Meet Our Staff
Alexandra Sossa
Executive DirectorAlexandra first came to FLAP in summer, 2001. She has played an instrumental role in the success of the non-profit’s continued growth. Throughout her years of service with this organization, she has educated low income immigrants about their rights in the United States, developed working relationships with various organizations and foundations in Illinois and other States in the USA, and has supported attorneys providing legal assistance to a countless number of low-income immigrants, migrant and seasonal workers in the area. She has also written for several newspapers in Illinois, Spain and Colombia, been interviewed by the media countless times and has been invited to speak at events about issues that affect low-income immigrant workers in the USA.
Alexandra has more than 30 years of experience performing community outreach and education for low-income immigrants. She has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in Colombia, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office. She has educated low-income workers on their rights in the United States, Spain and Colombia. While in Spain, Alexandra helped citizens of Mexico navigate through the Spanish legal system via the Mexican Embassy.
Alexandra graduated from the University of Medellin School of Law, Colombia and is certificated as a bilingual Mediator at the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago, Illinois. She is alumni of the Center for Leadership Innovation and also holds a Non-Profit Management certification from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In March of 2019, she was awarded the Foundation Award from the Illinois Human Rights Commission -IHRC-, to honor her commitment in promoting and cultivating women’s rights, freedom and achievement in Illinois. The IHRC is dedicated to promoting freedom from unlawful discrimination as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act. The Act forbids discrimination based on: sex, age, race, color, religion, arrest record, marital status, familial status, disability, citizenship, national origin, ancestry, unfavorable military discharge, military status, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and accommodation in employment, and order of protection status.
Alexandra is dedicated to her craft and is truly committed to improving the working conditions for low-income workers across Illinois and the USA. She is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in English.
Email:asossa@flapillinois.org
Phone:847-668-2114
Amanda Villanueva
Outreach AssistantAmanda Villanueva is a first-generation Latina graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2015). She has a Bachelors in Anthropology and a Certificate in Chicano Latino Studies, is bilingual, and can read and write in both Spanish and English. During her time at UW- Madison, she began working and organizing with M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Atzlan), a student organization founded during the Chicanx Civil Rights movement promoting higher education, art, and farm worker rights. Through M.E.Ch.A., Amanda acquired more vocabulary and resources necessary to educate about the injustices happening to her communities.
Since working with M.E.Ch.A., she has become increasingly devoted to her communities and culture, working extensively with Dr. Andrea Arenas on the “Somos Latinas Digital History Project” archived at the Wisconsin Historical Society. She is furthermore acknowledged for her contributions in the book following said project, Somos Latinas: “Voices of Wisconsin Latina Activists”.
Amanda has also been certified to give Know Your Rights workshops to her community through First Defense Legal Aid in Chicago and was a presenter at Colin Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights Camp”. During her time as a Know Your Rights educator, Amanda focused on educating the Englewood and Hyde Park communities about their 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments rights. She maintained youth groups and wrote “Know Your Rights” curriculum for middle and high school youth. By the end, youth were able to conduct their own Know Your Rights presentations to further educate their peers.
Amanda now continues to advocate for her people by working with FLAP. As an outreach assistant, she supports FLAP’s mission distributing important information to those that do not know their rights at work. She travels throughout Northern Illinois and serves as the bridge for workers who are in need of help.
Email:outreach@flapillinois.org
Phone:630-877-8381
Arlo Chapple
Development & Communications AssistantArlo Chapple is the Development and Communications Assistant at FLAP. He works with the Board of Directors and Executive Director implementing the organization’s development and communications plan. Arlo has a passion for helping the Latino low-income immigrant community. At FLAP, he helps the organization grow and tell the story of the important work it does to improve working conditions in Illinois.
Arlo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester in 2007 with a concentration in English and Creative Writing. Following graduation, he worked for a small manufacturer, working to make sustainable, eco-friendly skateboards. After that, using his hand-on knowledge of building, and his love for writing, Arlo helped create a variety of educational exhibits for nature centers and history centers in Illinois and Wisconsin.
In 2017, after premiering an exhibit that Arlo helped write, the Grand Army of the Republic Museum in Aurora, Illinois, won a state award for Small Institute of the Year.
Arlo speaks, reads, and writes English and speaks conversational Spanish.
Email:development@flapillinois.org
Phone:312-784-3541
Catherine Diebel
Coordinating AttorneyCatherine Diebel is the coordinating attorney at the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, where she oversees the organization’s litigation efforts. Catherine earned her JD from DePaul University College of Law (2009) and is a licensed attorney in Illinois (2010). She also holds an MA from the School for International training and a BA from Gettysburg College.
She has a strong dedication to providing information and justice to people who often lack access and resources. She worked with a nomadic herding population in Morocco during her time in the Peace Corps, teaching and coordinating with both settled and migratory community members. She continued to work internationally with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) helping provide HIV/AIDS education to rural communities in China, directing an isolated rural hospital in Sudan, and traveling throughout the US to advocate for vulnerable populations and their access to effective medical treatment. She also worked in post-conflict Liberia where she focused on re-establishing health clinics to isolated and war-affected communities, and directed a nonprofit surgical program for obstetric fistula survivors in Niger.
Her legal work has focused on providing access to knowledge and justice to low-income and underserved populations. She directed programs at the International Human Rights Law Institute of DePaul University College of Law (IHRLI) focusing on human rights and humanitarian law, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and the stateless. She has also provided free legal services through the Center for Disability and Elder Law, which focuses on providing information and access to justice for low-income clients who are elderly or disabled.
Catherine continues to focus on providing access to justice through her work with FLAP.
Email:litigation@flapillinois.org
Phone:312-784-3541
Norma Sandoval
Outreach Assistant and Intake CoordinatorNorma Sandoval is the Outreach Assistant and Intake Coordinator at FLAP. She conducts Community Outreach and Education presentations, more reputably known as “Know your Rights”. She informs workers of resources available to them and FLAP’s services in Illinois.
Norma is a second-generation immigrant with a passion for helping others. Growing up in the South Side of Chicago under the house hold of immigrant parents, she witnessed injustices first hand. Seeing these injustices was what most influenced her to make a difference. The FLAP organization and the services it has to offer is something she believes in and works to spread that forward to help her community. As the eldest daughter, watching her parents work as hard as they do, she is very passionate in being an advocate for Latino low-income community. Growing up and witnessing her mother’s struggles, she is especially sensitive to the notion of Latina women and their rights specially in the work place.
For the majority of Norma’s life, she has spoken up for the immigrant community, starting with her parents. From a very young age she stood up for her relatives, friends, community and those whom she felt were being treated unfairly because of their disadvantage when it came to the language barrier, or them being frightened/threatened to speak up for not knowing their rights. This sparked her interest in wanting to give back to her community and entered the field of child development. While working in the child development field, she encountered a lot of obstacles. She began to work with kids from different walks of life, including children of immigrant parents. This led her to realize her influence is not only aiding to children but also making a difference with her potential helping parents and their future.
As an Outreach Assistant and Intake Coordinator, Norma supports FLAP’s mission distributing important information to those that do not know their rights at work. She is Latina and speaks, reads, and writes English and Spanish.
Email:staff@flapillinois.org
Phone:815-909-0362
Sasha Reyes
Outreach AssistantSasha Reyes is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She is a first-generation Latina who was raised on the south side of Chicago by two hard working parents. Growing up, Sasha’s primary language was Spanish; she has vivid memories of learning English before entering kindergarten and as such, she is bilingual and fluent in both English and Spanish.
Sasha has been committed to serving her community; as a young adult, she and a couple of classmates co-founded an after-school club at Whitney Young Magnet High School. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a gender in the workplace class Sasha took opened her eyes to farm workers’ working conditions. During college, Sasha was then inspired to partake in a successful national campaign involving Trader Joe’s who was rightfully asked to pay farm workers merely one more penny per bucket of tomatoes that were harvested.
After graduating, Ms. Reyes joined First Defense Legal Aid. She worked as a bilingual Know Your Rights educator delivering workshops in English and Spanish under the supervision of attorneys.
Since Sasha could remember, when asked what profession she wanted to be a part of, She always responded with “I want to help people”. This mission she always carried with her in her heart wherever she went. Sasha is happily committed to continue advocating for her community in all capacities and is delighted that she can continue her Know Your Rights work at FLAP! As an outreach assistant, she supports FLAP’s mission distributing important information to those that do not know their rights at work.
Email:outreach1@flapillinois.org
Phone:224-522-3178
Board Officers
Jose Rivero
ChairmanJose Rivero
ChairmanAttorney at Law - Cullen, Haskins, Nicholson & Menchetti
Jack King
Vice ChairmanJack King
Vice ChairmanRetired Director of Student Professional Development - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Northern Illinois University
Vincent H. Beckman IV
TreasurerVincent H. Beckman IV
TreasurerFormer Chicago Public School Teacher-Managing, Partner at Tanta Chicago, Managing Partner at Arbella, Partner Nicelce Company.
Shahryar Afshar
SecretaryShahryar Afshar
SecretaryEquity Options Trader Formerly a member and proprietary trader at Lantana trading and Riverbank Capital Management
Board of Directors
Royal F. Berg
Royal F. Berg
Attorney at Law
Maria Dominguez
Maria Dominguez
Legal Assistant
Suzanne Juday
Suzanne Juday
Retired Educator
Ron Levitsky
Ron Levitsky
Retired Educator
Baldemar Lopez
Baldemar Lopez
Attorney at Law
Legal Advisory Board
Julie Herrera
Julie Herrera
Attorney at Law - Law Office of Julie Herrera
Thomas H. Geoghegan
Thomas H. Geoghegan
Attorney at Law - Despres Schwartz and Geoghegan Ltd.
Founders
Margo De Ley
Margo De Ley
Founder and Honorary Board Member
Olgha S. Sandman
Olgha S. Sandman
Founder
Patricia Mendoza
Patricia Mendoza
Founder
Roberto Ramirez
Roberto Ramirez
Founder
Vincent H. Beckman III
Vincent H. Beckman III
Founder, Honorary Board Member, and Former Executive Director
Volunteers
David Arfa
CartographerDavid Arfa
CartographerDavid Arfa has a BA in Geography and a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Washington. He has been a volunteer since 2011.
Memo Ramirez
Software EngineerMemo Ramirez
Software EngineerMemo specializes in building data-driven applications. He has a BS from the University of Chicago and has been a volunteer since 2012.