DHF Board Of Directors

Rev. Deacon Sal Alvarez (Vice-President): Rev. Alvarez is the Director of the Institute of Non-Violence and teaches in the Conflict Resolution Training Program. Rev. Alvarez is a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and SEIU, Local 535 of Santa Clara County. He has previously worked with the following agencies: Santa Clara County Social Services Agency, the National Farm Worker Ministry, and the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).

Alicia Arong:  Alicia was born and raised in Stockton, California. She has 35 years of experience in retail. She retired as an executive of Macy’s West. Ms. Arong was extremely involved in the creation and programs of the Community Service Organization Stockton Chapter and the United Farm Workers Support Committee. She currently is involved with the Mexican Heritage Center in Stockton and the Stockton San Joaquin County Mexican American Chamber of Commerce. She served on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee of the Northern California Women’s Correctional Facility until its closure in 2002. 

Angela Cabrera, R.N.: Angela was raised in the Farm Workers movement. Her background is in health care. She is a nurse for two emergency rooms in Bakersfield, California. Angela also does clinic work for Kaiser Permanente.  Her husband, David Cabrera, is a member of the California Highway Patrol.

Jamila Cantor:  After receiving her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz, Jamila worked for the UFW for four years. She then worked as an assistant to the Board for the Center for Non-Violent Education and Parenting in Los Angeles. Jamila is actively involved with the Deaf community and is a Spanish translator and educator for deaf students throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Barbara Carrasco:  Barbara is an artist and muralist who created numerous works which have been exhibited throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Her work has been featured in numerous publications. She received her M.F.A. in Art from California Institute of Arts (1991) and her B.F.A. in Art from UCLA (1978).  Mrs. Carrasco created numerous banners and murals for the UFW and was invited to travel the former USSR to paint murals.

Frederico Chávez:  Federico is an Administrative Law Judge with California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board in Oakland, California. Mr. Chávez sits on the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts Board, Albany Berkeley Youth Soccer Club, Berkeley City Parks and Recreation Commission, the East Bay Farm Worker Support Committee, Latinos Unidos in Berkeley, East Bay Raza Lawyers Association and the National Lawyers Guild.

Juanita Chávez:  Juanita is an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles. She has taught in inner-city public schools for the past twelve years. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as a college mentor for at-risk youth with the Si Se Puede project, at the Real Alternatives Program School in San Francisco, CA. In 1996 she was active with the Southwest Voter Registration Project. In 1993 she interned at the Feminist Majority, in Washington D.C., representing the organization at the United Nations Conference on Women and contributing to the organization’s newsletter.

Richard Chávez:  As a child, Richard worked in the migrant fields of the southwest alongside his brother Cesar.  Richard was instrumental in establishing the UFW. During his career with the UFW, he worked on the national grape boycott, administered contracts, oversaw negotiations, and directed the service center. In 1984 Mr. Chávez started a construction company that built hundreds of homes for farm workers.  In his retirement Mr. Chávez often travels the country educating people about the history of the farm worker movement and the life of Cesar Chávez. 

John X. Fernandez:  John is the Founder and President of Hawley Morton Productions, Inc. which was created to provide a broad range of production services for selected events as well as consulting services. Mr. Fernandez worked in Regional Theater, the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall collectively for more than twenty-five years.

Helen Hernandez:  Helen is the President and Founder of the Imagen Foundation. Prior to establishing the Imagen Foundation, Ms. Hernandez was the Vice President of Public Affairs for Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio’s Embassy Communications (presently Sony Pictures Entertainment).

Dolores Huerta (President):  Dolores is the President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. She co-founded the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) in 1962 with Cesar Chavez.  In September of 2003  Dolores was appointed to the Board of Regents for the University of California system. She also serves on the boards of the Feminist Majority and People for the American Way.

Dr. Fidel Huerta: Dr. Huerta is a family practice physician at Sagebrush Family Health Care Center where he serves low-income families in Bakersfield, California.  Dr. Huerta is a member of the faculty of the Kern Medical Center Family Practice Residency Program. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Practice and the Los Angeles Shrine.  Dr. Huerta sits on the boards of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) and Valley Achievement Center.

Paul Schrade:  Paul is the former Western Region Director of the United Auto Workers.  He serves on the following boards:  Watts Labor Community Action Committee, Southern California Boards of ACLU and the Hollywood Farmers Market Board.