OUR DREAM TEAM
Our team is passionate, dedicated, and proud to be able to assist in developing the natural leaders in our neighborhoods.
Every great organization starts and sustains with a strong team!
OUR STAFF
MARIA ANITA SALINAS,
Executive Director
Maria is born and raised in Southwest detroit and has dedicated her life to community. She is the founder and Executive Director of Congress of Communities since 2006. She has a bachelors degree and Masters degree in Community Leadership. She has many certifications mainly addressing Environmental Issues, Leadership Development and Social Justice. She also has many publications in partnership with School of Public Health, University Of Michigan were Maria worked for over 18yrs before joining CoC. Maria completed a 3 year Kellogg Foundation Fellowship addressing Racial Equity, Social Justice and Institutional Racism in 2018.
AMANDA HOLIDAY, LMSW, Director of Early Childhood Programming
Amanda has worked at Southwest Detroit non-profit organizations since 2009. She is fluent in Spanish and well known in the neighborhood. Her passion is seeing young children get the love, attention, and education they deserve and supporting their parents and caregivers to give them what they need. At CoC she manages all the projects under Early Childhood and Parent programs, and supports administrative work. Amanda also supervises Social Work interns from various universities in the Metro area.
LUCY RUIZ,
Administrative Assistant
Lucy consistently supports, informs, motivates and involves parents in various school activities and the educational progress of our children. She currently works at Congress of Communities on the TANN Project and encourages the participation of leaders and residents and connects them with other community organizations to bring resources and leadership workshops. Lucy’s second passion is in the administrative and accounting area. She is a certified CPA and graduated from the University of Guadalajara, with accounting experience in Mexico for 15 years.
JENNIE WEAKLEY,
Director of Youth Programming & Development
Jennie has a life-long history in SW Detroit. As a third generation business owner she has lived, worked, and thrived in Southwest her whole life. Jennie has decades of experience in youth development and non-profit administration, and has held several leadership and board positions with organizations that share her values. Jennie has a love for grassroots organizing, encouraging equity, challenging systems to promote change, and building relationships wherever she can. As a former youth worker she also believes in life-long mentoring, and continues to guide young minds through meaningful and lasting relationships. Jennie is also the proud parent of a teenager who’s successes she credits to community supports.
ELIZABETH GONZALEZ, Community Organizer
Elizabeth Gonzalez (Lisa) was born and raised in Southwest Detroit and went to Wayne State University on a softball scholarship. While at WSU, she studied Early Childhood to dive deeper into her passion that she worked in since age 15. Elizabeth became an assistant preschool teacher by age 17 and a full teacher at age 20. At CoC, Elizabeth is a community organizer that supports the Early Childhood programs, specializing in informal caregivers. Elizabeth is the chairperson of Miss Mexico for the Mexican Patriotic Committee, advocating for leadership development of young Hispanic women and matching them to scholarship opportunities.
ESTHER GUERRERO,
Youth and Community Organizer
Esther Guerrero is a motivated, supportive, and passionate Southwest Detroit Native. Esther has organized in her community since her time on the CoC 2017/18 youth council. As a Youth and Community Organizer, she assists and supports youth in carrying out and learning about community organizing and leadership development. She is passionate about creating healthy environments where young people live, work, learn, and play. Esther works on our Latinx Youth Council, Nuestro Futuro, Youth Advisory Board, and Community Organizing Course programs. Overall, Ms. Guerrero looks forward to creating equitable opportunities for folks in the Southwest community and Detroit as she wishes to see all her people win and excel.
NORA RODRIGUEZ,
Community Organizer
Bio Coming Soon
CRISTIAN ARANDA,
Community Organizer
Cristian is a dedicated community organizer and proud mother of 3. Bringing with her a degree in production processes she began assisting the TANN Action Team in 2017. She now manages our TANN Action Team program as well as coordinates for organization wide outreach efforts. Cristian takes pride in the fact that she is originally from Monterrey, Mexico and encourages others to thrive as an immigrant. Helping the community, building relationships with parent leaders and canvassing are among the many ways Cristian displays her commitment to her community and her work.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Deniqua Robinson
President
Springwells Village
Adriana Alvarez
Treasurer
At Large
Angela Servin
Secretary
Chadsey
Odalis Perales
Stakeholder, Michigan United
48217/Delray
Jessica Ramirez
Stakeholder, Detroiters Helping
Each Other
Springwells Village
Adriana Zuniga
Resident
Mexicantown
Norma Galvan
Stakeholder, Matrix Head Start
Springwells Village
J. Marie Overall
Stakeholder, Office of Representative
Tyrone Carter
Delray / 48127
Claudia Dennis Avila
Stakeholder, Vamonos Detroit’s
Healthy Eatery and Creative Space
Mexicantown
Kim Sommerville
Resident
Delray / 48217
Thomasenia Weston
Stakeholder, Livernois 2 Clark
Neighborhood Association
Mexicantown
Nicole Fisher
Stakeholder, Southwest Hope
Citizen’s Patrol
Condon
Jacqueline Saucillo
Resident
48217/Delray
Deborah Leza
Resident
Springwells Village
Jacqueline Cuevas
Resident
Condon
Alexis Escoto
Youth
At Large
Leslie Wacker
Resident
Corktown / North Corktown
Antonio Gomez-Lara
Youth
At Large
Isabel Lopez
Youth
At Large
CURRENT INTERNS
Citlalli Cervantes Alvarado, Wayne State University
Maha Mohamed, Wayne State University
Charles Allen, Wayne State University
Kendra Grafenauer, University of Michigan
Athena Gillespie, University of Michigan
Aidan Stickles, University of Michigan - Unity in Our Community TimeBank
PREVIOUS INTERNS
Amber Robinson, University of Michigan 2024
Mary Boyd, University of Michigan 2024
Kiley Lowery, University of Michigan 2024
Courtney Todd, University of Michigan 2023
Makenzy Bennett, University of Michigan 2023
Chenika Rogers, Wayne State University 2022
Ellyse Vogel, University of Michigan 2022
Libby Post, University of Michigan 2021
Alex Lindsay, University of Michigan 2020
Saul Perez Olguin, University of Michigan 2020
Annie Oldani, University of Michigan 2020
Farhana Aktar, Wayne State University 2019
Emily Cole, University of Michigan 2019
Bianca Hart, Wayne State University 2019
Alondra Barajas, Wayne State University 2024
Sparkle Berry, Wayne State University 2024
Isabel Lopez, University of Michigan, 2024
Casey Lee, Wayne State University 2023
Anna Brunson, University of Michigan 2022
Michael Kloc, University of Michigan 2022
Amy Belfer, University of Michigan 2021
Kristopher Hill, Michigan State University 2021
Ajsa Jasarevic, Wayne State University 2021
Chinelo Onuigbo, University of Michigan 2020
Irene Routte, University of Michigan 2020
Natalie Ramos, University of Michigan 2019
Aria Thorpe, University of Michigan 2019
Josie Maples, University of Michigan 2019
Lindsey Matson, University of Michigan 2017