Our Team
There are two separate Boards of Directors, one for Grupo Cajolá in Cajolá and one for Grupo Cajolá in North America. Each board runs each organization independently but of course there is an enormous amount of communication and coordination.
Each organization has a Coordinator, or Executive Director. Josias Andres is the Coordinator for Grupo Cajolá in Cajolá. Caryn Maxim, who traveled monthly to Cajolá from the beginning in 2005 through the beginning of the pandemic, is the Executive Director for Grupo Cajolá in North America.
Our Co-ordinators
Josias Hisaú Andres Vásquez
Coordinator of AGCC
Josias was the Vice-President of Asociación Grupo Cajolá in Cajolá until he resigned to accept the position of Coordinator. He receives a scholarship from AGCC and is studying for his Bachelor’s Degree in Auditing. I have been working in Grupo Cajolá since 2018, first as the manager of the Internet Center, then as the Coordinator of Technology and Communication until I accepted the position of Coordinator.
Caryn Maxim
Executive Director of GCNA
Caryn has been collaborating with Grupo Cajolá since 2002, first in Morristown and then by traveling to Cajolá for two weeks each month from February 2005 until the pandemic. With the progress that the group has made towards sustainability, she travels there four times a year at present. She is the Executive Director for GCNA.
Our Boards
Board of Directors of Grupo Cajolá in North America
Diana Crowder, Vice President
I have always had a deep need for justice and fairness and so have dedicated my life to justice for all. I have done and do this in community with such groups as the New Jersey White Lung Association, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, May 1st Coalition, and Los Trabajadores por la Paz with the aim of empowering ourselves. From these connections I have met many Guatemalans. I have visited Cajola twice and was very impressed with the cooperative work that is being accomplished there. So when I was asked to help form a Grupo Cajola in the US I said a big yes. What I offer to the group is my organizing skills.
Jean Van Steenberghe, Secretary
Jean is a professional writer with experience in the financial, health, and aviation industries. She has been involved with Grupo Cajolá since 2008, with projects including tutoring high school students, writing newsletters, creating a website for the preschool, and teaching English language, reading and writing. Jean served as marketing director for Maya Mam Weavers, producing marketing materials, publishing articles, and designing and hosting trade show booths.
Brittany Galka, Treasurer
Brittany is a passionate health and financial coach dedicated to helping people feel their best—mentally, physically, and financially. She works closely with clients to build practical, personalized systems for achieving wellness and financial stability. With over a decade of experience, I support others in creating intentional habits around money management and everyday health. Her background in organic and regenerative farming through the Rodale Institute also informs her holistic and grounded approach. She believes in empowering people to steward their lives with purpose and confidence.
Ramón Huinil, Member at Large
Ramon was born in Cajolá and migrated to the U.S. for a better life. He has always been active in the community of Cajolenses in Morristown, organizing soccer tournaments and raising funds for people who have died. He has served on the Board since 2021.
Iraida H. López, Member at Large
After learning about the work of Grupo Cajolá at a Ramapo College of New Jersey presentation, Iraida organized and led several student trips to Cajolá in the 2010s. Students worked on community projects that helped to open students’ eyes to the grim reality of the Maya Mam Cajolenses. Later, she continued to support Grupo Cajolá in various ways, including facilitating student involvement in Grupo Cajolá North America. As a retired professor of Spanish and Latin American studies, Iraida is interested in bringing to the attention of the larger public the colonial history of Guatemala, a history that weighs on the present, fueling migration and the separation of families. She is committed to supporting the indigenous population, long denied of agency, as they forge a future for themselves.
Marlon Davila, Member at Large
Marlon is a first generation Guatemalan artist born in Princeton New Jersey. Inspired by the vibrant spirit of Mayan ancestry, fashion, nature, and the emotional depth of artists such as Fried Kahlo, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, his work explores identity, sprituality, human connection and humanity’s relationship with the Earth through bold color palettes and expressive storytelling. Marlon painted a wonderful mural in the entry to Cajolá’s Town Hall and endeared himself to the young people of Cajolá. Enthusiastic about the work of Grupo Cajolá he has joined the board!
Claudia Asencio, Member at Large
Claudia migrated from Guatemala to the USA when she was 10 years old. She understands the difficulty of adjusting to a new culture and language through her experiences as a young immigrant in America. Her teachers helped her in this process, inspiring her to become one as well. She has worked as a bilingual teacher for 28 years in Jersey City, and has taught many children to adjust to a new environment. She gladly accepts the privilege of being a part of Grupo Cajolá and is keen on continuing her efforts to assist the group and to help the Mam Community of Cajolá in its work to develop the town.
Melida Rodas, Member at Large
Melida Rodas is the Poet laureate of Jersey City, a Multidisciplinary Artist, and an Educator. "First-generation immigrants possess a unique dual perspective. We understand the realities of the diaspora and the critical needs of the communities back home. Joining the leadership of Grupo Cajolá is not just a professional milestone it is a deeply personal mission.” She is dedicated to community engagement, cultural preservation, and social justice. As a first- generation immigrant who has lived in Hudson County for four decades, Melida utilizes her distinct voice and creative practice to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that marginalized and resilient communities are seen and heard.
Luis Emilio Romero, Member at Large
Luis Emilio Romero is a Guatemalan artist based in New Jersey whose paintings engage deeply with his cultural roots through a meditative process. Drawing from the history and ritual of Indigenous weaving traditions, his work evokes a sense of spiritual depth through structural compositions and tactility through the medium of oil paints. Along with a solo exhibition in Los Angeles, his work has been included in various group exhibitions.
Board of Directors of Asociación Grupo Cajolá en Cajolá
Wagner Ely Lopez Huinil "Ely", President
Ely has been a member of Grupo Cajolá in Cajolá since 2007. He was a scholarship student for many years, completing his education with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology. He has a community-based approach seeking justice, equality, and rights for indigenous people. He works to strengthen the organization of communities within their territories, trains teachers in the Mam language, and focuses on the collective and oral history of the communities.
Elizabeth Lourdes Vail Lopez, "Lourdes" Vice President
Lourdes has been a member of Grupo Cajolá since 2011, beginning as the Coordinator of the Internet Center. Participating in the Scholarship Program she earned her Associates Degree and then her Bachelor's Degree in Pedagogy. Importantly she was a teacher in the preschool from 2013 to 2022. Her experience teaching led to opportunities in the Cajolá public school system where she is currently a teacher in a middle school.
Yulisa Lopez, Secretary
Yulissa teaches in the preschool. She has her Associates Degree in Bilingual Primary School Education that she earned with the assistance of Grupo Cajolá's Scholarship Program. She has also taught in the Learning Center.
Maria Edith Lopez Vail “Edith”, Treasurer
Edith serves on the Board as Treasurer. She has participated in Grupo Cajolá’s scholarship program, earning an Associate’s degree in Education. She has worked as the documentalist in the preschool and is currently a teacher in the Learning Center’s After School program.
Yohana Molina, Member at Large
Yohana works as the Financial Administrator for Grupo Cajolá. As a participant in the Scholarship Program she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education and is now studying for her Associates Degree in English.
Marina Barillas, Member at Large
Marina is a full time volunteer with Grupo Cajolá, who she first encountered when she lived in the U.S. She joined us in Cajolá in 2015. She created the Learning Center and Together We Learn as a response to the needs of the public grade school students. With her vast background in education in the U.S. she is the Coordinator of all of the educational programs.
Marcela Perez Lopez, Member at Large
Marcela serves on the Board as a Member at Large. She has been a part of Grupo Cajolá since 2011, entering to help launch the preschool. She has been teaching in the preschool since that time, and has also participated in the scholarship program to further her education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education
Vigilance Committee of Asociación Grupo Cajolá en Cajolá
The Vigilance Committee is charged with overseeing the Board to make sure they are making decisions consistent with the organization's mission and by-laws, as well as the laws of Guatemala.
Analy Lucas, President
Yohana works as the Financial Administrator for Grupo Cajola and is studying for her Associates Degree in English.
Marisol Alonzo, Secretary
Marisol is Secretary of the Vigilance Committee. She is a new and enthusiastic member of Grupo Cajolá. She is participating currently in the scholarship program studying teaching of mathematics at the university level.
Sofia Nohemy Huinil Velasquez, Member at Large
Sofia began her association with Grupo Cajolá by working as a seamstress for Maya Mam Weavers. When a position opened up in the Learning Center as a teacher, she accepted that opportunity so that she would be able to take advantage of her background in teaching and desire to be a teacher.