Farmworker Justice Staff
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Ron Estrada
Chief Executive Officer
Email: restrada@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2521
Ron Estrada is the chief executive officer of Farmworker Justice (FJ), a national advocacy organization for farmworkers. FJ founded in 1981, is based in Washington, D.C., and collaborates with organizations nationwide to empower farm, ranch, dairy, and agriculture workers to improve their wages, working conditions, occupational safety, health, immigration status, and access to justice. Key priorities identified by Estrada include responding to the climate crisis and its impact on national food security by empowering the estimated 4.5 million farmworkers and their families to continue to be active contributors to the US economy and society. Prior to FJ, Estrada was head of government relations and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility for Univision Communications. Based in Washington, D.C., Estrada was responsible for developing and nurturing strong working relationships with community organizations and key local and national stakeholders, including business, non-profit, and government leaders. He directed policy, advocacy, and CSR initiatives for network and local media teams representing 126 broadcast and radio stations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Estrada is a co-founder of the Univision Foundation, an international nonprofit foundation serving Mexico and the United States. He has also served as a senior executive for UnidosUS and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Estrada serves and has served on various boards, including the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, National Food Museum, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Marriott International Association Advisory Board, National Park Foundation’s American Latino Heritage Fund, and the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Staff listing below, in alphabetical order.
Antonio Chaurand
Communications Specialist
Email: achaurand@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2528
Antonio Chaurand joined Farmworker Justice in 2023 as the Communications Specialist. He oversees all communications for the organization, including newsletters, press releases, website content, e-blasts and social media. Antonio graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University with a Bachelors in Communications and concentration in Journalism.
Previously, Antonio worked for Maryland Nonprofits as part of a coalition called the Mid-Atlantic Latinx Vaccine Equity Coalition (MALVEC). Antonio created the social media and outreach for the coalition, as well as managed plans of communications.
After his time with Maryland Nonprofits, he worked with El Tiempo Latino/El Planeta Media, a Latino newspaper based in the Washington D.C/New England area. Antonio was brought on to create and develop a new brand (La Cascara) with the blend of sports, culture, news and overall relatability to a new young Latino audience.
Antonio’s prior experience brings a new and exciting element to Farmworker Justice.
Madeline Flynn, Attorney at Law
Legal Fellow
Email: mflynn@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2520
Alexis Guild, MPP
Vice President of Strategy and Programs
Email: aguild@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2534
Alexis Guild joined Farmworker Justice in 2011. In her role as Vice President of Strategy and Programs, she coordinates FJ’s policy advocacy and programmatic work and is a member of the leadership team. Alexis co-authored “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Implementation and Impact of the Affordable Care Act in U.S. Farmworker Communities” published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (2016); and “The Neighbors Who Feed Us: Farmworkers and Government Policy – Challenges and Solution” published in the Harvard Law and Policy Review (2018). Alexis has extensive experience in public health and community organizing. She worked on political campaigns and at grassroots organizations. She also served as a Health Education Volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala. She received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Wellesley College. Alexis lives in Oakland, California.
Karin Hong, SHRM-SCP
Interim Director of Finance & Operations
Email: karin@farmworkerjustice.org
Karin Hong joined Farmworker Justice in 2024 as the Interim Director of Finance & Operations. She has dual expertise both in finance and human resources, and over 15 years experience in the nonprofit sector. In some of her prior roles, she served as the Interim Chief Financial Officer and also as the Director of HR and Operations. As a consultant, she enjoys helping her non-profit clients improve their finance, HR, and operational processes. Her expertise includes financial reporting, budgeting, grant administration, payroll processing, recruiting, administering benefits, and employee handbook/ policy revisions.
Ms. Hong has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Georgia State University where she graduated summa cum laude. She also has her SHRM-SCP certification (Society of Human Resources Management- Senior Certified Professional) since 2019. Ms. Hong has a passion for environmental and social justice issues, and takes great pleasure in helping non-profit organizations thrive and fulfill their mission.
Lori J. Johnson, Attorney at Law
Legal Director/Senior Attorney
Email: ljohnson@farmworkerjustice.org
Lori Johnson joins Farmworker Justice as the Legal Director/Senior Attorney after teaming with Farmworker Justice beginning in 2023 as a legal consultant. She was previously positioned with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s statewide Farmworker Unit (FWU), where she became Managing Attorney in 2015, and provided high quality representation of farmworkers on employment, health, and immigration-related matters. From bringing litigation to end a devastating employee blacklist to assisting survivors of human trafficking, she has represented farmworkers in many federal and state court cases and administrative claims. She has also engaged in and prioritized a community education program for farmworkers. She had been with Legal Aid of North Carolina and its predecessors since 1997 and is licensed to practice in North Carolina.
A native of Wisconsin, she received her BA in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and her JD from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nina Kanakarajavelu, MPH
Project Director, Health Promotion
Email: nkana@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2522
Nina Kanakarajavelu joined Farmworker Justice in 2021 as the Project Director for Health Promotion. Previously, Nina has managed programs related to pandemic preparedness, global workforce development, and health systems strengthening. She is committed to a rights-based approach to expanding health access and improving health outcomes in farmworker communities.
Nina received her MPH with a concentration in International Health and Development at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and also holds a Masters in Human Rights from Brandeis University.
Tharma Philogene
Finance & Operations Specialist
Email: tphilogene@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2523
Tharma joined Farmworker Justice in 2024 as the Finance and Operations Specialist. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Baltimore, where she graduated Cum Laude, and an associate degree in business administration from Montgomery College, where she received the Spirit of Service Award. In her professional journey, she has held key roles such as General Assistant (Finance) at the University of Baltimore, Chief Executive Officer/Founder of G&B in Silver Spring, MD, and Consulting Analyst at DIFFvelopment in Newark, NJ. Her impact is evident in orchestrating financial information, conducting research, modeling, and forecasting to empower data-driven decision-making. She is fluent in English, French, Haitian Creole (Native), and has a basic proficiency in Spanish.
Rebecca Young, MA
Director of Programs
Email: ryoung@farmworkerjustice.org
Office Number: (202) 800-2531
Rebecca Young joined Farmworker Justice in Washington, DC in 2010 and currently serves as the Director of Programs. Rebecca’s had the opportunity to engage with farmworker communities across the United States and finds continued inspiration for her work through the stories the farmworkers and their families so willingly share. Through her work in program management and training and curriculum development she interacts frequently with promotores de salud (health outreach workers) on health content areas as varied as pesticide safety, heat stress prevention, and HIV/AIDS awareness to name just a few. Her work in these areas is steeped in the philosophy of popular education which allows for participants of a wide variety of educational, cultural and linguistic backgrounds to understand and interact with training content in a meaningful and memorable way. Prior to joining Farmworker Justice Rebecca spent 7 years living in the rural Western Highlands of Guatemala. There she worked at a language school and envisioned a bookstore/cafe which also provided space for after-school projects for kids and literacy projects for women. Rebecca holds a MA in Sustainable Development and Social Justice from the School for International Training and a BA in Anthropology and English from Bowdoin College.
Paloma Zuleta
Director of Development and Communications
Email: pzuleta@farmworkerjustice.org
Paloma joined Farmworker Justice in 2024 as the Director of Development and Communications. Prior to joining Farmworker Justice, Paloma served as interim Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Media Relations Director for Power to Decide. Paloma’s professional background also includes Director of Communications for the League of United Latin American Citizens, Director of Strategic Alliances at DCI Group, Deputy Director of Public Policy for The Campaign for High School Equity as well as Legislative Assistant/Acting Communications Director for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Paloma holds a Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.