Administration
Rosamaria Murillo, Ph.D., LMSW – Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Murillo joined El Buen as its Chief Executive Officer in July 2019. As a recognized public health advocate with extensive experience in public policy, higher education, nonprofit and government management, for more than 25 years she has led within different systems to develop, implement, and strengthen services for underserved communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the School of Business at Our Lady of the Lake, a Master of Social Work degree from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Murillo has served as a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas State where she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses focusing on social justice, policy, nonprofit management, program development, organizational leadership, public administration and child welfare.
Lillian Acosta – Executive Assistant
Lillian provides support to the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors and has been with El Buen since 2013. She brings over twenty years of office administration and management experience. Prior to El Buen, she was the office administrator for a nation-wide engineering & technical services firm. She also served as an assistant in Regulatory and Environmental Affairs at the Lower Colorado River Authority. Lillian is a proud native Austinite, has two children and four fur babies. She loves to travel and can often be found cheering for the Texas Longhorns in any sport setting.
Elizabeth LeFlore – Director of Development and Communications
Elizabeth is a cultural anthropologist with experience and leadership in grant writing and management, strategic planning, communication, and resource development. She holds a doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining El Buen, Elizabeth worked with non-profit organizations and universities writing and managing grants, conducting research, planning cross-organization initiatives, and engaging diverse communities. In pursuing her anthropology degree and professional career, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Spain, and Tanzania. A native Texan, Austin has been her home for the last 20 years. Elizabeth loves spending time outside with her husband and 11-year-old daughter.
Luis Garcia – Director of Data & Technology
Luis manages El Buen’s technology infrastructure and data reporting. He was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico and graduated from Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon with a degree in Electronic and Communications Engineering. He moved to the U.S. in 2008 and has lived in Houston, North Carolina and New Jersey. After settling in Austin, Luis joined El Buen in 2014. In his spare time, Luis can be found running around Austin or camping with his family.
Sara DuPont– Associate Director of Program Strategy/Special Projects
Sara manages El Buen’s strategic planning initiatives. Previously, she led fundraising and communications efforts for El Buen. Sara has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and discovered her passion for helping others while working to establish a school at an orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania. She began her nonprofit career working as a STEM educator and community coordinator at a children’s museum and later transitioned to fundraising for institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden. She loves to travel and has taught English as a Second Language in Hong Kong. Sara and her husband Jules, a French national, moved to Austin to put down roots in 2018. Sara enjoys cooking, practicing yoga, playing with her two Siamese kittens and brushing up on her French.
Roxanna Fuentes – Volunteer Engagement & Special Events Coordinator
Roxanna recruits and trains volunteers and oversees special events for El Buen’s programs. She is a first-generation college graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in biology and minor in rhetoric and writing. Roxanna was born and raised in Penitas, Texas, a border city along the Rio Grande Valley, and growing up she traveled yearly with her family as migrant labor workers from Texas to New York and Michigan. She’s passionate about working with nonprofits and families and has been involved with Planned Parenthood and Global Medical Brigades in Central America. Roxanna is bilingual in English and Spanish, which enables her to engage with volunteers, clients and students to welcome and empower them.
Natalia Martinez – Communications
Natalia manages El Buen’s online presence as well as provides operational support for the basic needs department. She relocated to Austin from the Rio Grande Valley six years ago to study Communication with a focus in Public Relations and Advertising at St. Edward’s University. Prior to joining El Buen, Natalia’s professional experience includes case management and marketing in the legal field. The need for access to education, health and other basic need services inspired her to volunteer for El Buen and join the organization. She is bilingual and appreciates the opportunities to engage with the Hispanic community through the organization. She enjoys spending time on trails by Lady Bird Lake or at Barton Springs with her dog.
Operations
Sandra Freitag – Director of Finance and Operations
Sandra oversees finance, operations and human resources and has been with El Buen for 15 years. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and received TANO’s Nonprofit Leadership and Management Certificate in 2009. Sandra has more than 40 years of experience in business management and is a successful entrepreneur, having established and managed two prosperous businesses since 1981. Sandra loves watching Aggie sporting events and spending time with her five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She has served as pianist and organist of her church for 61 years and also plays for the Elgin Community Choir.
Maria Gomez – Administrative Assistant
Maria assists the Director of Finance & Operations. Prior to this role, she was El Buen’s receptionist for ten years and worked directly with clients to provide helpful resources and customer support. She continues to provide support to the front desk, allowing her to maintain the relationships she has built with students, volunteers and food pantry clients over the years. Maria grew up in southern Wisconsin, spending time outdoors fishing and camping with family. Her outdoor adventures continue with her husband and two sons, and they enjoy fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, snowboarding and even attend MLB, NFL & NBA games together.
Patricia Reynaga– Administrative Support Specialist/Receptionist
Mimi mans the front desk and is the first face clients see when they come to El Buen. She was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico where she attended and graduated Universidad Regiomontana with a bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and started her own catering business. After moving to Austin, she worked as a nanny, personal chef and nonprofit coordinator in various organizations. Mimi enjoys working at El Buen and getting to know staff, clients, volunteers, partners and donors on an equal footing.
Alejandro Del Valle Campos– Facilities Manager
Alejandro is the Ffacilities Mmanager, and oversees … El Buen’s building and grounds maintenance. He was born to Mexican immigrants, and always strives to understand all that he knows. Alejandro has a degree in construction management and business management from Texas State University. He joined the Army in 2005 and went to Iraq in 2006. Alejandro got out the Army in 2019 and decided to pursue a career in serving humans spiritually with acts of service physically.
Gloria Sigala– Custodial Day Porter
Gloria has been with El Buen for four years and has over 17 years’ experience in the cleaning industry. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, she is the second daughter of a family of five children. She enjoys her job and being able to serve the community. Her pride and joy are her children and grandchildren, and she has been happily married for 35 years.
Education
Isabel Bernal– Family Literacy Program Supervisor<
Isabel manages El Buen’s Family Literacy programs which include adult ESL, computer literacy, basic education classes and youth programs. Prior to this role, she coordinated the Digital Literacy program. Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, Isabel was raised in Austin and became a U.S. citizen in 2011. She received her associate degree in applied science from ITT Technical Institute and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ashford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. Isabel began her nonprofit career as an AmeriCorps member working with families and children in the PALS program, where she realized her passion for nonprofit work focused on family education. She is a wife and mother of three beautiful children and spends her spare time with her family and working as a professional photographer.
Sage Harrison– Assistant Program Coordinator, Adult Education
Sage helps to coordinate El Buen’s Adult Education Program. Originally from a tiny rural town in New Jersey, she moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. After graduation, she served a term of AmeriCorps working with the nonprofit Literacy First as a Reading Tutor in an elementary school. There she realized that she not only had a passion for teaching but also for the exchange of knowledge. She loves learning new things and sharing her knowledge with other people. At El Buen, she uses her English and Spanish skills to engage and motivate students and volunteers. Her favorite hobbies include practicing yoga, enjoying the sunshine and traveling to new places any chance she gets.
Jenna Scott– Master Teacher
Jenna teaches English as a Second Language classes in the Adult Education Program. She was born and raised in Corpus Christi and earned her bachelor’s degree in Global Affairs at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Before coming to El Buen, she worked with a political campaign manager that specialized in canvassing. This led her to aspire to Foreign Service for the United States. After experiencing teaching at El Buen as an AmeriCorps member, her goals have adjusted to one day serve as a Foreign Service Officer with a focus on Education.
Brooke Rinehart – Master Teacher
Brooke has been an Americorps ESL teacher to adults at El Buen Samaritano since August 2020. She earned her B.A. in Literature and Writing Studies at the University of California- San Marcos. She received her M. Ed in ESL and Bilingual Education at the American College of Education. She has taught ESL to various ages, from kindergarten to adults, in France, Turkey, South Korea, and Italy. She is very excited to be serving at El Buen Samaritano and helping her students to master the English language.
Fernanda Rivera – Youth Development Coordinator
Fernanda works with our youth in the Afterschool and Summer Camp Programs. She is currently finishing up her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at Texas State University. Having grown up in the Latin community in Houston, she believes it is her purpose to better assist kids within this underserved population. Her future plans include getting a master’s degree in Student Affairs and eventually getting to teach abroad.
Elizabeth Rodriguez – Youth Development Coordinator
Elizabeth is a Youth Development Coordinator for the 4th-5th grade group. Elizabeth is a first-generation University Graduate earning her Bachelor of Social Work from Texas State University. Elizabeth has a passion for advocacy and has experience working with disenfranchised groups. Her experience in the field ranges from hospice care as a volunteer to interning at a women's shelter as a legal advocate. Her experience has enabled her to become a proponent in validating others and advocating for self-care. When not advocating or working to support others, Elizabeth spends her time with her family, friends, and cats. She loves to garden and collect new plants for her collection.
Gerardo Martinez – Youth Development Coordinator
Gerardo is a Youth Development Coordinator who oversees the 6th-7th grade group. Gerardo is a first-generation college graduate. He has earned an Associates of Social Work from San Antonio college and has earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Texas State University. Gerardo has been working in the non-profit sector for over five years in multiple capacities. His experience ranges from working with underserved populations to meet their needs to supporting families and children in resolving issues. He is constantly seeking out new ways to empower others. Gerardo has a passion working with children and families. He hopes to one day to open a non-profit organization of his own.
Emilio Romero – Youth Tutor
Emilio supervises youth in the Afterschool and Summer Camp Programs. He is currently studying psychology and nonprofit management, and his personal love of fitness has given him the drive to become a personal trainer. As a proud Mexican American, he also has a passion for mental and physical health and serving his community. Emilio has already invested ten years of his life giving back to his community through several nonprofit organizations around Texas. He has managed to fuse his passion for service and fitness by working with organizations that primarily support communities through sports and other physical activities. Emilio knows that helping others is always going to be a part of whatever he does.
Will Lavallo – Assistant Program Coordinator, Adult Education
Will helps to coordinate El Buen’s Adult Education Program. He grew up in Austin and attended the University of Texas at Austin. After college Will worked with several non-profit organizations in Austin and at the state legislature before going to teach English in Costa Rica for a year. He has a passion for public interest work and helping improve the Austin community and is excited about using his Spanish language skills to help engage with students. Will loves spending time outside hiking, riding his bike, and playing soccer.
Health Literacy
Amanda Doenges– Associate Director, Health Literacy
Amanda oversees health literacy programming for El Buen, which includes the food pantry, community garden and community health worker programming and bilingual training center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Southwestern University. Amanda brings with her a diverse range of experience working as a bilingual programs and development professional, including her time serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in urban Nicaragua working with youth and community leaders to develop outreach and education programming. She has worked with various international nonprofits to establish and maintain robust corporate donor portfolios. Amanda is proud to call Austin home, and she enjoys exploring the beautiful hill country as well as new State parks with her pup, Ballou, and eating her way through Austin with friends and family.
David Bustamante– Project Manager
David manages El Buen’s strategic collaboration initiatives with clinic partner Lone Star Circle of Care. In the past, he has managed health literacy programs for El Buen. David holds a master’s in Wellness Management from Ball State University and a bachelor’s in Human Resources and Marketing from Purdue University. A strong believer in providing high-quality and affordable healthcare to all, David has over a decade of experience implementing a variety of public health projects, including mobile food pantries that offer produce to families in food deserts and serving as a contributing editor discussing LGTBQ+ care along the cancer continuum. David’s hobbies include attending various fashion weeks via YouTube, visiting art museums for inspiration and supporting LGBTQ+ artists. He is passionate about being of service and laughing.
Rosa Carroll– Basic Needs Coordinator
Rosa coordinates all activities for El Buen’s access to food programs, including the food pantry and community garden. Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, she moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. Rosa first came to El Buen as an ESL student, then started volunteering and eventually working part-time as a Promotora de Salud (community health worker) teaching Comenzando Bien, prenatal classes and cooking classes around Austin. In 2007 she became El Buen’s Basic Needs Coordinator. Rosa enjoys promoting healthy choices and nutrition education to food pantry clients. In her free time, she enjoys seeing live music and spending time with family and friends.
Juan Rosa– Community Health Worker Supervisor
Juan supervises our community health workers and is the instructor for El Buen’s Community Health Worker Leadership Institute. He has coordinated community outreach programs at El Buen for 12 years, has been a certified community health worker (CHW) since 2013 and has been certified to train CHWs since 2016. Born and raised in El Salvador, Juan found his calling for helping others when he experienced firsthand the hardships many of El Buen’s clients face after he became a client himself. He pulls from his experience with migrant farm worker communities when facilitating health classes in the community. Juan enjoys teaching others about healthy living, playing soccer, watching documentaries and traveling with his family.
Martha Lujan– Community Health Worker
As a Community Health Worker, one of Martha’s goals is to be able to reach and provide education to the community about resources available to help break the cycle of poverty. She was born and raised in El Paso and has an associate degree in Culinary Arts as well as a state certification in Mental Health Peer Support. She considers it a great honor to be able to walk alongside communities as they work to transform their lives and hopes to one day start her own nonprofit. She has volunteered for prison ministry and facilitated in surrounding institutions for over 10 years.
Anita Swayze– Community Health Worker
Anita serves El Buen’s Women’s Health Program, educating women about reproductive health and family planning. She is a native Texan originally from the Rio Grande Valley. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Pathology and Special Education for Early Childhood from Sam Houston State University and began her career in public health at UT Southwestern Medical School’s Division of Maternal Health and Family Planning as a Health Educator. Since relocating to Austin, Anita has consulted on college campus-based HIV/STI education programs and served as a trainer and consultant to STD Public Health Follow Up programs in Texas.