Colleen Puentes is a former teacher and educator who started teaching in 1993 in a predominantly Vietnamese and Latinx school district. From the start, her career has centered on program development and making learning accessible for immigrants, second language learners, and ethnically diverse individuals. Colleen is currently the Director of the Empowerment and Leadership for Youth and Young Adults (ELY) program and a Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant at Interface Network. She believes a comprehensive and effective DEI action plan goes beyond training. Colleen has decades of experience helping organizations conduct cultural audits, focus groups, staff development training, and strategic planning for private and public sector clients. She will help you customize training and technical assistance to better serve unique clients, increase productivity, and improve customer satisfaction.

Esther Puentes is the owner and president of Interface Network since 1986. She is also the Fiscal Manager of the Empowerment and Leadership for Youth and Young Adults (ELY) program since 2009. Esther has successfully worked with the private and public sectors for 36 years providing technical assistance, training, conducting needs assessments, focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, and cultural audits. She is passionate about providing high-quality outreach, engagement, and training services for BIPOC communities. She has spent the last 28 years providing training and consulting services for diverse markets at local, national, and international levels. Esther has decades of experience providing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-based technical assistance and training, outreaching to Latinx and other diverse communities, facilitating needs assessments and focus groups targeting Latinx communities, and developing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) action plans for private businesses, public agencies, and community-based organizations. Esther has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in Bicultural Education from San Jose State University. She also holds a teaching credential from the state of California.

Saul Hernandez Jr. was born in Whittier, California. He is a proud son of immigrant parents from Michoacan, Mexico and is the oldest of two siblings. He grew up in Southern California until 2016 when he moved to Salem, Oregon to attend Sprague High School. As a first-generation Chicano student, he graduated in 2020. During his summers as a high school student, Saul worked from farm fields to blue-collar jobs. He attended Willamette University for a year and then pursued a lifestyle of helping young and adult Latino families at Mano a Mano Family Center in Salem, Oregon. His roles ranged from being a food bank coordinator to helping families with services in food, housing, health, etc. Currently, Saul is an assistant soccer coach at South Salem High School and works as a Career & Education Coach at ELY. Growing up Hispanic has given him an appreciation for the rich and diverse culture of his community and has motivated him to give back. He believes in impacting young adults and empowering them to realize their full potential, regardless of their background. Helping them believe in their abilities and pursue their passions is one of the many wonders in life. "If you can change your mind, you can change your life" - William James.

Marin Arreola has spent the last 25 years implementing workforce development, business development, youth development, and health equity programs that serve diverse communities – receiving recognition from President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush for his work promoting economic development and workforce opportunities in Latinx communities in California and throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has worked with OHSU, Hoffman Construction, Microsoft, and dozens of other organizations. Marin has served on a number of boards and commissions that promote equity, including Governor Kate Brown’s Racial Justice Council, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, and Garten Services Board, which creates employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Marin is one of the founding fathers of the Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity started at California Polytechnic State University in 1989 to create leadership and philanthropy opportunities for Latinx college students.