Roberto Salazar, President

Roberto Salazar, President of the Self Reliance Foundation (SRF) since October 2008, will tell you, “Change happens in an instant – when you decide to change.” These words have guided a stellar career in public service that began in New Mexico, and now touches the lives of people around the world.  Mr. Salazar leads SRF’s efforts to change the lives of children and people by empowering them with access to information and the services they need. Prior to joining SRF’s executive team Mr. Salazar served as the National Administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service from April 2002 to October 2008, where he successfully expanded the reach of USDA’s hallmark programs – Food Stamps, National School Lunch and School Breakfast, and the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) – while preserving the integrity of a $60 billion annual budget.

Mr. Salazar’s extensive background and experience in his home State of New Mexico make him uniquely qualified to lead the Self Reliance Foundation in its successful development and implementation of public service information campaigns. His years of service include positions as New Mexico’s Director of the USDA Rural Development State Office, Director of Science and Technology, Director of the Human Services Department, and advisor to the Governor.  Mr. Salazar can be reached at (202) 496-6046.

Maite Arce, Senior Programs and Policy Director

Maite Arce is responsible for building strategic initiatives, partnerships and services that maximize social capital by drawing communities together to work on issues that impact Hispanic communities nationwide. Ms. Arce has 20 years of experience developing innovative outreach strategies that effectively reach and engage traditionally underserved populations.  Prior to returning to SRF, she served as the Vice President for the Hispanic Council for Reform & Educational Options (Hispanic CREO), where she built their original network of 28,000 members, affiliates, and coalitions in support of Hispanic CREO and parental choice in education in its founding years.  Ms. Arce led Hispanic CREO’s administration and core programs on a state and national level, including grassroots Hispanic parent, faith and business leader advocacy training and public policy efforts.

Ms. Arce founded SRF’s National Information & Referral Hotline 12 years ago in New Mexico. Today, the Acceso Hispano hotline is thriving, having helped more than 100,000 Latinos gain access to valuable information and resources in their communities.  She led the development of SRF’s national database of 17,500 community-based Hispanic-serving organizations, and recently launched www.accesohispano.org to connect Latinos and Latino-serving providers via an online communications system.  Ms. Arce is an expert coalition builder, trainer and Latina advocate, and serves as a Trustee for the National Council of Hispanic Women, and Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble. Ms. Arce was born in Mexico and was raised in Southern California. In June 2007, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Logos Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida.  Ms. Arce can be reached at (202) 496-6051.

Brigitte Savage, Director of Development

Born and raised in Southern Germany, Brigitte Savage holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Theater Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  A fund raiser for more than 25 years, Ms. Savage’s experience includes nine years as Membership Director at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, five years as Development Director for the Older Women’s League (OWL), an advocacy organization for midlife and older women, and a seven-year stint as Vice President for Membership and Development at Independent Sector. Before joining the Self Reliance Foundation, Brigitte served as Director of Development for Global Rights, an international human rights organization working in 10 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Americas. Brigitte has held a CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation since 1996. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including Source Theater Company and Women & Philanthropy. She has lived and worked in South Africa, Ethiopia, Britain, Germany and the U.S.  Ms. Savage can be reached at (202) 496-6056.

John Suval, Senior Development Associate

John Suval leads the development of Self Reliance Foundation’s environmental programs, designing new initiatives, forging strategic partnerships, and raising funds. He has developed broad expertise in environmental issues as a journalist, non-profit program officer, and private consultant. John was an award-winning staff writer for the Houston Press, and directed a variety of bilingual media campaigns for the Hispanic Communications Network focused on biodiversity, community health, open space, energy efficiency, and environmental justice, among other issues. The co-founder of an environmental media company, he has undertaken projects that connect youth to the natural world. His relationship with SRF dates back more than 10 years, to when the organization was headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Giselle Kasim, Development Associate

Giselle Kasim plays a key role in the grantwriting and development process. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Giselle earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and English Literature with an emphasis in Middle East affairs. Giselle gained professional experience during college as an intern for the Dream Foundation in Santa Barbara, where she coordinated wishes for terminally-ill adults. Since graduating, Giselle served as the Development & Grantmaking Assistant at the Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles and Grants & Development Officer for the Global Micro Clinic Project in San Francisco.

It was the recent presidential election and her passion for ensuring that Arab Americans have a prominent voice in politics that brought Giselle to Washington, DC. With the Arab American Institute, Giselle worked on the organization’s national Yalla Vote ’08 campaign, organizing GOTV events and Candidates Night forums across the country, in addition to interviewing and publishing articles about influential Arab American leaders and candidates running for public office. Ms. Kasim can be reached at (202) 496-6067.

Roberto Arjona, Marketing, Graphic Design, & Communications Manager

Roberto Arjona serves as the Marketing, Graphic Design, & Communications Manager for SRF. As a key member of the Acceso Hispano Team, Roberto is responsible for the development and implementation of graphic design, marketing and communications strategies for the ConCiencia Newswire, Self Reliance Foundation, and its projects. Prior to coming to SRF, he served as the Programs & Production Manager for the National Association of Hispanic Publications, NAHP. With over 5 years of experience working hand-in-hand with both the private and non-profit sectors, Roberto brings to SRF perseverance, confidence, and his passion for helping to improve the lives of others in need. Having lived, volunteered and worked for the first half of his life in Panama, he is not only a native Spanish speaker, but also understands the needs of the Latino community. Roberto brought his desire for community service to the United States and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park Campus with a degree in Graphic Design and Marketing. In his little free time Roberto loves to paint, dance, and travel.  Mr. Arjona can be reached at (202) 496-6064.

Jairo Valencia, Acceso Hispano Community Outreach Specialist

Jairo has 20 years of experience in the area of human rights and research both in the United States and his native Colombia, with a specific focus on indigenous and rural populations. He has worked with victims of armed conflicts, and women and children in particular. Jairo is a grassroots organizer who has mobilized communities around the issues of human rights, environmental justice, violence reduction, and fighting child exploitation and human trafficking. In addition to working with Acceso Hispano’s outreach team, Jairo continues to serve on various commissions including the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) to protect the rights of indigenous people throughout the Americas. He enjoys his work with Acceso Hispano as it enriches his understanding of the diverse Hispanic communities in the U.S. and enables him to provide the support and encouragement that he knows is needed by the community.  Mr. Valencia can be reached at (202) 496-6053.

Ligia Valdivia, Acceso Hispano Community Outreach Specialist

Ligia was an attorney in her native Bolivia, where she started her social work as a volunteer attorney in the District Court of  her natal city Cochabamba helping women and children victims of abuse.  She has a rich background that represents the struggles and joys of an immigrant mother who sought a better life with equal opportunities  in the United States. Ligia has worked as a professional in the areas of both finance and journalism. In 2008, she joined the Acceso Hispano Helpline team to rediscover the connection to the community that she is deeply committed to. She has a strong understanding of domestic violence, health, and human trafficking issues. It brings her great satisfaction to help the community in solving their problems by connecting them to community resources and sharing information about a variety of issues.  The stories that Ligia hears from callers every day keep her motivated and remind her often of some of the experiences she has seen or has lived herself as an immigrant. Her maternal understanding and kindness shines through as she helps callers, sharpened by her skills and experience as a trained professional.  Ms. Valdivia can be reached at (202) 496-6054.

Jenny Brandt, Acceso Hispano Community Outreach Specialist

Jenny support SRF’s Acceso Hispano initiative, and learned Spanish at the University of Hawaii and through her travels to Argentina, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.  She worked as a women’s advocate at a domestic abuse women’s shelter and there was responsible for the crisis hotline. Jenny is a compassionate professional whose education, skill and experience bring great value to the individuals who call Acceso Hispano’s Helpline. She works to ensure that immigrants are empowered through knowledge and by exercising their guaranteed human rights.  Ms. Brandt can be reached at (202) 496-6055.