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. maria@cocswdetroit.com
AMANDA HOLIDAY, LMSW,
Director of Early Childhood & Parent 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. amanda@cocswdetroit.com
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. lucy@cocswdetroit.com
IMANOL LOZANO
Youth Organizer
Mano is Mexican American and a proud native resident of Southwest Detroit. He graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy with a bachelor’s degree, double majoring in Psychology and Religious Studies and double minoring in Leadership and Women’s and Gender Studies. Passionate about community organizing and supporting Southwest Detroit residents, Mano works with grassroots organizations and coalitions. Recognizing the lack of resources and the barriers Latino families often face in accessing mental health care, his life goal is to provide mental health resources and education tailored to the experiences of Latino people in the United States.
ANDREA MEZA,
Youth Program Coordinator
Andrea has strong ties in Southwest Detroit that always bring her back. She graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and was the first person to complete Latin American Studies as a co-major. She has a passion for motivating and informing the community through storytelling. Currently, Andrea leads the LatinX Youth Council where she gets to continue her passion with the youth. She is committed to providing the proper support and resources the youth in Southwest need to find their voice and build our future. Andrea also supports and assists youth programs such as Youth Environmental Healing, Growing Detroit's Young Talent, and 482Forward's Youth Organizing Collective.
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. jennie@cocswdetroit.com
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. elizabeth@cocswdetroit.com
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. cristian@cocswdetroit.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ann L. Byrne
Resident
Springwells Village
Adriana Alvarez
Treasurer
At Large
Fadiah Ali Yahya
Resident
Chadsey
Cassie Mason
Resident
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
Stewart Inahuazo
Resident
48217/Delray
Deborah Leza
Resident
Springwells Village
Lindsay McCaw
Stakeholder, Flying Cardboard Theater
Corktown
Jacqueline Cuevas
Resident
Condon
Alexis Escoto
Youth
At Large
Leslie Wacker
Resident
Corktown / North Corktown
Ashley Gregorio
Youth
At Large
Carmensita Buentello
Resident
Mexicantown
Antonio Gomez-Lara
Youth
At Large
Jannay Gavia
Youth
At Large
Isabel Lopez
Youth
At Large
CURRENT INTERNS
Mikaila LaClear, University of Michigan
Daydrianna Jeffries, University of Michigan
Tiffany Weldon, Wayne State University
Abigail Reardon, Wayne State University
Kathryn Lynch, Wayne State University
Cassie Mason, University of Michigan
PREVIOUS INTERNS
Kendra Grafenauer, University of Michigan, 2025
Aidan Stickles, University of Michigan 2025
Citlalli Cervantes Alvarado, Wayne State University 2025
Maha Mohamed, Wayne State University 2025
Charles Allen, Wayne State University 2025
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
Athena Gillespie, University of Michigan, 2025
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
Santiago Ramos, University of Michigan 2019
Aria Thorpe, University of Michigan 2019
Josie Maples, University of Michigan 2019
Lindsey Matson, University of Michigan 2017
Maggie Prigge, University of Michigan 2017 (CCCO)