Pueblo a Pueblo maintains a streamlined and highly motivated U.S. management team in order to maximize our impact on the ground in Guatemala.  Our staff consists of individuals both in Guatemala and the United States. 

Meet our dynamic team on the ground in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala!

Johanny Quieju
Primary Education Scholarships Project Manager and Administrative Assistant
Johanny was the first local staff member to join Pueblo a Pueblo in 2009. Born and raised in Santiago Atitlán, she is well aware of the challenges local coffee growing families face, as well as the promise of a better future offered by Pueblo a Pueblo. She is particularly passionate about providing young children with the opportunity to attend and succeed in school.  She holds a degree in accounting and speaks Tz'utujil, Spanish and popular phrases in English.

Ana Cabrera
Administrative Director and Sustainable Livelihoods and School Health & Nutrition Program Manager 
Ana began working with Pueblo a Pueblo in early 2014. Ana majored in forestry at the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala, then earned a diploma in community forestry from Flacso (Facultad Latinoamerica de Ciencias Sociales). She also studied in a master's degree program at USAS (Universidad de San Carlos) in the production and use of medicinal plants. In addition to her experience with financial administration and project management in the private sector, Ana has worked as a community organizer in Sierra de las Minas (El Progreso, Zacapa and Izabal) and taught environmental education and natural resource management in protected areas of Guatemala.  

Vilma Mendoza
Women's Right to Health Program Manager and Office Coordinator 
Vilma Mendoza was born in Santiago Atitlán and is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in social work from Mariano Galvez University in Sololá. She works closely with our partner clinic, Rxiin Tnamet, to provide community outreach skills and education to the women in our Maternal Child Health and Family Planning Champions projects. Her previous experience includes working with youth, women and community organizations in various development capacities. She is the seventh of nine children and owns a clothing store that sells traditional clothes from Santiago. 

Tomas Pacay Mendoza
WASH and Education Area Coordinator and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator
Originally from Santiago Atitlán, Tomas graduated from high school with a certification in primary bilingual education and went on to complete a bachelor's degree in education and educational administration from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala City. He began working with Pueblo a Pueblo in 2013 as part of our Pathways to Literacy project, where he led teacher observations and evaluations. He enjoys working at Pueblo a Pueblo as it provides him with an opportunity to improve the lives of children in his native community.

Genaro Simalaj
Beekeeping and Organic School Gardens Senior Project Technician
Genaro's past experience includes working as a coordinator for the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP), facilitating communication about food security between farmers with REDSAG, coordinating the reference center for IJATE, and working as a livestock technician with Heifer International. Genaro’s passion for the environment and desire to protect our planet's biodiversity brought him to Pueblo a Pueblo, where he helps lead our organic gardening and beekeeping projects. Genaro is married with three children and lives in a small community outside of San Lucas Tolimán.

Hony David Julajuj Churunel
Youth Leadership Project Coordinator
Hony is the coordinator for our Youth Leadership trainings. He is finishing up his degree at la Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, where he is studying to be a bilingual Kaqchikel-Spanish primary school teacher. Since 2005, he has been working in environmental education in both formal and informal settings with children and adolescents in the Lake Atitlán region. Hony has extensive experience with permaculture techniques and is committed to creating sustainable community, school, and family organic gardens around the lake. 

Sandy Violeta Mendoza Tzina
School Health & Nutrition Program Educator and Primary Education Scholarships Project Assistant
Sandy has worked for a number of organizations in her native community of Santiago Atitlán. In addition to her work with Pueblo a Pueblo, she leads activities in La Voz de Atitlan and La Cumbre primary schools. She particularly enjoys working in the gardens, where she has been able to learn about the varied maintenance and care that each organic garden requires. Now she shares these techniques at home with her daughter so that she can ensure her own family receives the same nutritional benefits as students in Pueblo a Pueblo's beneficiary schools. Sandy is a primary school teacher by training and speaks both Tz'utujil and Spanish.

Rebeca Sosof Tiney
Maternal Child Health Project Coordinator and Pathways to Literacy Project Consultant
Rebeca has lived in Santiago Atitlán for her entire life. She speaks Tz'utujil and Spanish, and is currently studying to receive her degree in social work. Rebeca's passion for assisting young women and their children was sparked when she was working in a local health clinic for her practicum. She then began working with Pueblo a Pueblo's Maternal Child Health project in 2015. Rebeca is inspired every day by the young mothers who participate in Pueblo a Pueblo's programs.

Lidia Juana Quieju
Pathways to Literacy Project Coordinator
​Lidia is a key part of the Pathways to Literacy project. She has extensive previous experience with local community libraries, which has allowed her to bring fresh knowledge and ideas to Pueblo a Pueblo's current projects. Her favorite part of her job is creating literacy activities that engage the children and teachers. She is proud to be part of a process that provides students with a warm and welcome space to discover new stories, games, and information.

Tatiana Dalton
​Communications and Visitor Coordinator
Tatiana joined Pueblo a Pueblo in 2018 as a Princeton in Latin America fellow. Her interests lie at the intersection of ethical storytelling and collaborative action. Born and raised in Marblehead, Massachusetts, she is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied theatre, global health, and civic engagement. Prior to her time at Northwestern, Tatiana spent a year on the educational staff at St. Innocent Orphanage in Rosarito, Mexico.

Jioni Tuck
​Grants Associate and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator
Jioni joined Pueblo a Pueblo in 2019 as a Princeton in Latin America fellow. Originally from Washington, DC, Jioni graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Government and a minor in Public Health. Through William & Mary, Jioni conducted health and development research in Nicaragua, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic and co-led a reproductive justice club on campus. She also spent a semester in Argentina studying human rights and Spanish. Jioni is interested in monitoring & evaluation, global health and development, and working with marginalized populations.

Denise Hofmann
Women's Right to Health Intern
Denise joined Pueblo a Pueblo in 2019 as a volunteer intern. After graduating from high school, Denise spent eight months working as a volunteer in Nicaragua and Peru. She is a graduate of the University of Applied Science in Muenster, Germany, where she studied Social Work with a focus on Integration and Inclusion. She has worked extensively with children and young adults in a variety of youth centers and service-learning programs in her home country of Germany. She is currently working toward a Masters Degree in International Social Work. Denise is looking forward to learning more about international nonprofit work in an indigenous community like Santiago Atitlán.