Staff

Sara Lamson Nathan

President & CEO

Sara Nathan is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Amigos de las Américas, a nonprofit organization that empowers lifelong leaders who share responsibility for our global community.

For two decades, Sara’s work has centered on building educational experiences and hands-on learning opportunities for students across the Americas. Prior to serving as CEO, Sara served as Managing Director of Programs. Her major achievements in this role were launching year-round programs, including the Gap Program for high school graduates, opening AMIGOS programs to hundreds of students from Latin America, and the securing our first federal grant award for binational exchanges and programming for youth across the Americas.

As CEO, Sara has focused on growing the impact of AMIGOS through program innovation and systems modernization. The organization has established year-round staffing throughout the Americas, built a marketing program for increased visibility, established a regional staff presence in four other cities in the U.S., and doubled annual fundraising. Under her leadership, AMIGOS has achieved record enrollment and is poised for continued growth.

Prior to AMIGOS, Sara served as the Vice Chair of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Overseeing Operations, she facilitated research initiatives and dialogue between students, academics, thought leaders, and government officials throughout the Western Hemisphere. Key initiatives included the U.S.-Mexico Futures Forum and the publication of the Berkeley Review of Latin American Studies.

Sara earned her M.S. in International Development from the London School of Economics as well as a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies and a B.A in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California, Berkeley.

Faraz Paliwala

Chief Financial Officer

Katherine Conway

Managing Director of Programs

Katherine re-joins Amigos from her position as a Program Manager at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) where she managed a portfolio of democracy, governance, human rights, and youth leadership programs in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Katherine is a long time Amiga, participating as a volunteer in Paraguay in 2002, supervisor in Honduras in 2004, and Project Director in Honduras in 2009/2010, and Peru in 2011. Katherine also worked at the AMIGOS headquarters in Houston helping to envision the initial youth ambassador program, and most recently served as a Training Director for the Washington, DC Chapter from 2016-2018. Additionally, Katherine holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts University and a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at the same university.

Katherine is a lover of all things rock climbing, cats, and coffee.

Dan Meyer

Managing Director of Growth

Dan is a seasoned experiential educator with over two decades of experience in diverse settings, ranging from wilderness camps to environmental education centers to challenge courses and more. For 14 years, Dan served as the Program and Operations Director for an international summer program for high school students, where he oversaw the marketing, sales, operations, and programming for 10+ service-learning programs worldwide.  Over the years, he guided 19 programs abroad, launched trips to several new destinations, and increased student enrollments more than two-fold.

Dan holds an MBA and MS in Experiential Education and is passionate about leveraging international travel and cross-cultural experiences to foster personal growth and social impact.  He joined the AMIGOS team in 2024 and is thrilled to contribute to its continued growth and success.

Outside of work, Dan enjoys exploring the outdoors, cooking, yoga, and spending time with his family in Longmont, Colorado.

Viviana Denechaud

Managing Director of Development and External Affairs

Viviana has spent the last 20 years as an advisor to various non-profit organizations primarily in the areas of development, relationship cultivation, and strategic planning. She has been supporting AMIGOS for several years and officially became an AMIGOS parent in 2024 and co-chaired the AMIGOS Lifelong Leaders Luncheon in 2025.

As a former investment banker and management consultant, she has been using her professional experience in the for-profit world to provide strategic advisory services to multiple organizations, supporting development of successful fundraising strategies and leading campaign efforts for multiple organizations. For almost 3 years, she has been supporting efforts on a $180 million capital campaign for The Kinkaid School, serving on their advancement committee for 4 years prior to the campaign launch. She served on the board of directors and executive team for the Houston Symphony’s Society Board of Trustees as the Chair of Development.

Prior to her move to the non-profit arena, Viviana worked as a management consultant for Towers Perrin in New York in the areas of strategic planning and change management with clients such as Pfizer and Alcoa. The shift to consulting came after working as an investment banker for TD Securities in the areas of Media, Telecom and Technology with a focus in Latin America. In that role, she supported new business development and enhanced existing business relationships while structuring transactions in the public and private markets. She also worked for Time Warner as an associate marketing manager for People en Español and for the General Motors Corporation at their offices in Argentina in a management rotational program, focused on logistics, special projects and human resource initiatives after receiving an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from the A.B. Freeman School of Business and a BA in Psychology.

On a personal note, Viviana and her husband, David, have three sons – Jack (18), Charles (16) and DJ (12). Although her parents have been in the U.S. since the 1960s, both are from Argentina and the majority of her extended family still lives there. She grew up visiting Argentina every summer, sometimes even attending school with her cousins, and feels her Latin heritage is a fundamental part of her identity.

Dorothy Nugent

Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO

Nicol Chinchilla

Costa Rica Country Director and Regional Latin American Youth Initiative Lead

Originally from Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, Nicol considers herself a change-maker, passionate about contributing to the development of rural communities while also helping to preserve their essence of traditional living. In 2016, Nicol received her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Business & Nonprofit Management from Earlham College, with focuses in Environmental Politics and Women’s Empowerment. During her time at Earlham, Nicol had the opportunity to attend Semester at Sea, a 4-months program that travels to 12 countries around the world.

Nicol began with AMIGOS as a Project Supervisor in Chimborazo, Ecuador and in 2017 Nicol was the Project Director for the Matagalpa, Nicaragua Project. For the last two years Nicol has worked with indigenous and farming community-based organizations in Central America providing capacity building training. Nicol is also committed to social entrepreneurship and during her free time enjoys working with women entrepreneurs guiding them towards their own paths of leadership.

Liz Giannini

Data & Development Coordinator

Liz Giannini is a database specialist with a strong background supporting nonprofit and higher education organizations. She helps teams keep their data clean and reliable, builds clear and useful reports, and manages CRMs and other systems so leaders can make confident, data-driven decisions.

Outside of work, she enjoys going to the gym, golfing with her husband, and spending time at the beach with her family.

Devin Mack

Chapter Operations Manager

A Maine native, Devin’s interest in Latin America and youth exchange was sparked by a high school service-learning trip to Ecuador in 2006.

She graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish/Latin American Studies and worked as a contractor at the U.S. Department of State from fall 2011 through early 2016 supporting national security and foreign assistance programs. In 2016, she pivoted to international education and served as a Global Education Fellow with WorldTeach in Ecuador, where she lived and worked until late 2023. Devin first worked for AMIGOS as a Senior Program Assistant supporting virtual Youth Ambassadors exchanges in 2021. She was an On-Call Specialist in summer 2022 and then assumed the role of Ecuador Country Coordinator until 2024. In her two years away from AMIGOS, she worked for the Maine Seacoast Mission supporting the organization’s development operations and scholarship programs and served as the liaison to the Board of Directors.

She is excited to bring her non-profit management and operations experience to the Chapter Operations Manager role and is thrilled to be back at AMIGOS supporting young people to have immersive experiences and participate in authentic service. Outside of work, Devin is a busy mom to her toddler, enjoys being active outdoors, and loves any opportunity to travel!

Jessica Toll

Youth Ambassadors Senior Program Coordinator

Jessica first joined AMIGOS in 2014 as a volunteer in Mexico. After that first summer, she stayed involved with the organization in a variety of ways, including as a six-time project staff member in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Colorado, and Austin, TX; as the Program Coordinator for the Community Impact Project (CIP) program; and as a member of the health and safety team.

Jessica also currently serves as the Training Director for the Houston Chapter. She holds a B.A. in Spanish from Texas A&M University, and she is passionate about youth leadership and cross-cultural understanding. In her free time, Jessica enjoys reading, dancing, and hiking.

Carmen Gamboa

Costa Rica Program Coordinator

Carmen is re-joining the AMIGOS team after serving as a Project Director in 2022. Carmen is a trained sociologist, who has been working with youth for more than 10 years. She has worked with Girl Guides and Scouts, the Red Cross, and TECHO. Carmen is from the coffee producing mountains of Costa Rica and is proud of her culture.

Abbie Gittinger

Controller

Abbie is a five-time Amiga, first volunteering with the organization in Panama and the Dominican Republic and then working as a staff member in Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Ecuador during summer breaks throughout college. After graduating from Rockhurst University with dual degrees in Nonprofit Management and Psychology, Abbie began working at a domestic violence agency in Kansas City. In 2016, she joined the AMIGOS team full time as the Regional Director for Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. In 2018, Abbie transitioned to the Finance Department where she now works as the Senior Accountant. In her free time, you can find Abbie running with her dogs or playing sand volleyball.

Laura Gomez Quintero

Marketing Manager

Laura Grubb, MD

Medical Director

Laura has enjoyed working with Amigos since 1989, as a volunteer with the Houston Chapter she participated in community sanitation programs in Bolivar, Ecuador (1990) and Oaxaca, Mexico (1991). From 1991 to 2005, she was in school and training as a physician. In 2003-2005, she helped start the San Diego AMIGOS Chapter. From 2000-2007, she also served as a medical officer in the United States Navy, including two years aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD6). In 2008, she returned to Houston and started volunteering as a physician with the AMIGOS On-Call Health and Safety team. Laura also is board certified in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She is an associate professor of pediatrics and public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and a happy clinician. She is super excited to continue her work with AMIGOS and provide health guidance for adolescents and young adults!

Zyro Honty

Manager of Training and Workflow Efficiency

Born and raised in Uruguay, Zyro got to know AMIGOS while working for a partner agency back at home, where he had been managing several programs for youth and children since he was 19. In 2016 he served as Project Supervisor in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and came back to AMIGOS in 2020 to work with the Community Impact Project. After working as Program Coordinator for a few months, Zyro served as Project Director for the 2021 Monteverde & Costa Atlantica project in Costa Rica. He assumed the role of Training Manager in September 2021.

He has also lived in New Zealand, Paraguay, and Mexico, where he developed different hobbies like snowboarding, scuba diving, salsa dancing, photography, and videography.

Andrea Lynch

Onboarding Manager & Team Lead

Originally from Paraguay, Andrea first came to the US through a cultural exchange program, so she understands firsthand the experience of living in a different culture and learning a new language. Before starting college, she took a year off and became an au pair in Boulder, Colorado, an unforgettable experience that would unexpectedly lead her back to the au pair program once again! Before joining AMIGOS, Andrea worked as a bilingual financial coach in a housing redevelopment project with low-income families from South and Central America. The excitement to see youth building their skills to adulthood through community values and respect for cultural diversity is what attracted Andrea to the Admissions Advisor position at AMIGOS. Besides English, she is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Guaraní, the official native language in her home country.

Johnny Maldonado

Operations and Travel Manager

Originally from Tacna, Peru. I studied international business, and since I was little I was raised to serve. Working with and contributing to the formation of youth is something I am passionate about, and that’s why I joined Amigos de las Americas. With AMIGOS I was a Mentor in the first Community Impact Project in 2020, and Director of the Montañas y Mar Project in Costa Rica in 2022.

I am passionate about traveling, learning different languages, and being in contact with different cultures, seeing the cultural shock and the impact it generates is very interesting to me, and I believe it generates positive consequences when you have an open mind.

David W. McKay

IT Systems Manager

David is a fifth-generation Texan and was raised in Lindale, TX. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University. He has worked in the for-profit and non-profit arenas in IT, finance, and management. He is excited to be at AMIGOS to support the incredible work that is being done through its staff and volunteers.

Top of Bucket List: To compose a Bucket List.

Elizabeth Spruell

Senior Director of Health and Safety

Elizabeth is a longtime lover of AMIGOS! She began her AMIGOSexperience serving as a volunteer in Intibucá, Honduras in 1999 and then in Dajabon, Dominican Republic in 2000. During the summers of 2001 and 2002 she worked as a full-time staff member of the On-Call System and from 2004-2005 served as the correspondent volunteer administrator. She took a long break from full time AMIGOS work to start a family and pursue other life passions, but she never really got away from AMIGOS as she did part time work in the summers of 2003–2019 helping to take calls for the 24 hour On Call System. For the last 14 years, Elizabeth has taught a Fertility Awareness method to over 900 couples and women and has traveled extensively to 7 countries training teachers and physicians in a natural approach to woman’s gynecologic health, fertility and reproduction.

Elizabeth is excited to be back at AMIGOS in this new role and looks forward to new adventures in life. As a travel junkie, Elizabeth hopes to explore every continent at least once with her three daughters and to continue to experience the richness and light of cultural diversity and to bask in the beauty of our world. Things she could never live without- her passport, her 3 daughters, her faith, sunsets, and peanut butter.

Danielle Mulack

Senior Manager of National Outreach & Partnerships

Danielle joins AMIGOS with more than 10 years of experience leading strategic change and capacity-building initiatives within non-profit and public service organizations. She began her career in the international arena – as an AMIGOS volunteer in Ecuador, a Peace Corps Volunteer and then Volunteer Coordinator in the Dominican Republic, and a consultant to grassroots organizations in India and Sri Lanka – focusing primarily on community economic development and youth development projects. She was then inspired to be of service to youth and families in her own community and transitioned to leadership roles within hunger relief, homeless services, and girls leadership development organizations in the United States.

Danielle is thrilled to come full circle and rediscover her passion for the AMIGOS mission of offering young people transformative leadership development, community service, and cultural immersion experiences. She played a leadership role within the AMIGOS San Diego Chapter during the pandemic in educating schools and families about new AMIGOS program models and adjusting San Diego Chapter operations accordingly. She is excited to join AMIGOS full time and work with schools to expand access to AMIGOS programs and grow the number of volunteers becoming empowered to make positive change in the world.

Danielle has a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School focused on political and economic development and strategic management of public service organizations.

Emma Reagan

Senior Outreach Manager

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Emma first became involved with AMIGOS in 2015 as a volunteer in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This experience influenced her to take a gap year before college, where she lived in Bolivia for a year with Rotary International. From there, Emma studied International Relations, with a focus on Latin America and Culture, Media, and the Arts, and Business Spanish at the University of Texas at Austin, graduating mid-pandemic in December of 2020. She worked as a Program Assistant for the 2021 Youth Ambassadors Program and is ecstatic for her return to the Houston Chapter as the Texas Outreach Manager.

Emma has been inspired by the AMIGOS mission of providing community-first service and immersion since her time in Ecuador. She participated as a fellow with the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy during her time at UT Austin and worked with survivors of human trafficking in her former role with Refugee Services of Texas. She hopes to encourage more youth to explore the path towards building a global community of tolerance, inclusion, and service for others.

In her free time, you can find Emma tending to her many plant babies, visiting art museums, and trying new restaurants in Houston. At the top of her current bucket list is returning to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she studied abroad in college.

William Flood

Outreach Manager

William’s first exposure to AMIGOS was in 2018 as a volunteer in Chimborazo, Ecuador. The experience was transformative, and he returned to help train new volunteers at his local chapter in Houston, Texas. He went on to study Global Politics at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he also worked with the nonprofit Gravity Water, organizing student groups to fundraise for clean water projects abroad.

After graduating in 2024, William moved to San Francisco and soon reconnected with AMIGOS, first as an Outreach Coordinator and now as an Outreach Manager. He believes deeply in the transformative power of international travel and cultural exchange, and he is honored to help young people experience that through AMIGOS.

In his free time, William enjoys cooking, camping, and exploring as much of San Francisco as he can.

Evelio Alegre

Paraguay Country Coordinator

Evelio Alegre is originally from Ciudad del Este but is currently living in Asunción, Paraguay. His academic background includes a degree in International Relations with a minor in Regional Integration from UNILA in Brazil. He participated in an educational exchange program in the USA where he volunteered as a camp counselor at Flat Rock River YMCA Camp. He served as the Support Coordinator at AFS Intercultural Programs in Paraguay, where he gained experience in handling various challenging situations with exchange students.

In addition to his role at AFS, he has been actively involved with the US Embassy in Paraguay. He was an ACCESS participant, a Youth Ambassador, and currently holding the position of vice president at State Alumni Paraguay—an association that brings together alumni from diverse programs offered by the Department of State in Paraguay. He has a passion for volunteering and civic engagement, he’s a member of Rotaract. Currently, He’s also part of a project called Scale Up Digital Entrepreneurs, which is funded by the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF).

Arturo Ramon

Marketing & Communications Manager

Arturo Ramon first joined AMIGOS as a college volunteer in Cusco, Peru in 2011, and later returned in leadership roles supporting volunteers, trainings, partnerships, and communications across different countries. His experiences with AMIGOS shaped much of his passion for youth leadership, cross-cultural connection, education, and the kind of work that brings people together.

Over the years, Arturo has worked in nonprofit communications and outreach across New Mexico and beyond, helping organizations tell stories, strengthen relationships, and connect more deeply with the communities they serve. His work has included bilingual communications, multimedia storytelling, public outreach, and collaborative projects focused on education, culture, and social impact.

Arturo cares deeply about community and about creating spaces where young people feel supported, inspired, and connected. Outside of work, he enjoys videography, photography, storytelling, yoga, and spending time in nature with loved ones.

Darci Jones

Mental Health Consultant

Darci Jones is a licensed clinical social worker who has more than 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in trauma and nearly ten years of running a private practice. She was an Amiga many moons ago in Ecuador (1992) and then a Route Leader in Michoacán, Mexico. Most recently her teenage daughter has been an Amiga for two summers. Darci is thrilled to return to AMIGOS in the capacity of Mental Health Consultant. She is excited about this opportunity and grateful for all of the dedicated intentional mental health work that has occurred within AMIGOS.

Darci specializes in working with couples and individuals. Her work has been in a variety of settings ranging from wilderness therapy, comprehensive school and community treatment, private practice to advocacy work through changing and creating policies. She is passionate in her client centered approach and weaving neuroscience within the work. The concept of mind body connection has been a guiding principle that she has consistently worked within.

Darci lives in Polson, MT with her husband and daughter. In addition to running a private practice she and her husband operate an organic farm. These two mediums assist her to find balance and farming provides her with the opportunity for introspection and assists her to release at the body level. Darci is thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to work with AMIGOS.

Chau Nguyen

Senior Accountant

Grace Shetterly

Health and Safety Coordinator

Hi everyone! I’m Grace, originally from Portland, Oregon. I moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2018 to attend Franklin & Marshall College, where I earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Spanish.

During high school, I participated in cultural exchanges to León, Nicaragua and Mexico City, which sparked my love for travel, cross-cultural connection, and learning from diverse perspectives. I’m thrilled to be joining AMIGOS as a Health and Safety Coordinator, and I’m looking forward to supporting students and families as volunteers begin their own transformative journeys abroad.

Outside of work, I love reading, crocheting, spending time with friends, and exploring new coffee shops.

Vanessa Cadena

Travel and Data Specialist

I am from Quito, Ecuador, and I have been passionately working with NGOs for seven years. Before joining AMIGOS, I worked as the coordinator of a community center in a development organization, where I closely collaborated with individuals in vulnerable situations. My journey with AMIGOS started in 2022 as a Gap Coordinator in Cuenca, and since then, I have taken on various roles within the organization, contributing to meaningful youth development projects. Through AMIGOS, I have witnessed firsthand how young people open their eyes and hearts to growth experiences that shape their lives.

I hold a master’s degree in International Cooperation with a specialization in project management and a certification in Nonprofit Management. I am also passionate about traveling and hiking.