meet the cip Team
Staff
Carmen Patlán
Executive Director
Carmen (she/her/ella) is a profoundly spiritual leader whose faith fuels her deep sense of conviction and compassion. Her life's mission is dedicated to enhancing the human condition.
Her work is centered on transforming inequities, actively bridging the gap between disparate communities, ensuring equitable opportunities and resources for all, and focusing on access for the most vulnerable members of society.
With a respected 17-year tenure in the nonprofit sector, Carmen has been pivotal in establishing vital services and access points for various groups. These include immigrants, survivors of domestic violence and their families, and initiatives aimed at diminishing mental health stigma in communities of color. Furthermore, her efforts extend to improving mental health counseling services and educational opportunities for people across all age groups.
Board of directors
Dulce guzman
President
Dulce is originally from Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico, and immigrated with her family to the United States at the age of two. Dulce is now a DACA recipient and has worked in the Lake County Community in Illinois as an advocate for immigrant families since her senior year of high school. Throughout her work in Lake County, Dulce has been a part of community efforts that advance the protection of immigrant families.
Dulce obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.
In 2019, Dulce worked at Mano a Mano Family Resource Center as the community engagement manager, where she led the organization’s outreach and strategic partnerships and facilitated community workshops on policies and programs impacting immigrants. In 2024, Dulce was named the Executive Director of Alianza America, a Chicago-based organization advocating transnationally for immigrant justice.
Shareny Mota
Board Member
Jael Mejía
Director of Legal & Civic Engagement
Jael is an accomplished immigration legal professional and organizational leader with over a decade of experience in immigration law, program development, and community advocacy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from National Louis University, an ABA-approved Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies, and has extensive expertise in immigration law practice as a U.S. Department of Justice Accredited Representative.
Jael began her nonprofit career at Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, where she built an Immigration Legal Services Program that continues to thrive. She most recently served as Paralegal Manager and Lead Trial Paralegal at Zuma Law LLC, where she oversaw complex asylum and humanitarian cases, trained staff, optimized case workflows, and ensured the highest standards of legal service delivery.
Melanie Hernandez
Board Member
Melanie is a field supervisor with the US Census Bureau. She is passionate about justice and equality. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in public policy and psychology from Marquette University in 2019. She has worked on Capitol Hill in Washington DC where she researched public policy put in place by Hispanic legislators all over the United States with the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
She has worked with nonprofits and specialized in family-based immigration. Since then she has become a firm believer that the people need to be at the forefront of public policy. She decided to join the Center for Immigrant Progress to empower and help other Lake/McHenry County community members take action.
Born and raised between two different cultures, Mexican and American, she acknowledges the challenges that bicultural individuals face and wants to help build bridges to create a safer, healthier, and a more just community. She wants to make the difference.
Shareny graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Public Health and Family and Child studies.
She is the Initiatives Coordinator of Success by 6 at United Way of Lake County. Where challenges such as the low percentage of students who lack the readiness skills for Kindergarten motivate her to explore new ways she can equip children with the tools necessary to be successful in their classroom and their future. Shareny is also a student at Loyola University Chicago where she studies her Masters of Social Work through the Online Bilingual MSW program.
Through the Center for Immigrant Progress, she will dedicate her time to listen to her communities’ needs, protect those who are facing discrimination and oppression and bring her knowledge to service and advocate for immigrant families and children.
Sandra díaz
Board Member
Sandra is a DACA recipient born in Reynosa Tamaulipas, Mexico, and migrated to the US at the age of 5. Sandra’s career in the nonprofit sector started in 2017, her commitment to the work was ignited by the impact of immigration policies on her local community and family.
In her previous roles, Sandra spearheaded implementing a civic engagement program in Lake County, Democracy in Action, amplifying the voices of those traditionally underrepresented in civic duty. Her work was dedicated to narrative change which led to the creation of campaigns aimed at reshaping perceptions and fostering understanding.
As a Board Member of Alianza Americas, a transnational organization, Sandra brings a unique perspective to her immigrant rights advocacy efforts. She holds an associate's degree in Networking and Computer Administration, combining technical expertise with her passion for storytelling to bridge gaps and address the needs of undocumented students, young professionals, and immigrant families.
In 2019, Sandra co-founded the Center for Immigrant Progress alongside five other immigrant women and daughters of immigrants as a grassroots organization committed to championing access to education, immigrant rights, and fostering a dignified way of life for all people.