operations of a global legal services company.
*Organizations used for identification purposes only
