Staff

Yessie is a third-generation farmworker from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. With a bachelor’s from St. Edwards University and a master’s from East Carolina University, she brings experience in nonprofits, higher education, and local government to SAF. Yessie’s personal ties to the farmworker justice movement makes her passionate, committed and excited to join as the new Communications Arts Director.

Pronouns: She/her/Ella

Anna has worked with farmworkers in North Carolina, as an outreach worker, and California, as a graduate student, researching heat stress and grape workers’ rights. She grew up in North Carolina, but her first experience with farmworkers was as a SAF intern in 2007. She was Executive Director of the NC Farmworkers’ Project before joining SAF as Program Director. She is excited to continue helping new generations of students connect with farmworkers and find their place in the movement.

Pronouns: She/her/ella

Mari comes all the way Southern Idaho, and is from a farmworking family and community. Working at SAF is an opportunity to give back to the farmworker community. Mari is a SAF alumni and is very excited to connect with the community and families around!

Pronouns: She/her/ella

Genesis Ramirez is a proud Latina from Salemburg, North Carolina, and joins SAF as the Assistant Program Director for Into the Fields. She has a deep connection to SAF’s mission, having participated in the Levante Leadership program from 2021-2022 and the Solidaridad program from 2023-2024. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Genesis earned her bachelor's degree in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Spanish. With a passion for advocating for equity and supporting underserved communities, Genesis brings skills and dedication to the SAF team in 2025. Her academic journey, combined with her lived experiences, fuels her commitment to creating meaningful change.

Pronouns: She/her/Ella

Sandra is from Costa Rica, where she started her nonprofit work. She first came to the U.S. to study environmental science and moved to North Carolina in 1998. She’s passionate about environmental protection, access to education for Latinx students, and farmworker justice. Sandra worked for Triangle Community Foundation for ten years, connecting organizations with funding opportunities. As Assistant Director, she focuses on the organization’s finances and policies, fundraising, and communications.

Pronouns: She/her/ella

Dannette grew up in Ohio and moved to North Carolina in 1992 to attend Duke University. She has worked as a labor organizer, on U.S. policy in Central and South America, and on Black land tenure. Dannette lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and two children. She studies Black intellectual history in graduate school. She also loves yoga, baking bread, gardening, and nurturing her children’s passions and talents.

Pronouns: She/her/ella

Sylvia is a third generation Texan, a Winston-Salem State University and La Joya High School graduate. She is a SAF ITF alumna with over 13 years of working in the government sector and is currently attending online classes to obtain a Master's in Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. As a former farmworker child, Sylvia is honored to be able to serve the farmworker community in this new role.

Pronouns: She/her/ella