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.

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.

Faraz Paliwala is a seasoned finance professional and strategic leader with extensive experience driving corporate finance, financial modeling, and strategic planning. Currently serving as Chief Financial Officer at Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS), Faraz brings a rigorous analytical approach and a robust background in corporate finance across diverse industries. He holds an MBA from Rice University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Houston. 

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.

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.

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.

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.