Valerie has more than a decade of experience working collaboratively with communities to advance justice and equity issues with the goal of creating healthier and more sustainable communities. She has worked with communities in San Diego, Mexico, Hawai’i, and Los Angeles on a diverse set of issues from workers’ rights, affordable housing, (im)migration to environmental justice. Her key areas of experience include organizing and advocacy, leadership development, and community-based programs and initiatives. She is particularly interested in the intersection of issues and taking a collective and community-based approach in reaching solutions. Most recently prior to working with JMA, she worked at Catholic Relief Services working with communities and partners to advance campaigns around global justice issues, such as migration and climate justice.
Valerie is passionate about creating healthy ecosystems and transitioning away from a profit-focused system and economy towards one that centers workers, communities, and the environment. She is based out of Los Angeles (Tovaangar) with ancestral roots in Sinaloa and Nayarit, Mexico. Outside of JMA, Valerie enjoys hiking, enjoying LA’s amazing plant-based food offerings, hanging out with her dog pack and plants, and (re)connecting with the land.