Meet our board

President

Monika Ortiz is a South Toledo native who currently works and lives in Maumee. She is

a Financial Analyst with The Andersons, Inc. and believes in leaving her community

better than she found it. In addition to serving as President of Sofia Quintero Art Cultural Center, she is Vice President of Issue Box Theatre and Board Treasurer at

WGTE. In her downtime, Monika enjoys sailing, soccer, golfing, curling, and reading

with family and friends.

Vice President

Daniel Pedroza Jr. is a supply chain and operations leader with more than 20 years of experience across transportation, logistics, fleet operations, and manufacturing support. A third-generation Mexican-American from Northwest Ohio, he has led teams in fast-

paced operational environments with a focus on people leadership, continuous

improvement, safety, and customer service. He currently serves in leadership roles

within the transportation and supply chain industry and has managed large driver

teams, equipment strategy, and performance initiatives. Beyond his professional work,

Daniel is committed to community leadership and Latino cultural advocacy. As Vice

President of the Board of Trustees for the Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center, he

supports arts, education, and cultural programming that uplifts Toledo’s Latino

community. He is also active in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and has led

multicultural employee engagement efforts throughout his career.

Treasurer

Haley Anissa Alvarez (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate at Bowling Green State University

pursuing Theatre and Performance Studies as well as Ethnic Studies. She serves as

Treasurer for SQACC and has been a board member since April of last year. Haley

prioritizes the intersection of education and the arts and volunteers with atrisk students to help them get to and through college. She has taught at BGSU and the University of

Akron, and she regularly directs and produces plays that highlight the sacrifices of the Latinx immigrant community. Raised by a family of immigrants, Haley aims to use theatre as an educational tool to move us all toward empathy and understanding.

Secretary

Crystal Glambin is a Toledo-based business and community leader with experience in higher education, supply chain, entrepreneurship support, and nonprofit leadership. She

is affiliated with The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and has held advisory and leadership roles supporting community engagement and economic development initiatives. Crystal is also deeply involved with Sofia Quintero Art Cultural Center, serving on the executive board and finance committee, while supporting

Latino community advancement and arts programming across Northwest Ohio.

Board Member

Sierra Calamunci is a Clinical Referral Liaison at UToledo Health, a community advocate, and a proud Chicana. Her family has been rooted in the Latine community since her grandparents arrived as teenage migrant workers. Guided by values of family and servant leadership, Sierra is honored to serve on the Board of Trustees for Sofia Quintero Art Cultural Center-an organization meaningful to her family through both celebrations and times of grief. She is committed to advancing SQACC’s mission by

building connections, fostering community support, and welcoming new individuals and

families to experience the center’s philanthropic garden, vibrant Latine arts

programming, and Nana’s Kitchen.

Board Member

PhD, LPCC, Kezia Carpenter is a South Toledo native who returned to the Midwest after nearly a decade living in the Republic of Panama. She is an assistant professor of education at Calumet College of St. Joseph, an interdisciplinary humanities adjunct professor for Florida State University Panamá, and a research advisor for A Picture’s Worth. Over the past 25 years, she has trained educators and helped innovate education and community programming. Kezia also serves as a child advocate for The

Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and is a board member for Sofia Quintero Art Cultural Center.

Board Member

Ramón Pérez is a board member of the Sofia Quintero Art Cultural Center and an active leader in Northwest Ohio’s Latino community. He has been involved with the Latino Alliance of Northwest Ohio and organizations including APPS (Direct Immigration

Support and Advocacy), the Fair Housing Center, Solutions for South End Community, Broadway Broadcast, and the Viva Broadway Business Association. Ramón previously worked with the Farm Labor Organizing Committee as an organizer and helped

establish the Homie’s Youth Empowerment Program, a workers’ co-op for underemployed adults, and the Citywide Toledo/Lucas County Community–Law

Enforcement “Code of Conduct.” He was also a catalyst for the establishment of

Adelante in 1995. Ramón attended Bowling Green State University, where he was active in La Unión de Estudiantes Latinos (Latin Student Union). For 17 years, he served as lead community organizer for the One Village Council in North Toledo and

was selected to join a U.S. delegation providing organizing training to youth activists in

Hungary and Romania. He is a social justice writer and contributes occasional articles

to La Prensa.