Andy Wilson is a bilingual father of three bilingual young adults who spent over 10 years living abroad in Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Cambodia.

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He grew up in Palo Alto, California and was educated at Vassar College and New York University, where he received his MPA. Andy has worked as a Community Reinvestment Officer for Fuji bank in NYC; he ran the prestigious Coro Fellows Program for Leadership in Public Affairs in NYC; and, he worked six years in Santo Domingo as an International Baccalaureate teacher of Theory of Knowledge and World History.

He began his current position with Communities is Schools because he is passionate about learning, education, and the wellbeing of children around the world. WWIRC aligns perfectly with his interest in human rights and social justice. 

Andy owns two tabby cats: Scout and Phoenix, who are very entertaining. His personal motto is to ‘Live love.’ In his spare time, Andy enjoys singing, theater, films, nature walks, any water activity, and dining with friends and family.

As a lifelong resident of the Walla Walla Valley, Amanda uses her deep involvement in the community to guide her work as Blue Mountain Action Council's Commitment to Community, Engagement Coordinator.

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Her six years at BMAC have allowed her to drive the facilitation of community resources and put the needs of the community first. Amanda’s passion for amplifying stories and working with families has led her to lead workshops on finances, leadership, and lobbying. Her Leadership Council travels to Olympia once a year to advocate for community needs.

In her spare time, Amanda co-owns a small business in downtown Walla Walla with her sister. The mother of two adult children and a nine-month-old puppy, Amanda is also proud to call herself the favorite tia. Her weekends are spent escaping to the peaceful Jubilee Lake to enjoy paddle boarding with her husband.  

As one of the first members of the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition, Celia has dedicated her life to championing the rights and protections of the immigrant community.

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As a growing sense of urgency in securing immigrant safety came to Walla Walla, Celia was an early advocate for WWIRC’s hotline and service to the community.

Celia currently works with the YWCA and their Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, connecting survivors to culturally appropriate support and mobile advocacy. Her work is informed by her time spent as a Promotora for Amigas Unidas. She hosts a weekly support group for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, providing support for grief and mental health. The group uses art therapy and storytelling. 

Celia and her husband are the proud parents of five adult children and love to spend time with their eight grandkids. In her limited free time, Celia runs the family’s taco truck and enjoys gardening. 

Celia’s life’s goal is to empower women to lead their lives with strength and justice.

A resident of the Walla Walla Valley for over twenty-five years, Christian’s passion for immigrant rights is shaped by his own experiences gaining citizenship.

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His own network of support and resources inspired him to find ways to offer access for others. Christian is deeply interested in how technology can improve the citizenship process and hopes to use his background in IT to support WWIRC’s mission and advocacy.

Christian lives with his wife in Milton Freewater and is eager to expand the resources available in the Oregon side of the Valley. 

Outside of his work, Christian enjoys Magic the Gathering, a game with a long history in the Valley, and spending time with his wife.

Mary has worn several hats in her life. Born in Los Angeles, CA, Mary grew up as a dancer in a family of singers.

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She trained in Architecture and met her husband Paul while abroad in Denmark. While married, the couple moved around for Paul’s work. While living on Vashon Island, Mary found her calling working for the local food bank, providing food and other social services to the immigrant and working class families in the area. This work inspired her connection with WWIRC when her husband became the pastor at Pioneer United Methodist Church. Mary believes access to healthcare is a principal need within the community and has enjoyed seeing the connections to healthcare the coalition has done for the immigrant community in the Walla Walla Valley.

The proud mom to three adult children, Mary fills her days with yoga, meditative cleaning, and serving on church society boards.

Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Maria has spent the last twenty-two years in Walla Walla.

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Her educational background is in business administration. She has spent much of her life volunteering and then teaching in Walla Walla schools, as they introduced the dual language program. She then went on to teach at the Walla Walla Community College, teaching GED courses. Her time working so closely with students at WWCC led her to creating programs for community connection and social navigation.

Maria served as Walla Walla’s first Promotora de Salud and she uses her experience in her present work as the Manager of Equity & Collective Impact at Greater Health Now by supporting the work of nine Promotoras in the state. Maria is a fierce advocate for immigrant rights. 

She has been married for twenty-one years and has twin children. In her spare time, she cares for her niece and nephew, listens to audiobooks about community engagement, and she enjoys painting landscapes.

Born in Mexico and the daughter of two immigrants, Maria has been a resident of Walla Walla for over twenty years.

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Her experiences have shaped the work that brings her joy and have led her to always look for opportunities that would offer her a way to better connect with people in the community. She currently serves as the Social Service Coordinator for the Salvation Army, a position that has shown her the unique needs of the Walla Walla community. 

The vision of WWIRC excites her, a world where all immigrants, refugees, and their families feel welcome and supported, and she is eager to advocate and connect the community with information and legal resources. 

The Union-Bulletin recognized her amazing work by naming her one of their 39 under 39 in the community. Maria believes strongly that the best work is the work that fills your bucket and the work that fulfills you will often be the work that makes the most social impact. 

Maria considers herself very adventurous and loves spending time outdoors kayaking, wakeboarding, and snowmobiling. She enjoys spending time with family and watching her two daughters dance ballet Folklorico, and feels very proud of them for embracing their heritage.

Ivone Guillen is a first-generation Latina immigrant raised in Washington State. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from American University in D.C.

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Ivone recently joined the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families to serve as the Racial Equity and Social Justice Administrator. Prior to working with DCYF, she led an immigrant advocacy initiative with the Broetje Family Trust aimed at reaching and supporting local immigrant communities. This experience was preceded by a tenure in Washington D.C. working for Bread for the World, Sojourners, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development to advocate for social change and policy that embraces, protects, and equips underserved communities in the United States. Her background ranges from strategic planning, public affairs, social justice, advocacy, and communications to extensive project management experience working with diverse communities on a range of efforts including those that relate to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, relationship building, community outreach, and training.  

In her spare time, Ivone enjoys spending time with her family and young daughter. She currently serves as chair of the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition.