MEET A COMADRE! DORA MARIA ABREU

Dora Maria Abreu is the Social Media Coordinator for the Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club and a NYC Book Club Discussion Leader since 2007. Dora Maria is also an avid technology and education professional with progressive work experience in IT support and as a software engineer / developer but also in career and professional and personal skills. She has helped youth of all ages and community at large through mentoring, coaching and providing a variety of programs and workshops on internship preparation, leadership / professional development as well technical classes for those within and outside the STEM field.  By being part of the John C. Maxwell Team she has been able to build on these skills and reach a wider audience. Dora Maria enjoys music, dance, sports, photography, poetry and reading. ###

Meet Comadre Julie Anna Alvarez!

Julie Anna Alvarez is the new Director of Alumni and International Career Services at the Office of Career Services and Professional Development at Columbia Law School. She has been a law school career services professional for 11 years (having previously worked at Fordham and Cardozo) providing counseling and strategy to students and graduates at all stages in their careers. Her work in the academic setting has included helping her constituencies with resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, interviewing, networking and more. Throughout her career, she has also often been involved in the hiring process of her employers, screening resumes and interviewing candidates for open positions, so she has an insider perspective. Julie Anna was elected to the Board of Directors of NALP (National Association for Law Placement -- the industry organization for all major law schools and legal employers) for the 2016-2018 term. Julie Anna received her BA from Harvard University and her law degree from Harvard Law School. She began her legal career at the firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore as a corporate attorney, later transitioned to a boutique firm to practice Copyright/ Trademark/ Entertainment Law. Thereafter, she pursued various “alternative legal career” opportunities including six years as the Assistant Director of the Legal Referral Service at the NYC Bar Association. In 2000 she also became a certified Feng Shui consultant and ran a full-time consultant practice from 2001 to 2006, a business which she now maintains on a part-time basis. She has been a NYC Comadre for 7 years or more (but who’s counting?!).

Meet Comadre Vanessa Peters!

  

Vanessa Peters is a Human Resources Specialist with Michael Kors USA Inc.  She has been an HR professional for the past 9 years.  She started her career in human resources by working her way up through the ranks at Crate & Barrel.  She has experience in resume review, interviewing and training.  She has a BA from the City College of New York in English and Art and a Certificate in Compensation and Benefits from Baruch College. Vanessa Is also a writer and freelance artist of Puerto Rican descent.  As a writer, she is currently working on her first multi-cultural romance novel.   She also works out of her home as a freelance artist, her work focuses on both abstract/ impressionist paintings and drawings of the human form and figure.  Vanessa has been a NYC Comadre for 7 years.

Meet Comadre Nydia Marsella!

 I began my professional career as an architect in Caracas, Venezuela. Not long after arriving in New York City, I decided to pursue a career in television, and spent eight years working for the nation's first public Hispanic television network as a producer, writer, editor, and on-camera talent. I've produced hundreds of hours of programming aimed at creating value for the Hispanic community, and have been nominated for three Emmy awards.

I currently produce and host my own cooking show called MI COCINA VIRTUAL, the main goal of which is to inform the Hispanic community about how it can help prevent and reverse various health conditions by recognizing the body's signals that there's something wrong, and by eating the right foods in response. 

Meet Comadre Karen Valentin!

Karen Valentin is a proud Puerto Rican-American writer who is the award winning author of several books. Her latest memoir, The Mother God Made Me to Be (Hachette Book Group 2016) is the winner of The International Latino Book Award for Best Family Book.

Karen is a single mom of two young boys, but when she can, enjoys sneaking time away to enjoy an evening with her comadres. She began attending meetings after her first book The Flavor of Our Faith (Doubleday) was published in 2005.  Introduced to the group by a friend, she originally joined to promote her book, but soon discovered it was more of a sisterhood. When she’s not writing, Karen enjoys freelancing as an artist of murals and paintings, a singer-songwriter, and creating life experiences with her two boys. Her other works include adult novel The Summer She Changed Her Name under the trilogy title Hallway Diaries (Harlequin 2007), and children’s books What Did Abuela Say? And Block Party (JustUs Books 2009). She has also been a contributing writer for Guideposts Books since 2005.  She graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature, and taught English as a second language in France for a year. Karen is passionate about travel and speaks three languages--English, Spanish and French. We look forward to more books and adventures from this fellow Comadre in the coming years!

Meet Comadre Julia Abrantes!

Julia Abrantes is a legal secretary by day and a Super Comadre at night!  She joined Las Comadres in the Fall of 2009 through the book club. Shortly thereafter she attended her first Comadres gathering and it was love at first Comadrazo!  She quickly became a very active member of the group. Julia was a Facilitator and Book Club Discussion Leader; she helped organize events and volunteers for La Casa Latina Home Expo; Brooklyn Book Festival; Comadre and Compadre Writer's Conferences; International Latino Book Awards; a fabulous White Party (with free salsa dance lesson) hosted at the High Line; and the ongoing annual Dia de los Reyes gathering.  Julia is also part of the Leadership Team for Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club, along with Maria Ferrer and Dora Maria Abreu.

Julia also designed and produced our latest Las Comadres scarf – creating a version that was affordable to everyone.  Born and raised in NYC, she is of Puerto Rican heritage.  She currently resides in NJ.  She will be relocating to Atlanta, GA with her boyfriend Edgar in June.  Once they settle into their new home, she hopes to start a local chapter of the book club, assist the local chapter of Las Comadres to grow, and get the new title of Super Abuela Julia.♥ 

Meet Comadre Maria Ferrer!

Maria Ferrer has been a Comadre for over 10 years. She joined for the book club, but stayed for the friendships. She is proud to be a Facilitator and the Media Relations Coordinator for the Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club and a Discussion Leader for the local Comadres book club. She is a member of the Latinx in Publishing, who are working to get more Latinos into Publishing.

Meet Comadre Raesha Cartagena!

   

Raesha Cartagena is a writer, producer, community activist, and fundraiser who is passionate about addressing vital issues that face our Latino communities.   As a native New Yorker from East Harlem and a resident of the Bronx, Raesha is proud to serve in her community and continues to be a social agent of change. She is a Comadre and proud single parent of a lively 12-year old.

Meet Comadre Gladys Ayala-Borjas!

  

Gladys Ayala-Borjas is Puerto Rican born in El Barrio NYC. Married. Favorite outings are salsa dancing to live music at events in NYC, and exploring new things and old sites in the city. Gladys is passionate about community health. She works at Guildnet - a medicare-medicaid insurance for people with homecare, and is a Volunteer with American Diabetes Association in their Latino Initiatives committee. Gladys has been of Las Comadres since 2010 and happy to be a facilitator this year.