Our Staff
Jose Duran
Executive Director
HOPE’s executive director, Jose Duran, has provided organizational, staff and program development leadership since 1989. Following a one-year research fellowship in the 1982-83 MIT Community Fellows Program, Mr. Duran earned a Master in City Planning degree in 1985 from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 1972 from the California State University at Northridge. Prior to coming to HOPE as executive director, Mr. Duran served as a consultant to HOPE in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the HOPE Hispanic Leadership Development Program and the HOPE Developing a Latino Voice Project in 1987 through 1988. Mr. Duran has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the AIDS ACTION COMMITTEE of Massachusetts, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), Mass Human Services Coalition, and currently terms on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) and the Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at The University of Massachusetts (UMASS) Boston and the Executive Directors Steering Committee of the Latino After School Initiative (LASI). Mr. Duran has taught community planning, social differences, race/ethnicity/class, and ethics courses for 15 years as an adjunct faculty in the graduate and undergraduate programs in the College of Public and Community Service of the UMASS Boston.
Haner Hernandez, M.Ed., CADAC II, LADC I
Senior Deputy Executive Director
Mr. Hernandez earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Springfield College and a Master of Education with concentrations in Counseling Psychology and Addiction Studies from Cambridge College in Massachusetts. Haner is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His major is in Community Health Education and his minor is in Social Justice Education. In addition, Mr. Hernandez holds an advance Certification in Drug and Alcohol Counseling at the reciprocal level and is licensed in Massachusetts. Haner has worked for over 20 years in the human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating youth and adult direct health services, peer education and leadership development programs for the Latino community. Furthermore, he provides training, technical assistance and support to organizations that provide addiction and recovery services to the Latino population. Haner has been employed at HOPE since 1990 and is currently Senior Deputy Executive Director. Haner is a person in recovery from addiction and has served as faculty at the New England School of Addiction Studies since 1998. Mr. Hernandez serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Board for Voluntary Certification of Drug and Alcohol Counselors and was appointed to the Springfield Public Health Council in 2006.
Boston
Maria Alamo
Senior Staff Associate-Community Health Promotion and Prevention
Maria Alamo was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and moved to Massachusetts 15 years ago. She attended Roxbury Community College and graduated with an Associate of Art in Social Science. Ms. Alamo is a well-known and respected community activist, and has been involved in community organizing for 11 years. During this period Maria has developed effective networks of community leaders, local businesses, non- profit organizations, media, municipal and state agencies. She has been recipient of numerous awards and honors, such as the Crime fighter of the Year Award (National Crime Watch) and two Community Service Awards (Boston Police Department and Massachusetts House of Representatives). She served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Brook View House, President of the Forbes Street Crime Watch Committee, member of the Advisory Committee of Hennigan Community School, member of the Chelsea Latino Task Force, Board member of the Theatre Zone in Chelsea, past Trustee of the Jamaica Plain Trust Fund. Maria currently serves as the Program Director for ¿OISTE?, The Massachusetts Latino Political Organization, which among other efforts focuses upon impacting public policy through public education and civic engagement of Massachusetts’ Latino population. She concurrently works at HOPE as a Senior Staff Associate for Community Health Promotion and Prevention. Previously, as Director of the PLENA Program at HOPE, Maria successfully increased community participation in the HIV and drug abuse awareness program by 75% within the first nine months.
Gina Augustine
Deputy Director-Fiscal Operations
Gina Augustine is responsible for HOPE’s accounting and financial activities. She has worked at HOPE since 1995. Ms. Augustine holds her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting from Bryant University.
Rhina Betances
General Administrative/Program support Assistant and Boston Receptionist
Rhina Betances is Dominican, and she went to Cathedral High School in Boston’s
South End. She has provided general program assistance since September of 2005.
Jorge Duran
Facilities and Maintenance Manager
Jorge was born in the Dominican Republic, and he went to Lawrence High School.
He has worked at HOPE since 1993.
Israel Flores
Assistant Director of Community Health Promotion and Prevention
Israel Flores has worked at HOPE since 1995. He currently serves as the Assistant Director for Community Health Promotion and Prevention and as the Director of the Pedro Zamora Center—a drop-in center for Latino families living with HIV/AIDS. Mr. Flores is responsible for coordinating and facilitating groups utilizing the CDC-approved Healthy Relationship curriculum with goals such as: reducing stress, increasing coping skills, developing self efficacy, learning prevention and supporting individuals regarding disclosure. He also co-facilitates a weekly support group and provides individualized HIV peer support as needed, with significant amount of experience in developing and delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate services for the Latino community. He is well known and respected in the HIV/AIDS care community.
Paige Matthews
Director of Resource Development and Communication
Paige Matthews holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication, with a focus on Public Relations and Spanish, from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked at the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation (HOPE) for three years, where she started as a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) tutor, then became a College Readiness Adviser and is now the Director of Resource Development and Communication.
Jeffrey Muñoz
Assistant Director of Community Health Promotion and Prevention
Jeffrey graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, with a degree in Liberal Arts and Psychology. Jeffrey participated in HOPE’s Poder Latino program when he was a teen, and he now co-directs the program.
Mayra Ortolaza
Assistant Director of Community Health Promotion and Prevention
Mayra Ortolaza was born in Puerto Rico, and she moved to Lawrence soon after. She went to Lawrence High School and graduated from Northeastern University in 2004, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in sociology. At HOPE, she co-directs the Poder Latino program.
Madeline Pagan
Peer Facilitator
Madeline Pagan became an associate at HOPE’s Centro Pedro Zamora in 2005. She is now a Peer Facilitator for Centro Pedro Zamora.
Zaskya Perez
HOPE For Youth After School Program Coordinator
Zaskya Perez holds her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, with a focus on Literature and Elementary Education, from Wheelock College. At HOPE, she designs and develops after school programming with the interest of improving student performance in school and facilitating social-cognitive development.
Coatrisquie Rodriguez
Youth Health Promoter/College Readiness Advisor
Coatrisquie Rodriguez is Puerto Rican and was born in Chelsea, MA. She went to Chelsea High School and graduated from Emerson College with a major in Writing, Literature and Publishing, and a minor in Public Relations.
Edgar Salazar
Network and Computer Systems Administrator
Edgar Salazar earned a Bachelor degree in Sistematización de Datos from Universidad Jorge
Tadeo Lozano in Bogota, Colombia, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer
Science from Northeastern University in Boston. Edgar has worked for over eight
years in the Information Technology field. He designs, installs, configures
and maintains network and computer systems. He is also responsable for the
reliable day-to-day operation of computer workstations, networking hardware,
printers and other peripherals, as well as operating system software and
user applications. Edgar has been employed at HOPE since 2003 as a Network
and Computer Systems Administrator/HOPE-Timothy Smith Community Technology
Center Manager. Edgar is the first in his family to earn a university degree.
Elizabeth Sanchez
PLENA Program Coordinator
Elizabeth Sanchez was born in New York and raised in Boston. She is of Puerto Rican Decent and attended the Boston Public Schools. Elizabeth came to HOPE as an associate of El Centro Pedro Zamora. Shortly after, Ms. Sanchez volunteered for El Centro Pedro Zamora and then she began a part time position in El Centro. Today, Ms. Sanchez is the Program Coordinator for Promotores Latino/as Educando a Nuestoro/as Amistades (PLENA) and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cambridge College.
Noemy Vides
Promotora de Salud
Noemy Vides holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from the University of Massachusetts (UMASS), Boston in Boston, MA. She is currently pursing a Master of Education in School Guidance from the UMASS, Boston. She has a variety of work experience in urban settings involving children, youth and families. She began her work at HOPE as a College Readiness Advisor, and is now a Promotora de Salud (Health Advocate), and coordinates workshops within the Health Disparities program.
Lawrence
Josefina Estévez
GEAR UP Coordinator
Josefina Estévez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration in accounting from the University of Southern New Hampshire. She began working at HOPE in 2004, as an Education Talent Search Advisor for Leonard and South Lawrence East Middle School, and at Lawrence High School. She then became a Education Talent Search Managing Advisor, and she is now a GEAR UP coordinator at South Lawrence Middle School, where she works with approximately 300 students in 7th and 8th grade.
Teresa Fajardo
GEAR UP Coordinator
Teresa Fajardo was born in the Dominican Republic. She was the first generation in her family to attend college. She attended the Autonoma University of Santo Domingo, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. In 1985 she moved to Lawrence, then she started to learn English at Northern Essex Community College. In 1991, she started working at the HOPE as an Educational Advisor in the Talent Search Program. Currently she is still at HOPE working as a Coordinator for the GEAR UP program with 11th and 12th grades at the Lawrence High School. She has a lot of experience working with youth, parents and adults in the Lawrence community.
Geovanna Hamelin
GEAR UP Program Assistant and Lawrence Receptionist
Geovanna Hamelin was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and she moved to Lawrence 29 years ago. After she graduated from high school, she went to Salter School, where she received Medial Assistant training and became a Phlebotomist. She worked in the medical field for a few years, and she is now working for HOPE as the GEAR UP Program Assistant and Receptionist.
Vivian Irrgang
GEAR UP Program Director
Vivian Irrgang is the Director for the HOPE’s GEAR UP Program. She is responsible for general oversight of the GEAR UP Program within a specific school district(s). Her responsibilities include: hiring and supervising GEAR UP staff in all middle and high schools and working closely with school principals/headmasters. Her work is aligned with the school improvement plan.
Mrs. Irrgang has been a GEAR UP Coordinator for four years. In this role, Mrs. Irrgang was responsible for coordinating the academic and career assessment plan for each cohort. Mrs. Irrgang is an associate for the National Council of La Raza, New England Educational Opportunity Association and the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association. Mrs. Irrgang received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and her Master’s degree in Counseling in Psychology from Cambridge College.
Edy Lopez
GEAR UP Program Coordinator
Edy Lopez was educated as an Agronomic Engineer at San Carlos University in Guatemala. While in Guatemala, he worked with the Guatemala Sugar Cane Research Center where he planned, conducted, developed and reported experiments related to water consumption in sugar cane crops. Upon moving to Massachusetts, he became a professional tutor at HOPE, where he provided professional mathematics tutoring for middle and high school students. Mr. Lopez is not a GEAR UP Program Coordinator at HOPE, where he counsels 250 high school students in the GEAR UP program at Lawrence High School.
Ximena Neira
GEAR UP Assistant/Parent Outreach
Ximena Neira was born in Ecuador. She studied Marketing and International Business at the Universidad Tecnologica America in Cuenca, Ecuador, where she obtained her Associates Degree. She came to United States in 2001, where she started working in Physical Therapy & Rehab. For three years she worked as an Assistant, and then she joined HOPE in 2004 as a Tutor-Mentor Coordinator for the GEAR UP/HYTEC Program. After a year, she continued working at HOPE for the Mentoring Program as a Program Assistant. She currently works for HOPE’s GEAR UP Program as an Assistant/Parent outreach.
