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Meet the Staff

Headquartered in Los Angeles, but with satellite offices in Washington, DC and around the U.S., our team is always available to support and advance the mission of SHPE. Your Familia is just a call or click away. We look forward to hearing from you!

Executive Management & Staff

Suzanna Valdez Wolfe

Suzanna Valdez Wolfe

CEO
Ashleigh Tierney MEd

Ashleigh Tierney MEd

Chief of Staff
Jocelyn Amaro

Jocelyn Amaro

Membership and Events Coordinator
Rosa Angel

Rosa Angel

Marketing Coordinator
Alejandra Baez CMP

Alejandra Baez CMP

Manager, Events
Andrea D. Beattie, M.A.

Andrea D. Beattie, M.A.

Senior Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Christine Brown Lynn

Christine Brown Lynn

Events Contractor
Kirsten Burke

Kirsten Burke

Senior Manager, Scholarships and Grants
Susan Arnold Christian

Susan Arnold Christian

Senior Director, Member Engagement & Impact
Mariana Acuña Delgado

Mariana Acuña Delgado

Director, Government Relations & Public Affairs
Anna Devatour

Anna Devatour

Events Budget Manager
Raquel Elorriaga

Raquel Elorriaga

Senior Coordinator, External Relations
Avis Fillingham, CMP

Avis Fillingham, CMP

Senior Events Manager, Events
Deanna Drako

Deanna Drako

Pre-College Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Melissa Gonzales

Melissa Gonzales

Senior Director of External Relations
Meredith Gonzalez

Meredith Gonzalez

Manager, Housing & Registration, Events
Patricia Harris

Patricia Harris

Fincance Contractor
Demian Servin Hernandez

Demian Servin Hernandez

Senior Manager, Internal Communications, Employee Engagement, & Marketing
Jen Linck MBA

Jen Linck MBA

Contractor, Marketing
Myriam Lopez

Myriam Lopez

Director, Member Engagement & Impact
Sara Mariano

Sara Mariano

Manager, IPC & External Engagement
Rose Martinez

Rose Martinez

Family Engagement Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Alexis Medrano

Alexis Medrano

Systems Administrator, IT
Ruben Mercado

Ruben Mercado

Career and Leadership Development Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Anna G. Patrick

Anna G. Patrick

Senior Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Rebecca Pebley

Rebecca Pebley

Manager, Events Systems
Juan Ponce

Juan Ponce

Systems Analyst
Ivon Romo

Ivon Romo

Program Coordinator, Member Engagement & Impact
Dr. Ana Rodriguez

Dr. Ana Rodriguez

Higher Education and Graduate Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact
Giovanna Salazar

Giovanna Salazar

Senior Manager, Marketing
Celinda Sarabia

Celinda Sarabia

Fincance Contractor
Melissa G Gonzalez

Melissa G Gonzalez

Fincance Coordinator
Karina Santos

Karina Santos

Manager of Partnerships and Operations
Shannon Whittle

Shannon Whittle

Director of Human Resources
Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams

Manager, Administration
Isabel Woods

Isabel Woods

Senior Director of Finance

Suzanna Valdez Wolfe

CEO

Location

Miami, FL

Ashleigh Tierney MEd

Chief of Staff

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I lead MentorSHPE, InternSHPE, ScholarSHPE, Excel con SHPE, and professional development programs at SHPE.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I lived in Kansas for more than twenty years but never personally experienced a tornado until moving to Nebraska.

Location

NE

Jocelyn Amaro

Membership and Events Coordinator

Rosa Angel

Marketing Coordinator

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I lead the social media strategy, content creation, and community engagement of SHPE across all platforms.
What was your first job?
I helped my mom sell homemade burritos to melon pickers every summer. It taught me the value of hard work and responsibility. 

Location

Boston, MA

Alejandra Baez CMP

Manager, Events

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I assist in making the magic happen for the National Convention
Which fictional family would you want to be a part of and why?
La familia Madrigal from Encanto because in the end everyone is special. Gift or no gift.

Location

Frisco, TX

Andrea D. Beattie, M.A.

Senior Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
​I manage the data and assessment projects for SHPE.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I am from Laredo, TX, a city that borders Mexico in southern Texas. Laredo has the largest land port to Mexico and is known for its month-long Washington's Birthday Celebration.

Location

Laredo, Texas

Christine Brown Lynn

Events Contractor

Kirsten Burke

Senior Manager, Scholarships and Grants

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I lead our scholarship, relief fund, and travel stipends cycles.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I taught English in Spain for a year after graduating from Purdue University.

Location

Harrisburg, PA

Susan Arnold Christian

Senior Director, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Coordinate the MentorSHPE program, and I design and implement components for the InternSHPE program to support SHPE members and our corporate partners.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I grew up in the Dakotas and Kansas but loved going "home" to Florida once a year to see all the cousins and grandparents. It gave me a great appreciation of all seasons but I do love winter the most!

Location

Kansas City, MO

Mariana Acuña Delgado

Director, Government Relations & Public Affairs

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Strengthen and develop relationships with Congressional leaders, agency members, and the White House to lift SHPE’s mission and expertise in closing the STEM education gap for the Hispanic community, to ensure that in the legislative process SHPE is always at the table.
Which fictional family would you want to be a part of and why?
The Rose family (Schitt's Creek) so that I learn how to fold in the cheese, dance to "A little bit Alexis", but mostly say "Ew David".

Location

Bellevue, WA

Anna Devatour

Events Budget Manager

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I am one of the event coordinators. Making sure the committee members are prepared for NC. Also assisting all managers in the department.
Which fictional family would you want to be a part of and why?
I would like to be a part of the Incredibles, even though they are a family of four together they can take on any mission.

Location

Coldspring, TX

Raquel Elorriaga

Senior Coordinator, External Relations

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I provide support to our sponsors pertaining to our National Convention and Spring Conferences.
What is one interesting fact about you?
In my downtime I sing, play guitar, write, record, and perform music professionally. I have even had the opportunity to be a backup vocalist for gigs in venues as big as The Forum in Los Angeles.

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Avis Fillingham, CMP

Senior Events Manager, Events

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
As part of the Events Team, I help bring exceptional experiences to our members attending any of our events.
What was your first job?
My first job outside of working on the family farm was as a fry cook at a local drive-in restaurant.

Location

Plano, TX

Deanna Drako

Pre-College Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I work to create, manage, and facilitate K-12 STEM programming.
Which fictional family would you want to be a part of and why?
I am a 90s baby so I would want to be a part of the Callaway family from the movie It Takes Two.

Location

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Melissa Gonzales

Senior Director of External Relations

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Responsible for creating and strengthening relationships between SHPE members and Partner organizations that will last a lifetime.
What was your first job?
Worked for a Youth Enrichment Program at 14, where they promote healthy youth development, and we would go to the pool all summer long!

Location

St. Petersburg, FL

Meredith Gonzalez

Manager, Housing & Registration, Events

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Manage the Registration and Housing of SHPE events.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I was the one who proposed to my husband!

Location

Arlington, Texas

Patricia Harris

Fincance Contractor

Demian Servin Hernandez

Senior Manager, Internal Communications, Employee Engagement, & Marketing

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Marketing, education and design are my passion. I love telling stories that connect with people’s hearts and minds.
What was your first job?
My first job was at a photography studio where I was able to immerse myself working with Adobe Photoshop.

Location

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Jen Linck MBA

Contractor, Marketing

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I make SHPE sparkle and shine with beautiful marketing and illuminating communications.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I've got a hilarious pug named Sir Charles Barkley and two senior cats, Donny & Marie. No, they do not get along.

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Myriam Lopez

Director, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I manage the partnership with companies that sponsor and support our SHPE Regional Conferences and NILA.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I was SHPEtinas co-lead as a student, interned with Northrop Grumman during undergrad, and graduated in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD.

Location

San Diego, CA

Sara Mariano

Manager, IPC & External Engagement

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
As IPC’s main contact, I foster partnerships and collaborate to create meaningful change that benefits students, professionals, and communities.
What was your first job?
My first job was at a fiber optic electrical company on the assembly line at age 15—the youngest employee! Fun fact: coworkers spoiled me with snacks and introduced me to 1950s music.

Location

Los Angeles, California

Rose Martinez

Family Engagement Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Support SHPE's mission by managing the development and execution of the Equipando Padres University program.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I revived Spanish fluency in my family through academic study and local immersion. I am pleased to say that my youngest son is fully bilingual!

Location

Denver, Colorado

Alexis Medrano

Systems Administrator, IT

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I maintain the calm among staff with technical support and troubleshooting problems.  Nobody move! Everything is working!
Which fictional family would you want to be a part of and why?
The Flintstones Family of Bedrock. Reason is because I have always held a deep feeling that I was born in the wrong era of time!

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Ruben Mercado

Career and Leadership Development Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I help connect students and companies for exciting and fulfilling internship opportunities.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I moved around a lot due to my father’s work growing up and went to 4 different high schools.

Location

San Antonio, Texas

Anna G. Patrick

Senior Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?

My focus is to ensure that members experience a high level of excellence, service, and support throughout their journey at SHPE.

What was your first job?
As a teenager, I was a sales associate at Famous Footwear in the Houston area. I still rearrange the boxes when shopping at shoe stores. Yes, I know it is a bit weird!

Location

Missouri City, Texas

Rebecca Pebley

Manager, Events Systems

What do you do for SHPE?
I work with an amazing team to create the best spring conferences for our chapters!
What was your first job?
I worked at Rushville Florist first as an admin and worked my way up to be a seasonal florist. Bow making is still one of my specialties.

Location

Columbus, Indiana

Juan Ponce

Systems Analyst

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I provide technical support when a computer isn't computing like it should.
What was your first job?
My first job was at a pizzeria making pizza calzones!

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Ivon Romo

Program Coordinator, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I am the Program Coordinator for Equipando Padres and VSL.
What is your favorite family?
The Adams Family - unconventional, loyal and unapologetically unique. I love their creativity, acceptance, and strong family bond.

Location

Aurora, CO

Dr. Ana Rodriguez

Higher Education and Graduate Program Manager, Member Engagement & Impact

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I assist speakers of our convention with coaching, presentations and overall content. In addition, I assist with evaluations for all of our events.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I have two black/tan Chihuahuas and on average I read over 21 books in a year.

Location

Alexandria, VA

Giovanna Salazar

Senior Manager, Marketing

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I execute SHPE’s marketing campaigns.
What was your first job?
My first job was working at my aunt’s Mexican bakery.

Location

Chicago, IL

Celinda Sarabia

Fincance Contractor

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
Provide support and assistance as a Finance Contractor.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I worked at Popeyes at 16, and it was an amazing experience.

Melissa G Gonzalez

Fincance Coordinator

Karina Santos

Manager of Partnerships and Operations

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I support SHPE’s mission by coordinating partnerships and operations that strengthen sponsor relationships, enhance revenue, and ensure a seamless experience for our valued partners.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I'm from Puerto Rico and I absolutely love to travel.  I've been fortunate enough to visit 30 countries so far, every place I visit adds a new layer to how I see the world.

Location

 Houston, Texas

Shannon Whittle

Director of Human Resources

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I support HR functions for SHPE and ensure our employees have what they need to be successful beginning with onboarding and beyond.
What was your first job?
I worked at an ice cream shop at 17 and have been slightly burned out on ice cream ever since!

Location

Lincolnton, NC

Michelle Williams

Manager, Administration

What do you do for SHPE in 25 words or fewer?
I am the primary point of contact for an amazing administrative leadership team.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I love cartoons. My favorite animated movie is Vivo, because I love to dance to “My Own Drum.”

Location

Washington, DC

Isabel Woods

Senior Director of Finance

What do you do for SHPE?
Provide financial support and assistance in all grants processes
What was your first job?
Amnesty program teacher for adults who were working on establishing citizenship in the U.S..

Location

Laredo, Texas

Want to Join the SHPE Team?

Inspire others to dream more, learn more, and do more. Become a staff member for the SHPE familia. Your community will thank you (and so will we!).