Who We Are

Executive Director

Lorena's journey began in New York City. She was born to immigrant parents who valued cultural heritage and community. In Mississippi, she raises her children with values of resilience and community involvement. As Executive Director of IAJE, Lorena employs innovative strategies, amplifying unheard voices and fostering recognition and respect for all. The many rich experiences and stories from her lived experiences inform her resilience, innovation, and dedication required for the strong leadership in IAJE’s fight for community empowerment.

Head of Operations

Lauren is a native Mississippian who moved to the capitol city to attend college. Lauren now works at IAJE full-time as the organization’s Operations Manager. She has experience in advocating and organizing around public health safety, herbalism, reproductive justice and youth-led projects. She uplifts language access, food and land sovereignty, baking therapy and cultural organizing through a Black feminist lens while implementing popular education through the arts at IAJE. Lauren has a multicultural and multi-ethnic background, and was raised in opposite spectrums: a Metropolitan area and the rural Mississippi Delta. Her ancestral gifts have shaped her viewpoint of the world around her.

Head of Finance

Leslye, a dynamic individual who grew up in the culturally rich city of Miami, serves as the Head of Finance at IAJE. Her work at IAJE places her firmly at the crucial intersections of health access, immigrant rights, and language sovereignty. She is trilingual, and ensures that community members whose first language is not English receive the essential information they need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families. Her unwavering passion for her work plays a vital role in ensuring that IAJE is fully able to continue its steadfast commitment to creating sustainable futures for all.

Program Manager

Ellah is IAJE’s Promotora Program Manager & Policy Lead. Originally from Zimbabwe, Ellah relocated to the United States to continue her education. Over the course of her career, she’s worked in sales, training, coordination, administration, teaching and public policy. She leverages her diverse experience and a collaborative approach to support IAJE’s strategic priorities. As a manager for Promotores, she ensures the program is effective and successful. Ellah enjoys walking, listening to music, and bowling.

Director of Personnel and Projects

Michelle is a lifelong community organizer dedicated to advancing reproductive justice in Mississippi. For more than 25 years, she has challenged restrictive health laws and mobilized communities to defend body autonomy through protests, civic engagement, and grassroots fundraising. In 2022, Michelle was selected as a Rockwood Reproductive Health and Reproductive Justice Fellow, part of the first post-Roe v. Wade/Dobbs cohort, and was also recognized as a member of the Frontline 40. She is the co-founder of SHERo Mississippi, and holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science. Outside of her advocacy work, she is an animal lover and a fan of GoT.

Senior Organizer

Efren is our Senior Organizer from Honduras. He has called Jackson, MS home for more than 25 years. Efren has a strong background in nonprofit organizing and working with Latino-based businesses to bring about economic development. Efren has an extensive history of volunteering with other nonprofits and churches in Jackson as well as coaching soccer here in the United States. In his free time, Efren enjoys being with his family.

Health and Safety Coordinator

Elba Davidson is a sixth-generation Mississippian with a passion for seeing her home state live into its nickname as “the Hospitality State”. Ordained as a deacon in the United Methodist Church, she loves to connect faith communities with opportunities to engage in ethical, meaningful community building and justice efforts alongside their neighbors. Elba is an L.M.S.W. with an emphasis on community organizing. She brings a decade of experience serving in faith communities and nonprofits in Jackson, Mississippi in roles focused on education, reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ and gender justice. As Health & Safety Coordinator at IAJE, Elba works at the intersection between Public Policy & Public Health programming to support the dissemination of equitable and inclusive educational efforts within immigrant communities in Mississippi.

Communications and Development Coordinator

Tymer is a recent college graduate of the prestigious Jackson State University, and is continuing her education to get her Master’s in Luxury Brand Management. A bit about Tymer is that she likes to read, go to the gym, and eat whatever her heart desires! She is a native Jacksonian who is passionate about her community and wants the best for everyone. She will be using her communications skills to highlight what is happening within the surrounding communities within IAJE’s reach. She is happy to be able to further enhance and amplify the spoken message at IAJE!

Tech, Cybersecurity and Comms Support Specialist

As a Vietnamese-American, Jeannie holds a deep appreciation for culture, community, and minority voices. As IAJE’s Cybersecurity and Tech Specialist, she supports the organization by managing systems to aid the team’s communication, organization, and information technology security, ensuring that IAJE’s technical infrastructure matches its mission and values. As the relationship between tech and community grows, Jeannie is committed to bridging gaps between generations, cultures, people and the tools they need to thrive.

Lead Youth Organizer & Policy Fellow

Sasha is the Lead Youth Organizer currently working for IAJE, the only organization in the state of Mississippi founded by immigrants for immigrants. She is a Mississippi native currently attending a historic HBCU. She strives to promote and encourage youth engagement in the state of Mississippi and focuses her work on amplifying the voices of youth in Jackson. She has contributed to her work by creating advanced curriculums for fellowships under the Progressive Youth of MS. As a creative, Sasha has added to the beauty of the IAJE facilities.

Youth Organizer & Public Health Fellow

Originally from Mexico, Crystal has lived in Mississippi during her formative years and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health in her Honors College at a prestigious HBCU. At IAJE, Crystal engages young people in civic education and works with Promotoras de salud, hosting bi-weekly discussions on preventive health and emotional intelligence. Her bilingual fluency in English and Spanish allows her to effectively support English learners in her community. When not working or studying, Crystal stays active and encourages her community to embrace movement through a holistic wellness approach.

Facilities

Cooper serves as Facilities and Ground Support at IAJE, bringing strong dedication to community service and faith-based engagement to his role in the community center. His role is to ensure that IAJE's physical spaces effectively support the organization's mission of empowering Mississippi's immigrant communities. As a central MS native, his deep understanding of the unique regional context enriches his contributions to IAJE.

PYOM Comms Lead

Daniela is the PYOMS Photographer & Comms Lead. Born and raised in Mississippi, she is currently attending college and exploring a path in medicine. Her passions lie in the art of making music and photography. She has an eye for capturing life’s moments in their most raw and beautiful form.

Arts and Culture Intern

Arturo Hernandez is from Winston-Salem, NC. He majors in Architecture at Mississippi State University and moved to Jackson in 2025 for his final year in the program. He has a passion for advocacy, community health, supporting underserved communities, and informing/researching Latin American & LGBTQIA+ architecture. At IAJE, he is the Events and Programs Intern and his role is to work with the K2 & SK programs along with the Cultural Hub Project. He will organize and execute these events/programs to ensure that the community is informed and organized for future immersion.

Finance Intern

Emily is our Finance Intern. She is a Mississippi-born and raised daughter of a Colombian immigrant, shaped by the resilience and community values that come with building a life between cultures. She is a college student at Mississippi State University majoring in Business with concentrations in management, insurance, and law. She works to support the finance and operations sides at IAJE. Passionate about equity and immigrant justice in Mississippi, she is using her skills to help strengthen the systems that sustain our communities.