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.

April Hearne

Managing Director of Operations

April is a strategic operations and marketing leader with 10+ years nonprofit and for-profit experience. She is native Houstonian veteran Amiga.

In 2008, she participated in AMIGOS in Guanajuato, Mexico. At Colorado College, she majored in Sociology and continued her Latin American travels in Ecuador and Cuba. An avid backpacker, she spent a month in the backcountry on three separate occasions. 

April is excited to use digital marketing and the power of automation to get the word out about AMIGOS programs.

Caroline Patel

Managing Director of Chapter Operations

Caroline first joined AMIGOS in 2009 as a volunteer from the Houston Chapter. After that first summer, she stayed involved with the organization in a variety of ways, serving as a two-time volunteer, a three-time project staff member, a member of the HQ Programs team, and as part of the Houston Chapter Board.

She returned to the organization in 2022 after pursuing her graduate degree. Caroline is excited to work in collaboration with our local chapter leaders, and she loves to see the way that AMIGOS inspires people across the Americas to get involved in their communities.

Outside of work, you can find her baking bread, listening to audiobooks, or exploring Texas State Parks.

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.

Lauren Antosz

Chapter Operations Manager

AMIGOS was the first opportunity Lauren took advantage of to travel internationally. Little did she know that it would solidify her interest in cultural exchange and community development! During her time at the University of Notre Dame, she continued to read, listen, examine, and dialogue about the processes for understanding individual and societal change in both local and international contexts. Through her study abroad experience, an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Grant, and later, the U.S. Student Fulbright Program, Lauren worked with a non-profit organization in Santiago, Chile to research and improve health and education programs for adolescent mothers.

Upon her return to the U.S., she continued to stay involved in the international education industry, supporting Exchange Visitors while in the U.S. on their J-1 Summer Work and Travel visas. Now based in Chicago, she supports the AMIGOS chapter network as it provides mentorship, builds community, and empowers local students. As a Cohort Director she is thrilled to support her students as they embark on the first ever virtual program from AMIGOS!

Annie Borgeson

Admissions Manager

Having seen the impact of cross-cultural immersion first-hand, Annie is thrilled to be a part of the AMIGOS team providing opportunities to youth throughout the Americas for authentic immersion. Prior to joining AMIGOS, Annie lived in Ecuador for three years where she first served as a volunteer Program Director in a local community center and later managed and supported international adolescents participating in a gap year program in the Andean region of Ecuador. She understands both the tremendous personal growth but also deep challenges that emerge from cross-cultural experiences and is excited to bring these insights to the Admissions Team in supporting volunteers and their families. Bilingual in both English and Spanish, she loves connecting with new people and cultures.

In her free time, Annie enjoys whipping up some new recipes, exercising and staying active – be it going on long walks, playing in her women’s soccer league or practicing her bachata steps on the dance floor, and visiting family and friends both near and far.

Marvin Sarkar Bynoe

Health and Safety Coordinator

Marvin Sarkar Bynoe has been active in AMIGOS for over 6 years as a volunteer, chapter trainer, Project Supervisor in Costa Rica, and Health & Wellness Coordinator in Santa Elena, Ecuador. He received his BA from Claremont McKenna College with a focus in decolonization and Afrolatinodad and was CMC Impact Fellow in Dominica. He lived and studied for many years in Bolivia and Panama, worked as an educator in New Orleans, and is now based in San Diego, California. In his free time, he tends toward all things soccer and beach-related.

Nicol Chinchilla

Country Director

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.

Camila De Mendoza

Youth Ambassadors Program Manager

Camila is from Bogotá, Colombia, she joined Junior Achievement Colombia in August 2017 and now she is working with the Youth Ambassadors Program in Colombia. Camila graduated from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá as a sociologist with emphasis on history. She is passionate about international development, education and youth leadership. That’s why she loves her job with Youth Ambassadors, because she can witness youth empowerment through cultural exchange and community development.  In her free time, you can find her wandering around looking for new places to eat.

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 BA 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.

Natalia Argoti

Youth Ambassadors Program Coordinator

Natalia was born and raised in Colombia. After graduating from college, she went to EEUU in an exchange program as an Au Pair in California for 2 years.

When she came back, she moved to Ecuador where she worked with different organizations and volunteered aside as one of her hearted activities. That inspired her to study a Master’s Degree about Coaching and Leadership, to find more resources to work more effectively with people.

Her dedication guided her to live closely in nature in the Amazon rainforest, leading social justice programs around indigenous communities and working with international volunteers from around the world.

Natalia joined AMIGOS in 2022 when she served as a Project Director in La Sierra with Youth Ambassadors. In 2023, she worked with Santa Elena Summer Program and GAP program during the fall. In 2024 she is back to work with Youth Ambassadors in Cuenca.

She is a passionate person about nature, scuba diving, dancing, traveling, and Vedic Sciences.

Charlotte Doughty

Bay Area Outreach Manager

Charlotte grew up in Houston, Texas where she first joined AMIGOS as a volunteer in Paraguay in 2015. The experience solidified her interest in travel, the Spanish language, and cross-cultural exchange. She went on to major in journalism and Latin American studies at The University of Texas at Austin and continued to travel throughout Latin America during college, including a semester in Santiago, Chile. In between semesters, she worked at a summer camp in Northern California which brought her love for youth development to the Bay Area.

Charlotte loves talking about all things AMIGOS and is so excited to connect with future volunteers and inspire more students to participate in a life-changing AMIGOS summer!

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.

Carly Pearson

Youth Ambassadors Program Coordinator

Carly was born and raised in El Paso, TX. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in International Business and a minor in accounting. During her time at UT Austin, she interned at different Texas-based immigration related non-profits and studied for a semester at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. Shortly after graduating she began working at AMIGOS as the Youth Ambassador Program Coordinator in Austin, TX. She is super excited to be at AMIGOS because it fulfills her knowing she is doing work she is passionate about and making a difference in people’s lives. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, hanging out with her friends, and exploring new things to do in Austin!

Laura Gomez Quintero

Digital Marketing Coordinator

Laura is originally from Colombia/Venezuela and lived in Mexico City prior to moving to Houston in 2014. She graduated from Trinity University with a B.A. in Communications and International Studies, and has previously assisted media, editorial, and PR/marketing teams with communications efforts in English, Spanish and Portuguese. She enjoys camping and exploring Texas State Parks, traveling to Latin America’s vibrant cities and towns, and learning more about different countries, cultures, and languages by watching travel shows and documentaries. Laura is excited to join our team and spread the word about AMIGOS and the inspiring experiences our young leaders are partaking in.

Top of her bucket list: Travel to Brazil once again (where she studied abroad in college) and explore the Northeast region of the country with her family.

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

Training Manager

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.

Steven Brenes

Gap Costa Rica Coordinator

Andrea Lynch

Admissions Advisor

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

Admissions Advisor

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

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

Texas 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.

Marlene Valdez

Houston Outreach Manager

Marlene is a dedicated student developer with over a decade of experience in youth leadership and K-12 educational programming. Before joining AMIGOS in 2024, she built strong relationships and led impactful initiatives at Texas A&M University (her alma mater!), where she focused on connecting students with post-secondary resources and opportunities. Marlene also played a key role in university outreach, collaborating with various stakeholders and community organizations across the Houston area.

As a former high school educator and a committed youth programs volunteer, Marlene is deeply passionate about helping students access transformative opportunities that shape their futures. She is excited to contribute to AMIGOS’ mission and expand its impact in the years ahead.

In her free time, Marlene loves being outdoors, reading, playing tennis, exploring new coffee shops and restaurants, and spending quality time with family and friends.

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).

Nathalia Aguilar

Paraguay Gap Director

Since 2012, I have been passionately working on conservation, community tourism, and youth empowerment projects. My journey began as a volunteer at an environmental organization in Paraguay, where I quickly transitioned to a staff role. There, I’ve coordinated exciting projects like bird-based tourism and organic shade-grown yerba mate. Thanks to these opportunities, I had the chance to work closely with people from different cultures!

These experiences significantly strengthened my enthusiasm for working with young people. I have also worked on educational projects across various regions including Chaco, Concepción, Itapúa, Villarrica, and Asunción. Through community tourism, I have witnessed firsthand how empowering local youth can drive positive change and sustainable development.

I hold a master’s degree in Tourism, Environment, and Development from King’s College London (KCL), England. I love connecting with nature through hobbies such as nature photography, hiking, and birdwatching.