Team Category: Board of Directors

Edwin Torres is a political strategist with 8+ years in electoral campaigns at local, state, and national levels. Born in El Salvador in at the end of a long civil war, Edwin experienced a lot of hardships growing up and has used those hardships as a motivation to succeed and help others. Edwin became the first person in his family to earn a college degree when he graduated from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Since then, Edwin has been awarded and recognized by national organizations and elected officials. His DACA story has been featured in various publications including the New York Times.

Currently, Edwin serves as the Political Director for the re-election campaign of Governor Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan. Previously, he worked in the Minnesota Department of Health as the COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Director. In 2020, Edwin was the Political Director for Senator Tina Smith’s campaign and in 2019, he served as the National Director of Latino Outreach for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign. Edwin is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Public Policy on a full scholarship at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He lives in North Minneapolis with his partner Ricardo, and their two dogs Lola and Mochi.

Oscar A. Chacón is a co‐founder and executive director of Alianza Americas. Before stepping into his current role in 2007, Oscar served in leadership positions at the Chicago‐based Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Boston‐based Centro Presente, and several other community-based and international development organizations. Oscar has also served on multiple advisory committees to national and international processes including the Civil Society Consultation process associated with the Global Forum on Migration and Development and the World Social Forum on Migration. Oscar is a frequent national and international spokesperson on transnationalism, economic justice, the link between migration and development, migrants’ integration processes, human mobility, migration policies, racism and xenophobia, and U.S.-Latino community issues.

Jessica Aliaga-Froelke is the founder and CEO of Hispanic Solutions Group. She has worked as a credit repair specialist for more than 17 years, helping thousands of individuals and contractors both inside and outside the United States achieve their credit goals. Originally from Peru and an immigrant to the United States, she experienced firsthand the effects of intergenerational financial ignorance. After getting ahead, she set out to educate and help other financially excluded minorities to achieve financial capacities and their own financial goals. Jessica is also an advocate for credit and consumer rights in the United States. With the motto “An educated community is a strengthened community”, Jessica has been advancing important programs and agreements to promote financial education with the mission of reducing the economic gap in minority communities with weapons as simple as having a healthy credit

Peggy is actively involved in social and cultural activities with the Ecuadorian and Latin American communities in Minnesota, developing strategies to empower them. Prior to moving to Minnesota, Peggy played an active leadership role in youth movements advocating for social, economic, political and cultural development of underserved communities in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Peggy earned an Associate Degree in Social and Political Economy from the University Madres de Plaza Mayo, and she holds a Master’s in Food Engineering and a Doctorate degree in Food Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Peggy currently works as a Senior Scientist in the Dairy Industry, where she leads strategic technical activities

Henry is the proud son of parents who were undocumented. His father from Tepic Nayarit, Mexico, is a truck driver and his mother from El Departamento de La Libertad, El Salvador, is a housekeeper at a hotel. His parents were finally able to purchase their first home when Henry was in high school in Las Vegas, NV. Soon after, he earned a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and earned a dual degree in Women Studies and Political Science. Henry has called Minnesota home for 8 years. During this time he has earned a Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He came to Minnesota with no family but now has a family of his own. He is married to Jennie Jimenez and has a beautiful 8 month old daughter, Lucía Jimenez. Henry was appointed by the Legislative Coordinated Commission to his current position as Executive Director at the Minnesota Council of Latino Affairs on December, 2015.

As a first-generation Xicana college student pursuing Chicane and Latine Studies at the University of Minnesota, Erika Hernandez is determined to create safe and brave spaces of solidarity and self-empowerment for and by brown Latine youth. From a stranger in her own land to the student president of the Latine student organization at Minneapolis College, Hernandez’s most recent work is centered on the Raíces Youth Development Program at Centro Tyrone Guzman. Through her community-driven advocacy and leadership, her desire is for her youth to see their potential to unapologetically reclaim their space and stories. As the most recent board member of COPAL MN, Hernandez has been accepted to represent the organization at the 2019 cohort of the Movement Politics Leadership Program by TakeAction MN. Hernandez is excited and humbled by this opportunity and is looking forward to learning and collectively work towards building and achieving a sustainable and equitable Minnesota for all.

Amanda grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, although her roots come from Mexico and Nicaragua. She has been asking tough questions and organizing those around her for as long as she can remember, but she was introduced to more formal community organizing in college. She was told being an organizer is like being a professional revolutionary, and she was sold.

Amanda has experienced organizing in a variety of settings: with Latinx communities in Minnesota, at Catholic Churches, in Central America, and currently as the Deputy Director at TakeAction Minnesota. She is thrilled to be joining COPAL’s Board of Directors to be in deeper relationship with and invest in the Latinx organizing ecosystem in Minnesota.