Ron Estrada
Chief Executive Officer
Email: restrada@farmworkerjustice.org
Ron Estrada is the chief executive officer of Farmworker Justice (FJ), a national advocacy organization for farmworkers. FJ founded in 1981 is based in Washington, D.C., and collaborates with organizations throughout the country to empower farm, ranch, dairy, and agriculture workers to improve their wages, working conditions, occupational safety, health, immigration status, and access to justice. Key priorities identified by Estrada include reforming the nation’s food system, addressing climate change, and empowering the estimated 2.5 million farmworkers and their families to continue to be active contributors to the US economy and society.
Prior to FJ, Estrada was head of government relations and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility for Univision Communications, the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Based in Washington, D.C., Estrada was responsible for developing and nurturing strong working relationships with community organizations and key stakeholders at both the local and national levels, including business, non-profit, and government leaders. He directed policy, advocacy, and CSR initiatives for network and local media teams representing 126 broadcast and radio stations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. In addition, Estrada is recognized as one of the top 100 CSR professionals in the U.S., a recipient of Diversity MBA magazine’s top emerging executive, and honored as a 2019 Powerful & Influential Latino in Television & Film. Prior to Univision, Estrada was a member of the executive cabinet and vice president for the UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza). Under his leadership, Estrada was responsible for the oversight of the resource development, marketing, and communications teams. In addition, he was a producer for the American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards, a televised show that promotes diversity and honors Latinos in entertainment. Previously, Mr. Estrada was the vice president of marketing for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. While at USHCC, he was responsible for the syndication and development of the nationally-televised, news magazine program, Hispanics Today. Estrada also served as the vice president & general manager of ECG, a corporate and marketing communications agency based in Austin, TX, where he was recognized for his community leadership as the businessman of the year.
Mr. Estrada serves and has served on various boards including, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Marriott International Association Advisory Board, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Board, Poder Latinx, National Park Foundation’s American Latino Heritage Fund, Church’s Chicken Corporate Diversity Council, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, and MGM Resorts International Diversity Board.
Antonio Chaurand
Communications Specialist
Email: achaurand@farmworkerjustice.org
Antonio Chaurand joined Farmworker Justice in 2023 as the Communications Specialist. He oversees all communications for the organization, including newsletters, press releases, website content, e-blasts and social media. Antonio graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University with a Bachelors in Communications and concentration in Journalism.
Previously, Antonio worked for Maryland Nonprofits as part of a coalition called the Mid-Atlantic Latinx Vaccine Equity Coalition (MALVEC). Antonio created the social media and outreach for the coalition, as well as managed plans of communications.
After his time with Maryland Nonprofits, he worked with El Tiempo Latino/El Planeta Media, a Latino newspaper based in the Washington D.C/New England area. Antonio was brought on to create and develop a new brand (La Cascara) with the blend of sports, culture, news and overall relatability to a new young Latino audience.
Antonio’s prior experience brings a new and exciting element to Farmworker Justice.
Alexis Guild, MPP
Vice President of Strategy and Programs
Email: aguild@farmworkerjustice.org
Alexis Guild joined Farmworker Justice in 2011. In her role as Vice President of Strategy and Programs, she coordinates FJ’s policy advocacy and programmatic work and is a member of the leadership team. Alexis co-authored “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Implementation and Impact of the Affordable Care Act in U.S. Farmworker Communities” published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (2016); and “The Neighbors Who Feed Us: Farmworkers and Government Policy – Challenges and Solution” published in the Harvard Law and Policy Review (2018). Alexis has extensive experience in public health and community organizing. She worked on political campaigns and at grassroots organizations. She also served as a Health Education Volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala. She received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Wellesley College. Alexis lives in Oakland, California.
Nina Kanakarajavelu, MPH
Project Director, Health Promotion
Email: nkana@farmworkerjustice.org
Nina Kanakarajavelu joined Farmworker Justice in 2021 as the Project Director for Health Promotion. Previously, Nina has managed programs related to pandemic preparedness, global workforce development, and health systems strengthening. She is committed to a rights-based approach to expanding health access and improving health outcomes in farmworker communities.
Nina received her MPH with a concentration in International Health and Development at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and also holds a Masters in Human Rights from Brandeis University.
Heide Hernandez-Jimenez, JD
Legal Fellow
Email: hhernandez@farmworkerjustice.org
Heide Hernandez-Jimenez joined Farmworker Justice in August 2022 as the legal fellow. She monitors policy developments on immigration, labor, and health issues and provides legal research and writing for FJ’s initiatives on these issue areas. Prior to coming to FJ, Heide served as a fellow at Student Action with Farmworkers and volunteered at the Migrant Farm Worker Clinics hosted by UConn Health. Heide is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Mayra Reiter, MSIS, MSES, MPA
Project Director, Occupational Safety and Health
Email: mreiter@farmworkerjustice.org
Mayra Reiter joined at FJ as Program Coordinator with its Health Program in 2019, supporting various health initiatives and outreach efforts. She now addresses occupational safety and health issues such as pesticide exposure and heat stress, in addition to helping provide training and technical assistance to community health centers that serve farmworkers. Before joining FJ, she was a science and policy researcher focused on environmental policy and human health. Ms. Reiter holds a Master’s degree in international service from American University in Washington, D.C. and joint Master’s degrees in environmental sciences and public affairs from Indiana University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in natural sciences with a concentration in environmental sciences from the University of Puerto Rico.
Yolanda “Yoly” Rodriguez
Director, Finance & Operations
Email: yrodriguez@farmworkerjustice.org
Yoly has over eighteen years of experience in leadership with talent in service excellence, process improvement and financial analysis. She is skillful in non-profit fundraising administration, database management/enrichment, systems implementation, analytics/BI, website creation and maintenance, budgeting and cash flow projections as well as online solutions, security and compliance. Yoly is effective in process improvement via Six Sigma techniques, implementing new strategies and improving work environments.
Yoly currently serves as the Director of Finance & Operations at Farmworker Justice overseeing finance, accounting, payroll, budgeting, financial compliance, human resources, recruiting, policies/ procedures, HR compliance, benefits, risk management, legal matters, and facilities.
She previously served as Director of Gift Services and Data Management at the Florida International University (FIU) Foundation. In this role, she oversaw the database as it relates to data cleansing, maintenance, donation oversight, donor tax receipting, etc. She is knowledgeable with IRS regulations and Council for Advancement and Support of Education guidelines. Prior to this role, Yoly served as Senior Director of Operations at the Miami Dade College Foundation. During that time, she supervised the areas of Research and Prospect Management, Gift Services, Data Management, Alumni Relations and Special Events.
Yoly served on the Leadership Miami team for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, has served as a mentor with several mentoring programs and has served as the Chapter Advisor for the Business Fraternity – Alpha Kappa Psi.
Trent Taylor
Staff Attorney/Litigation Coordinator
Email: ttaylor@farmworkerjustice.org
Trent Taylor joined Farmworker Justice in October 2020, with ten years of experience in union representation and wage and hour law. As a union-side labor attorney, Trent represented a diverse group of unions and bargaining units, including teachers, healthcare workers, pilots, truck drivers, mechanics, municipal workers, factory workers and communication workers under the National Labor Relations Act, Railway Labor Act and various state public sector bargaining statutes. In connection with this work, Trent co-authored the Ohio AFL-CIO’s Law of Organizing, a handbook designed for union organizers.
As a wage and hour attorney, Trent has specialized in representing low-income Latinx workers in the fields of food service, healthcare and farm work. Trent developed his passion for advancing the cause of farmworkers in his first trial, where he aided four farmworkers in recovering unpaid wages from their employer. Trent is proud to be a member of Farmworker Justice and to represent farmworkers and their families.
Rebecca Young, MA
Director of Programs
Email: ryoung@farmworkerjustice.org
Rebecca Young joined Farmworker Justice in Washington, DC in 2010 and currently serves as the Director of Programs. Rebecca’s had the opportunity to engage with farmworker communities across the United States and finds continued inspiration for her work through the stories the farmworkers and their families so willingly share. Through her work in program management and training and curriculum development she interacts frequently with promotores de salud (health outreach workers) on health content areas as varied as pesticide safety, heat stress prevention, and HIV/AIDS awareness to name just a few. Her work in these areas is steeped in the philosophy of popular education which allows for participants of a wide variety of educational, cultural and linguistic backgrounds to understand and interact with training content in a meaningful and memorable way. Prior to joining Farmworker Justice Rebecca spent 7 years living in the rural Western Highlands of Guatemala. There she worked at a language school and envisioned a bookstore/cafe which also provided space for after-school projects for kids and literacy projects for women. Rebecca holds a MA in Sustainable Development and Social Justice from the School for International Training and a BA in Anthropology and English from Bowdoin College.