Make The Road Nevada is a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our family of organizations hail from the east coast, where they have changed the face of community organizing in immigrant communities and become an immutable force for good. The states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania all bear the fruits of our work, and it is time for Make The Road to make the difference in our communities in the west coast.
Our vision for Nevada begins with building a strong grassroots foundation in Las Vegas and it ends with elevating the power of working class immigrant communities in every community around the state.
We do this by informing, empowering, and mobilizing our community to take action on important issues that directly affect their families and loved ones.
Arriving in the United States when he was seven-days old, Leo Murrieta grew up in Naked City—the community next to the Las Vegas Stratosphere.
Murrieta has dedicated much of his professional career to efforts that make our Latinx community a better place.
Having been involved with youth, Latine, LGBTQ+, education equity, public policy, and advocacy for over a decade, Murrieta brings his experience to Make the Road Nevada.
He is the favorite uncle to his eight smart and wonderful nieces, the husband to an amazing human, and a proud dog dad.
Blanca Macias was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and raised in Utah and Nevada. At fifteen, Macias dropped out of high school but later earned her diploma through adult education. She is currently a finance and accounting student at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) with plans to continue her studies at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV).
Macias spent eleven years as a manager in the private sector, where she led business finance and supported human resources and compliance. In 2012, Macias became heavily involved in volunteering with non profit organizations, and centered on supporting homeless and fostered youth into leadership roles.
Macias enjoys spending time with her little girl and wife. Her life goal is to help create a better world for her daughter to live in, and to teach her that it’s never too late to begin again.
Jen Fleischmann Willoughby joined the Make the Road Nevada team after more than a decade of running political and policy campaigns in Nevada and across the nation.
A long-time rabble rouser who’s been a part of the movement since her youth, she is passionate about building a world where all people have the resources they need to not just survive but thrive.
Fleischmann Willoughby is the mother of a young daughter, wife of a fellow activist, and guardian of many, many pets.
She enjoys spending her free time cooking, reading, and watching musicals.
Audrey Peral was born in Guerrero, Mexico and moved to California when she was only eight days old. Peral experienced the resource disparities working families face and is now dedicated to creating a better future for her son and her community.
Peral earned an associate of arts and associate of science at College of Southern Nevada, and a bachelors degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Driven by her passion to help others, Peral started with us as a volunteer in 2017. Her work in social justice is focused on intersectional issues like environmental and economic equity that negatively impact immigrant communities.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and trying new foods around the world with her son.
Rico Ocampo was born in Zacatepetl, Mexico and immigrated to the United States in 1992. Ocampo is an undocumented/DACAmented grassroots organizer who cares about advancing systematic change for immigrant communities and youth of color.
The loss of his older brother prompted Ocampo to fight against the injustices undocumented families face in the healthcare system and fight for immigration reform. One of his life-long goals is to vote in a United States election.
When Ocampo is not working with immigrant communities, he spends time with his wife and three children. In addition, he also serves as the Director for Anytown Las Vegas, the longest running anti-racist youth program in Nevada.
LaLo Montoya was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and raised in Denver, Colorado. He joins us with numerous years of experience in organizing across Colorado and Nevada, with an emphasis in youth, education, housing, and environmental justice.
Immigration justice, however, is Montoya’s biggest driving force as a DACA recipient. He joined Make the Road Nevada to empower his community into advocating for and achieving policies that improve their quality of life.
When he isn’t working with his comunidad or brainstorming a new icebreaker for his team, you can find Montoya playing the guitar and the accordion or playing video games with his daughter.
Erika Marquez was born in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico. At the age of three, Marquez immigrated to the United States and was raised in California before moving to Nevada in 2007. She is a proud DACA recipient.
Marquez’s fight for justice began early on in her life, starting as early as the second grade. Today, immigration, housing, and economic justice are some of the issues she advocates for. She has witnessed the struggles of stretching out the dollar and believes in a future where no family has to struggle to make ends meet.
When she isn’t working, Marquez enjoys building memories with her husband and her three little ones.
Born and raised in sunny California, Robert Garcia earned his degree in Sociology with a minor in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Merced.
Garcia joins our organization with fiery devotion to his community, human rights, economic justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. Growing up in a low-income household, Garcia now works to help financially struggling families across Nevada. He believes creating a sense of community for these families goes a long way, and he works daily in creating a safe, empathetic space for them.
Aside from his advocacy and community involvement, Garcia enjoys watching films, trying new foods, listening to Jennifer Lopez, and spending time with his friends and family, especially his baby niece, Nora.
Jose Rivera was born in Nayarit, Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of one in his parents’ arms. He grew up in Fontana, California and later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he currently resides.
Rivera is a DACA recipient and has a passion for immigrant LGBTQ+, POC, and youth rights. He has been recently focusing on advocating for climate justice in areas that affect families most. He is also a current student at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), majoring in elementary education in hopes of empowering youth to become involved in the fight.
In his free time, Josie loves to tend to his plants, hang out with his loved ones, and listen to Juan Gabriel and his self-proclaimed tía, Jenni Rivera.
Andy Romero was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Romero joined Make the Road to connect more with his comunidad. Time and time again, Romero witnessed discrimination and little-to-no housing resources for the Latine community, so he’s taking his campaign work by storm.
He has a background in hospitality and has worked all over the strip from housekeeping to banquet and group sales. He has since combined his passion for people and skills at Make the Road to support his committee’s members.
Romero enjoys spending his time with friends and loved ones. He also loves dogs, so never shy away from showing him pictures of your pups!
Alejandra Muñeton-Carrera was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned an English and Spanish degree at the University of Las Vegas before joining us as Operations Associate.
With a passion for uplifting the voices of the Latine comunidad and having personally been impacted by Nevada’s healthcare system, she became our Health Equity Organizer soon after joining us. She also has a deep passion for environmental matters and its interconnection with health.
Muñeton-Carrera enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her dogs and plants, and exploring the outdoors with her partner.
Born in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacán, Mexico, Sotelo-Calderon is a DACAmented activist who deeply cares about immigrant justice and advocates for a pathway to citizenship.
She’s also passionate about the restorative justice movement and has been working closely with it for over five years.
She joins us with an Associate of Arts in English degree from the College of Southern Nevada and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking new recipes at home and making arts and crafts with her best friend.
Frankie Perez was born in Southern California and brought up between Arizona and Nevada. Before joining Make the Road Nevada, Perez served in the United States Air Force for 10 years under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. He was the first out transgender person to serve his military squadron.
Perez has devoted his professional and personal life to advocating for LGBTQ+ people, veterans, and students. This passion earned him his bachelor’s degree in Gender and Sexuality studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2020.
When he’s not advocating for his comunidad, Perez enjoys self-care time at the gym and karaoking with his five adopted children.
Elizabeth Velasquez was born and raised in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States in 2018. Her journey at Make the Road Nevada is a special one, having first started as a member. She later joined our team in 2022.
She first connected with us because she was looking for mental health resources for her family. She continued as a member because of our immigrant justice efforts and because she felt seen, heard, and fought for.
Today, she’s a big advocate for immigrant justice and language inclusivity in educational spaces. In her free time, the fight continues. She enjoys sharing resources with her community and spending time with her children and their dog, Lulu.
Born and raised in Mexico, Maria Navarrette immigrated to the United States as a teenager. She started with us as a member then quickly became involved in the civic engagement side as staff.
Navarrette hopes to connect with community members who may not be aware of the resources and opportunities available to them. Her goal is to bring awareness to the issues the Latine community faces and strengthen the community by providing access to information and assistance.
She is a devoted grandmother and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and shopping.
Cinthia Moore immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico to the United States when she was two months old. In 1990 she and her family moved to East Las Vegas from North Hollywood.
For over the last 10 years, she has advocated for clean air, clean energy, and water conservation through her work with various organizations in Nevada.
Moore is a member of the Nevada Equity Cabinet launched by Congressman Steven Horsford and Chair of the Environmental Committee for the Nevada Center for Latino Advancement. She has also served on the Parks and Recreation Board for the City of North Las Vegas.
In her free time, she daydreams about traveling and exploring Nevada with her son, Liam.
Tony Ramirez was born and raised in the small farm town of Sunnyside, Washington. He’s the son of two immigrant farmworkers from Guanajuato, Mexico, and is a former farmworker himself.
Ramirez is currently pursuing a degree in Government and Public Policy. He joins Make the Road Nevada with many years of experience working for political campaigns and labor movements, including United Farm Workers (UFW) and the Clark County Education Association (CCEA). A few of the issues he’s most passionate about are immigrant rights, environmental justice, and workers’ rights.
When he isn’t working, Ramirez enjoys traveling and being outdoors, enjoying our public lands.
Karla Sanchez was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, and joins us as one of the first Northern Nevada-based staff members. Before starting at Make the Road Nevada, she interned for the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2020.
Sanchez is passionate about supporting and informing the Latine community in Northern Nevada. Some of the issues she focuses on are: ending the school-to-prison pipeline, mental health, public education, and immigrant rights. She hopes to serve as a mentor to the youth and help them navigate their rights.
In her spare time, she loves to watch movies, cook, and spend time with her loved ones.
Alyssa Cortes was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada with indigenous roots from Oaxaca, Mexico. Cortes became the first person in her family to graduate from college when she graduated with a degree in English literature from Nevada State College in 2021.
She joins us with over 6 years of political organizing experience with an emphasis in LGBTQ and civil rights—and most recently, in public health. She’s worked alongside Make the Road Nevada for many years as a community member because of aligned values. She looks forward to applying her skills and experience as the Communications Director.
In her free time, Cortes enjoys working out and spending time with her wife, dog, and family.
Andrea Masnata was born in Argentina and moved to Bolivia at the age of three. She’s always been passionate about communication and making a difference; this inspired her to pursue and earn her bachelor’s degree in advertisement. She also has years of experience in marketing and graphic design.
At the beginning of 2022, she moved to the United States and joined us later that year. Through Make the Road Nevada, she hopes to help her newfound community and serve as a resource for those looking for a sense of belonging in the United States.
Masnata enjoys going on hikes, taking photographs, and exploring new places with her loved ones.
Crystal Lugo was born in Northern California and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She later earned a degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno with a minor in English writing.
As the first American-born person in her family, she watched her family struggle with identity, assimilation, and their limited rights. She hopes to make a difference through Make the Road Nevada and help people like her family in every way she can.
When she isn’t working on the website or snapping pictures for us, you can find her writing in her journal, shooting film, or analyzing birth charts for fun. She’s a Sagittarius sun, Virgo rising, and Leo moon—for those curious.
Denise Heredia-Bolaños was raised in Northern Nevada and spent her summers growing up in Sinaloa, Mexico. As a first generation Mexican-American, she witnessed her parents navigate the unknowns of this country and works with us today to help people like them.
Heredia-Bolaños joins us from Carson City, Nevada and is one of our first Northern Nevada-based staff members. She is passionate about prison reform, and volunteers and sits on the board for Return Strong Nevada, a grassroots organization committed to deconstructing the prison industrial complex.
The proud mamá spends her weekends at the park with her children, thrifting with her mom, reading, beating her husband at Scrabble, and most likely, watching Harry Potter.
Carolina Cornel was born in Mexicali, Mexico and was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She joins us with over ten years of operations and human resources experience.
Cornel comes from an immigrant family and grew up seeing them struggle due to language barriers, their status, and their limited rights. She hopes to help her community and advocates for immigrant voices to be heard.
She enjoys spending time with her two children, going on date nights with her husband, watching movies, and exploring new places.
Donald Heath was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in events and management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During his time at UNLV, he participated in Nevada’s first Latino fraternity, Sigma Delta Alpha.
Heath is first generation and is passionate about immigration reform and health equity. He hopes to learn more about the issues impacting the Latine community through his work with us.
In his free time, Heath enjoys spending time at the gym and hanging out with his friends. Looking for a gym buddy? Hit him up!
Jazmin Orozco || The Nevada Independent|| March 20th, 2022 Jessica Padron, civic engagement director for Make the Road Nevada, a left-leaning organization focused on the immigrant
Jeniffer Solis || The Nevada Current || April 7th, 2022 Since the Biden administration the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced the use of benefits will not dete
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