Thursday, Sep 15, 2022
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are spotlighting leaders who make valuable contributions to the Greater Lawrence Community. Click on the image to read their biography. Check back as we add more leaders during Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15.
Yadira Betances Muldoon
Yadira Betances Muldoon is a well known photo journalist with more than 35 years of experience in the field.
Born in Neiba, Dominican Republic, she immigrated to Lawrence in 1975. She studied journalism at University of Massachusetts Amherst, fulfilling a promise she made to her mother on her deathbed. In fact, it was her mother’s passing that inspired her to write as a way of grieving. Her English teacher at Lawrence High discovered her talent and encouraged her to continue, which ultimately led her to her career path.
For many years Yadira was the only Spanish speaking reporter at The Eagle-Tribune writing about religion, politics, community events and daily news. Yadira won a Pulitzer Prize as part of the team of reporters who covered the drowning of the boys on the Merrimack River. She was also recognized for her coverage of the kidnapping of Sgt. Alex Jimenez during the 14 months he was missing in Iraq.
“My goal as a reporter is to educate readers about the culture and customs of Latin America,” she said.
Yadira accomplished that by writing about such Hispanic traditions as quinceañeras, the Three Kings and Christmas parrandas. Despite living in the United States for many years, she is totally bilingual and worked as a Spanish medical translator at Holy Family Hospital.
A lover of history, she served on the board of Lawrence History Center, and she has donated countless photos, posters, and event programs relating to the Hispanic community in Lawrence so others can learn about the life of the Hispanic immigrants in the 1970s to today.
Yadira is the widow of Michael Muldoon and has a grown son, Gabriel E Martinez who lives in Denmark.
Nelson Butten
Nelson Butten emigrated to Lawrence, Massachusetts, from the Dominican Republic in 1993. He has almost 30 years of experience in community development and organizing. He started his career in the non-profit sector as an AmeriCorps member and is currently a Partnership Director at Lawrence Public Schools. Before working for Lawrence Public School, he was the Director of Community Organizing and then a Co-Executive Director at Lawrence CommunityWorks. Nelson is a devoted leader in our community with specific interests in housing, education, and economic related policies, impacting mostly the Latino and undocumented population.
Nelson is also a trustee of the Lawrence Public Library, a Massachusetts Statewide Family Engagement Center Advisory Committee member, and a Fellow of the Influence 100 Program of the nationally recognized non-profit Leadership Academy and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Noemí Custodia-Lora, Ph.D.
Noemi’s parents are both Dominicans. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico. This is the reason why she usually identifies as 100% Dominican and 100% Puerto Rican.
Math and Sciences have been part of her affections since her early life. Consequently, she became a research scientist.
Noemi Custodia-Lora holds a Ph.D. in physiology-endocrinology from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Universidad de Puerto Rico. Before joining NECC, she was a post-doctoral fellow at Tufts Medical School. She joined the faculty of NECC in 2003, teaching courses in nutrition, human biology, and anatomy & physiology. Later on, she became the first Latina to be appointed NECC Vice President of Lawrence Campus and Community Relations. Through the creation of PIÉS Latinos at NECC, she has served her passion, which is increasing access to higher education and fostering community partnerships for the Hispanic community. This initiative supports immigrants by validating their professional credentials. Besides serving on the National Skills Coalition on Racial Equality Panel, she leads several projects with university partners in the Dominican Republic and spearheads the NECC Center for Adult Education and the Center for Equity and Social Justice.
Socrates de la Cruz
From a modest upbringing in Lawrence, Ma, Socrates De La Cruz has emerged as one of the Merrimack Valley’s most impactful business, civic, and evangelical leaders. He has founded and serves as the CEO of De La Cruz Law, a criminal defense and personal injury firm; and De La Cruz Properties, a real estate investment, holding and management firm that boasts one of the largest residential portfolios in the City of Lawrence. Previously, he served as a trial attorney for McBride and Associates and as an Assistant District Attorney in Essex County.
Socrates leverages his own personal experiences and successes to inspire others and give back to his community. In addition to founding and running Socratic Inc., a non-profit that offers motivational speaking and awards scholarships to youths in the Merrimack Valley, he also serves as the Vice Chair of the Lawrence Partnership and sits on the boards of Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and Greater Lawrence Community Action Council. Socrates is also a founding Board Member of LEADS.
In 1998 Socrates received his JD from Suffolk University Law School after receiving his BA from Holy Cross, where he was a Division 1 basketball player. He credits so many of his early opportunities to his close relationship with the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, for which he was honored as the National Youth of the Year in 1991, commemorated by a visit to the White House to be recognized by then President George H. Bush.
In 1999 he was recognized by Oprah Winfrey on the Oprah Show for his civic leadership and community contributions. In 2006 Socrates authored a chapter in the NY Times Best Seller A Hand to Guide Me by Denzel Washington, which features other various contributing writers like Muhamad Ali and former President Bill Clinton.
In 2012, Socrates became an ordained minister through the Free Methodist Church USA and currently serves as an Assistant Pastor at the First Spanish free Methodist Church in Lawrence, the same church his grandmother attended for decades. In addition to preaching and visits to congregants, Socrates is also part of the governing body at his local church. He lives with his wife and 3 daughters in Methuen, MA. In the few moments when he is not with family, building his businesses or giving back to his community, he is an avid golfer and reader.
Joanna De Peña
Joanna is a role model and an inspiration for young people. As a high school student, Joanna’s academic and athletic abilities earned her a full scholarship to Proctor Academy in Andover, NH where she excelled as a scholar-athlete. She played softball, was on the cross country team, and was captain of the varsity basketball team that won Proctor Academy its very first championship. Her top grades & dedication to her community earned her a scholarship to Lasell College in Newton, MA, where Joanna earned a degree in Business. As a college student, Joanna landed what she calls “the internship of a lifetime” at Walt Disney World. Even before graduating, Joanna was motivated to pay it forward. Her junior year at Lasell, she founded Top Notch Network, which offered leadership development events and trainings for young professionals in the greater Boston area like herself.
Joanna founded Top Notch Scholars in 2014, a non-profit dedicated to youth leadership development, providing workshops and motivational speaking engagements for students in the Greater Lawrence and Boston area. The workshops focus on Leadership topics such as confidence-building and interviewing techniques--skills that can help with high school & college admissions, applying for scholarships, finding employment opportunities, life skills and career advancement. In just 3 short years with her organization she has reached over 10,000 students. She has been recognized by El Mundo in its “Boston’s Latino 30 under 30” for her dedication to youth and the community and has been awarded the Tribute to Women award for professional and community achievements. In 2016, Joanna has been recognized as a Gateway City Leader by MassInc for her Leadership and dedication with inner city youth. Her mission is to inspire & empower 1 million youth nationwide.
Delia Durán-Clark
Delia describes herself as a Black-Latinx, mother to four amazing girls, Sasha, Mara, Elena, and Sofía: where her leadership, learning, and educating others truly began. Delia was born in the Dominican Republic and has lived in the United States since age 12. She has made Lawrence, MA her emotional home; as her heart beats for this city.
Delia is the proud school principal at Esperanza Academy; her life mission, calling, and joy. As an educator and community leader, she has held positions with Lawrence Family Development Charter School, Lawrence High School, and Notre Dame Christo Rey High School. In her advocacy, she has developed socially responsible leaders throughout the Merrimack Valley. She is the founder of Nosotras: Una Fuerza Natural and Amigas: two women’s empowerment groups that honor women’s voices and experiences. For the last four years, she has had the pleasure of working with students at the college level holding positions at Merrimack College, Boston College, and Northern Essex Community College.
Delia graduated from Northern Essex Community College where she received her degree in Early Childhood Education. Her love of learning led her to Lesley University to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education & Psychology. She later received a Master’s in Social Work from Boston College, and a second master's from Worcester State College in School Leadership Administration. Her passion for education brought her to the Dominican Republic, where she became the school principal at Colegio Dominico-Americano and obtained a post-graduate degree from Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.
What does it mean to be a LatinX community leader? For Delia Durán-Clark, it starts with visibility. “A big part of being visible for my daughters, my students, and my community is as simple as showing up,” said Delia. “I show up when I don’t feel like it and I show up regardless of whether someone applauds me for it. I show up in every moment like I’m meant to be there, proud of who I am and what I have to offer. And I hope those small acts of bravery inspire others to show up too.”
A leader in our school and across our community. Because anyone who knows Delia knows that when she shows up, she empowers those around her to do the same. “One of the most important things I can do to encourage other women/girls is to share my story with them. I’ve had a long winding journey from the Dominican Republic to Lawrence, with peaks and valleys, beautiful views, and broken heels, but I’ve never lost sight of my purpose— to lift others as I climb,” she says.
Delia feels privileged to walk the halls of Esperanza Academy as a mentor, motivator, and role model for her students. Every day her joyful presence teaches them to love, respect, and believe in themselves and each other. Ms. Delia is a woman with a story, a story that inspires.
Zoila M. Gomez, Esq.
Attorney Zoila Marisol Gomez immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1988 at the age of eighteen. She attended Northern Essex Community College (NECC) for English as a Second Language (ESL) after graduating from Lawrence High School in 1989. As a single mother after the birth of her first child in 1994, she returned to NECC where she obtained an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies in 1997. She transferred to UMass Lowell where she obtained a Bachelors Degree in Political Science in 2000 while working full time. In 1999, she began working for then Congressman Martin Meehan as an intern and three months later she was hired as an employee. She left Congressman Meehan’s office in the fall of 2002 to begin law school at the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, at which time she opened her own business as an immigration consultant. She obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2005 and license to practice law in 2006. She immediately opened her law practice, the Law Offices of Zoila M. Gomez and since then has been serving the immigrant community north of Boston and beyond with much needed legal representation and advocacy. She is now the Managing Partner of the law firm Gomez and Palumbo, LLC.
Since 1999, Attorney Gomez has dedicated her time to advocate for and educate the immigrant community. In her efforts to further educate the immigrant community regarding their rights and responsibilities, Attorney Gomez, participates weekly in the radio show “Al Son de la Manana,” which airs Mondays through Fridays in WGUA Radio Catolica, 98.1 FM. In the fall of 2011, she returned to NECC as a professor of Immigration Law and Policy and feels passionate about giving back to the school that she graduated from. She is also the board chair of the Youth Development Organization, a nonprofit organization which seeks to engage students in after school programs to enhance their abilities to compete and have the confidence to survive in the world outside the walls of Lawrence. She is a member of the board of trustees for Lawrence Evangelical Church where she celebrates her faith along with her sons, Christopher and Jean Carlos. In 2011, she served as a member of the UMass Board of Trustee to which she was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick. Most recently, in 2015, she was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to the Judicial Nominating Commission and served in that capacity until May 1, 2018. Most recently she joined the Lawrence Partnership Board of Directors as a member.
Dr. Lilia Guerra
Dr. Lilia J. Guerra, MD is a Cuban-American doctor who has been serving the Lawrence Community since 1993. A graduate of Harvard University and UMass Medical School, she established and served as the Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Lawrence General Hospital. A pioneer in her field, she was one of the first Pediatricians at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and taught pediatrics for the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency Program. Her dedication to children’s well-being drives her innovative approach to ensuring children and families feel safe and comfortable when receiving healthcare, especially in an emergency setting. She has worked to ensure access to quality care for the most vulnerable members of our community and was honored by Essex North District Medical Society with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jonathan Guzman
Jonathan Guzman is a member of the Lawrence School Committee and External Affairs Manager for Groundwork Lawrence. He has devoted his life to the betterment of the City of Lawrence and future generations since 2010.
Born in Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico in 1995, to Dominican Republic parents, Jonathan graduated from the Math, Science, and Technology Academy from Lawrence High School in 2014. He earned a bachelor’s in biology and a minor in political science from Fitchburg State University.
In high school, he founded the Humanitarian Club with a mission to not only provide community service opportunities for the youth of Lawrence, but to give students the chance to engaged in projects and become leaders. More than 70 students dedicated their spare time to give back to their community by volunteering with non-profit organizations such as Groundwork Lawrence, Habitat for Humanity, Project Bread and many others. Jonathan is enthusiastic about serving the next generations of the City of Lawrence by empowering and creating space for youth engagement.
In 2019, Jonathan was elected to the Lawrence School Committee, representing District F, and elected vice chair of the committee. His purpose has always been to fight for the well-being of the students, educators, and a thriving educational system that benefits both present and future generations. Jonathan has worked with his committee members since his first day in office to support the objectives of establishing a well-rounded School Committee to support the district and end the state takeover. In 2021, he sponsored a Petition To End Receivership with his school committee colleagues, the Lawrence City Council and the then-mayor Kendrys Vasquez. The Lawrence School Committee spearheaded a petition to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to initiate a transition plan to remove the Lawrence Public School from the statues of chronically underperforming schools.
Jonathan joined Groundwork Lawrence(www.groundworklawrence.org) in 2021, an organization that has implemented strategies within the Ccity of Lawrence to assist efforts to preserve and fight for environmental justice. They have strengthened their commitment to ensuring that opportunities in the communities they serve are accessible, as well as interconnecting neighborhoods and supporting initiatives in education, food, health, small business, and other areas.
He was promoted to External Affairs Manager in September 2022, continuing his work as an essential component of the Executive Director's office. Using his legislative expertise, he will continue to influence policy and government affairs at the municipal, state, and federal levels, and engage community participation.
Ana Luna
Ana Luna leads ACT Lawrence, a Latinx-led non-profit community development corporation serving the City of Lawrence for more than 25 years. She first got involved with ACT Lawrence in 1996, as one of its founding members and then became its Executive Director in 2003. Focusing on low-income and diverse groups, she oversees programs in the areas of financial literacy, homeownership education, housing counseling, youth employment, and community engagement activities.
She joyfully serves her passion by supporting the community to adopt financial literacy skills that help 1600 people annually to achieve their financial goals and dreams. Over the years, she has won several awards for her community development work, most recently, the Unsung Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, she migrated to Lawrence in 1985 where she discovered her commitment to improving and supporting the community. She graduated from Tufts University in Medford, MA with a Master's in Public Policy and holds a BA in Television Production from Emerson College in Boston, MA. Her education allowed her to focus her career on advocating for and supporting public policies that encourage affordable housing, youth jobs development, and financial wellness. She co-chairs the Financial and Housing Stability Working group, a 70-member group, which focuses its efforts on supporting the community with access to financial & housing stability tools and services.
Ana enjoys reading, journaling, exploring new restaurants, and traveling with her loving husband Juan, and daughter Emily.
Juana Matias
Juana Matias is the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Regional Administrator for Region 1 which covers Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, and Vermont. Prior to her appointment at HUD, she served as the Chief Operating Officer for MassINC, a nonprofit, non-partisan public policy and action think tank and civic news organization. In this capacity, she oversaw the organization’s internal operations, policy and advocacy strategy, development, and communications, and served as the main spokesperson with elected officials, policy makers, and the media. She also led efforts to strategically advance MassINC’s research in policy areas which included the K-16 education continuum, housing choice, criminal justice reform, transit-oriented development, and racial and economic justice.
Previously, Matias served as the State Representative for the 16th Essex District, becoming the first Latina immigrant elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. During her time at the State House, she secured an 81% increase in local funding for her district, and sponsored key legislation that protected immigrant rights, stimulated the production of new affordable housing, promoted access to BIPOC-owned and women-owned businesses, addressed inequities in our public-school systems, and expanded opportunities for working class Americans.
Matias graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009 with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice. In 2014, she received a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School and is member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. After graduating from law school, she dedicated years of her career to public service by enlisting in AmeriCorps as a Justice AmeriCorps Legal Advocate. There, she sought humanitarian based immigration relief for unaccompanied children in removal proceedings.
Danaris Mazara
In 2008, Danaris Mazara was working a minimum wage job, her husband was laid off from a local manufacturing company, and they found themselves on the brink of facing foreclosure. During this difficult time, Danaris’s mother gave her $35 to buy groceries for her family.
Rather than do as her mother instructed, Danaris purchased ingredients to make flan, which she sold to her friends and former co-workers. She then used those sales to purchase more ingredients, and after two weeks, that $35 had grown to $500. She didn’t know it yet, but Danaris, a native of the Dominican Republic, had gotten her first taste of entrepreneurship. 
A few years later, Danaris gained the confidence to apply to an EforAll Pitch Contest, and then, the one-year, free EforAll Accelerator Program. Fast forward to Thanksgiving Day in 2015 Danaris opened her bakery, Sweet Grace Heavenly Cakes, named after her oldest daughter.
Danaris now employs 14 people, including her husband, and is currently working on expanding her business to her neighboring retail space.
Reflecting on her EforAll experience, Danaris notes “One should always seek support. At first, I was the typical entrepreneur, in my own little bubble. EforAll’s Spanish and English Program has provided the support group that all entrepreneurs should be a part of.”
Source: EforAll
Martha Velez
Martha Velez is the Director of Human Services for the City of Lawrence, overseeing the Council on Aging, Veterans’ Services Office, Recreation Department, Mayor’s Health Task Force and the Human Rights Committee. Previously, she served as the Director of the Lawrence Senior Center for 11 years.
Her leadership at the Lawrence Council on Aging and her commitment as Director of the Lawrence Senior Center have created a community-centered environment that provides a wide range of services to thousands of people every year. Mrs. Velez has also been instrumental in the development of the Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force.
By establishing linkages between the Council on Aging and area organizations at local, statewide, regional, and national levels, she has fostered a wide range of cooperative and collaborative relationships with community providers. She has served as the Chair of Lawrence Diabetes Today Coalition and the President of Merrimack Valley Community Service Core, presently she serves as a board member at Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Patient, Co-Chair of the Healthy Active Living Working Group, Family Advisory Committee at Lawrence General Hospital (PFAC), as well as, an active contributor to the Determination of Need’s Healthy Aging Advisory Committee, Dementia Friendly Massachusetts Initiative, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Supportive Services Program Advisory Committee at the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
Mrs. Velez has worked tirelessly through the years to educate area residents about the benefits of healthier lifestyle choices. For more than 15 years, she has helped organize and run the largest Health Fair in the City of Lawrence, the “Fiesta de Salud/Celebrating Health Fair”, and she played a key role in developing the well-known “Winning with Diabetes” program at the Lawrence Senior Center. She has also served on the GLFHC Latino Center of Excellence to eliminate Disparities, REACH New England, and the American Diabetes Association National Latino Subcommittee.
Mrs. Velez has been instrumental in, not only changing the logo and appearance of “The Center,” but with changing the overall image of what The Center has always been, which is the heartbeat and soul of the city. She is credited with diversifying The Center, highlighting the cultural richness and deep rooted traditions, by offering inter-generational activities and programs to keep the heritage ever present in daily activities, conversations, and interactions.
Mrs. Velez has received many honors and awards, including the Unsung Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, the Honorary Veteran Award, and the Director of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA).
Born in Cuba, Mrs. Velez migrated with her parents to Lawrence when she was five years old. She has been a resident of Lawrence since 1969 and an employee of the City of Lawrence for more than 30 years. She is the proud wife of Fernando Velez, and mother of Tabitha and Sheldon Velez.
Jeysi Zuniga
Proudly born in Guatemala, from a long line of fierce matriarchs, Jeysi emigrated to Lawrence from California in 2001. She is an optimistic, driven, multifaceted entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Synergy Contracting Inc., an environmental remediation, demolition, and construction services company located in Lawrence, MA. She has always been an active advocate for latinos, especially women who have historically been underrepresented, and she is particularly committed to advancing their participation in the industry. Her professional background is in the environmental field, real estate and biotechnology. Jeysi has been very successful in building companies from the ground up. She built a unionized company that provides high paying jobs to our community with access to health insurance, education, annuity and pension funds, scholarships, legal representation, and apprenticeship programs. Through key partnerships, she has secured unlimited training and the proper certifications for Synergy's workforce, and she constantly emphasizes the value of education so that individuals can advance their careers and take advantage of the opportunities available. As the first Latina to participate in Harvard's Construction Academy Program, Jeysi's primary objective is to help create a road map for minority and women-owned companies so they learn about the procedures, logistics, and policies associated with doing business with Harvard. Jeysi is also a Realtor licensed in MA & NH, as well as a certified Advanced Commercial & Pricing Strategy Advisor. Through real estate, she has been able to help families in our community achieve their home ownership and investment dreams.