Andrea Vidaurre Co-Founder/ Policy Analyst & Advocate
Andrea Vidaurre (she/her) grew up in the unceded territories of the Tongva, also known as the “Inland Empire” of Southern California. She has lived at the intersections of multiple issues which led her to engage in work that advances her communities’ quality of life. Over the past couple of years, she has worked on environmental justice issues throughout the Inland Empire and has helped pass landmark policies that are transforming our freight transportation system. She is a co-founder, member and policy analyst at the Peoples Collective for Environmental Justice, a community based organization focused on fighting environmental racism and finding solutions through community work.
Angie Balderas Digital Strategist & Communications Coordinator
Angie is a dedicated advocate for social justice who has lived in the Inland Empire for over 30 years. She works as a Digital Strategist and Communications Coordinator for the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice and serves on several boards, including the Environmental Justice Advisory Board for the South Coast Air Quality Management District and The Garcia Center of the Arts.
With over 20 years of experience, Angie has been involved in various social justice efforts, including labor organizing with UFCW Local 1167 and serving as a Lead National Organizer for the Sierra Club. She is also active in her community, having participated in student government at Cal State Northridge and San Bernardino Valley College to champion social justice issues. In 2021, she completed the Leadership, Organizing, and Action Program at Harvard University.
Outside of her activism, Angie enjoys spending time with her family and partner, enjoying simple activities like beach days and music-filled evenings.
Brenda Huerta Soto Co-Founder/ Community Organizer & Programs Coordinator
Brenda Huerta Soto migrated from Mexico City and currently resides in East L.A. Brenda graduated from UC Riverside where as a student advocate served for three years as the UC Riverside Representative for the UC Undocumented Student Coalition. Through this role Brenda collectively advocated for more resources for undocumented students such as legal support, mental health services and scholarships. Brenda helped co-organize the second UC Undocumented Student Conference that brought together more than 200 undocumented students across the UC system into a space of healing, learning and student advocacy. During her tenure at UC Riverside, Brenda became one of the Steering Members of the California Dream Network, the college component of CHIRLA. During her involvement with CHIRLA, Brenda helped co-organize “Fundamentals of Resistance” a conference that brought together students and parents from the Inland Empire to a space of collective organizing for the immigrant rights movement. Brenda has also advocated for various pro-immigrant bills at the state level such as Health for All. Brenda also currently organizes with the Warehouse Workers Resource Center for the Labor Rights Movement. Brenda is a community member dedicated to the abolition framework and dismantling white supremacy.
Darby Osnaya Community Organizer & Programs Coordinator
Darby Osnaya (any and every pronoun) has lived on occupied Tongva land in the inland empire since 1993. They have been environmentally conscious since childhood due to their upbringing with horticulturist and recyclist parents. With social consciousness ingrained in their mind early in life they got into activism at an early age. Darby has fought against homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, classism, sexism, and environmental injustice with a focus on intersectional oppression and identities since they were an adolescent. For the past three years they have been focusing on environmental justice in the inland empire, organizing with neighbors, politicians, and other local activists. In 2022, Darby helped form “We Are Colton”, a collective of Colton residents working to create a healthier community. In joining the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice, Darby looks forward to fostering and strengthening relationships with fellow inland empire residents and leaders at an authentic grassroots level.
Emily Vasquez Youth Program Leader
Emily Vasquez was born and raised in the IE, and serves as our current youth program leader. She is very passionate about working with youth and has over 15 years of experience teaching in classrooms, community centers as well as working in daycares. Emily graduated from San Bernardino Valley College with a social sciences degree and majored in social work at CSU Los Angeles. During her years in school, she learned about the injustices from the past and realized that many of those issues were still happening. Emily decided to get active, so she joined clubs on campus, local social justice groups, and tried to meet like-minded people. Over the years, Emily has witnessed the rise of corruption and how it severely impacts our Mother Earth, sacred elements, flora and fauna along with our livelihoods, life expectancies, and overall well being. She strives to be a part of the change here in the 909 and dreams of a healthier world.
Gem Montes Policy Analyst and Advocate
Graciela Mendez Co-Founder/ Finance Specialist
Graciela Mendez “Chela” serves as our finance manager. In 2006 Chela received a B.A. in Economics from University of California, Riverside. Immediately after college Chela gained experience in the finance world by working in the finance/ accounting department at various businesses. At her previous role as Finance Director she quickly planned her process to monitor; control financial activities such as procurement of funds, utilization of funds, accounting, payments and risk assessment. Chela was also fortunate to serve as a Community Organizer in the Inland Empire for many years advocating for environmental justice and the respect of the people. Chela was born and raised in Los Angeles and currently still lives in the Los Angeles County area with her family. In her free time Chela enjoys watching the Los Angeles Dodgers win the National League West Division Championship every year, listening to music while she commutes in traffic, eating pan dulce while drinking black coffee and spending time with her amazing family and friends.
Hakan Jackson Co-Founder/ Contracted Human Resources Specialist
Hakan Jackson, serves as our Human Resource Specialist. He was born and raised in Southern California. Upon graduating high school, he joined the United States Air Force as a Biomedical Equipment Technician. During his 12 years of service, Hakan obtained an Associates in Applied Science in Biomedical Equipment Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from University of Maryland University College. After his Air Force career, Hakan attended Boston University where he earned a Master of Business Administration. He was an excellent negotiator in representing employees at CCAEJ during their departure and was able to ensure deserved payouts for each employee who left. He will serve as HR manager with a distinct certificate from SRHM, a highly respected entity on Human Resource that serves both the employees and employers. His additional skills are in Information Technology, Cartology, and Data Science. For fun, Hakan enjoys: podcasts, audiobooks, video games and bringing down systemic racism and the patriarchy.
Jean Kayano Co-Founder/ Administrative and Fund Development Specialist
Jean Kayano, Jean was born in Hawaii and at two years of age her parents migrated to the mainland and landed in East LA where she was raised. After 35 years of extensive experience in the nonprofit world to help with organizational change and management work – she has finally discovered her passion for social and environmental justice work. Although her skill set revolves around organizational administration; human resource; and fiscal oversight – her greatest joy revolves around leadership building – working alongside community residents and The PC4EJ team who fight for the right to live in a healthy, toxic-free and sustainable environment. Jean’s skills includes managing all the various program elements. She feels grateful to engage with others through this life-changing work and organization
MaCarmen Gonzalez Community Organizer & Programs Coordinator
Ma Carmen was born in Michocacan, Mexico and migrated to the United States 17 years ago. The moment she first got here, she started to get involved with the community and has a lot of love for this city. She first got involved with organizing with ELAC as a parent representative when her son was in kinder and has remained involved because her love for community grew. She continued as a parent coordinator at San Bernardino High School, and volunteered with CHIRLA. Seeing the pollution and suffering in this city has motivated her to do this work and unite with others pushing for change. Above all, she does this work as a labor of love for the community.
Tania Gonzalez Community Organizer & Programs Coordinator
Tania was born in Jalisco, Mexico and was raised in Fontana, California where she still resides. She did her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Riverside and majored in Education. During her first year of college she was encouraged to join a group that organized on immigrant justice, and then learned about environmental justice during her third year and started to volunteer with local organizations. Tania is determined to see a change in her community and feels there is so much to do especially in a city like Fontana and the Inland Empire with air quality.
Fernando Marquez Duarte Contracted Interpreter & Policy Researcher
Fernando David Marquez Duarte is from Mexicali, Mexico. He is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). He is a scholar with a permanent physical disability. He has been involved in environmental justice since 2020, conducting research about the defense of equal access to water in Baja, California and the struggle of the Cucapah Indigenous peoples for the water of their river (Colorado River). He has also worked in research projects about the electrification of logistics in the Inland Empire. He is a certified English-Spanish interpreter and translator.