2026 Additional Bios

Friday Night Social

MCs: 

Francisco Olalde, MBA, MHA, MS. He is a health care analyst at University of Iowa Health Care. Francisco earned a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Business Analytics, both from the Tippie College of Business, and a Master of Health Administration from the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. Over the course of his career, he has provided analysis and insight into the macro-level of the health care workforce, practice settings in Iowa, and the competitive advantage of health systems through outreach specialty clinics in rural areas. More recently, he has been providing insights on clinical outcomes and areas of opportunity within inpatient units. Francisco has been active with the Johnson County Democrats for several election cycles. He has experience canvassing, phone banking, and creating social media posts. Francisco has served as a Johnson County Central Committee Member representing precinct Iowa City 13 since 2025. He has participated in voter registration drives and listening tours and has brought together the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Iowa City Council 308 and the University of Iowa Collegiate Council 373 members to collaborate on voter registration efforts. LULAC is a non-partisan civil rights organization and the oldest and largest Hispanic organization in the United States. Francisco has been the Treasurer of LULAC Iowa City Council 308 since 2020. He is interested in Hispanics in Iowa growing and flexing their political power in the upcoming Iowa elections. Francisco has also served as the LULAC Scholarship Committee Chair since 2023. His efforts, along with those of the Scholarship Review Committee, have enabled LULAC Council 308 to award scholarships to six recipients since 2023. 

Linda Pineda Lopez: She is a second-year student majoring in Human Resources Management and Finance, also working towards an International Business Certificate. She serves as the current President for LULAC Collegiate Council #373 at the University of Iowa and is the incoming Secretary for the 26-27 academic year. She also serves as a BizEdge Mentor, Iowa Edge Peer Leader, and Upward Bound Tutor. She leads campus efforts to advance Latino student empowerment, civic engagement, and community advocacy

Performance by:

Muscatine Mariachi Band: This is their third year with mariachi and have been growing more and more every year. They are close to fifty members and their ensemble is made up of students who are in band, orchestra and choir so anyone from these groups are always invited at Muscatine High school. They love to play classical mariachi music, some beautiful Mexican ballads, festive music and this year some pop with soul.

Tabling Organizations:

Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County: Founded in 2023, the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County is an organization of immigrants, volunteers, and passionate community members who saw an urgent need to aid newly arrived immigrants and refugees by connecting them to stable housing, direct services, and leadership opportunities so they can build sustainable and self-sufficient lives in Johnson County. We advocate and work towards the prevention of homelessness and the dismantling of systemic barriers, while promoting understanding and inclusivity within our communities.

Iowa Women's Archives: The Iowa Women’s Archives holds more than 1,200 manuscript collections that chronicle the lives and work of Iowa women, their families, and their communities. These personal papers and organizational records date from the 19th century to the present. Together with oral histories, they document the activities of Iowa women throughout the state and beyond its borders. The Iowa Women’s Archives is open to the public.

Latino-Native American Alumni Alliance (LANA3): The Latino-Native American Alumni Alliance (LANA3) seeks to preserve our history and association with the University of Iowa, and to further the enrollment and advancement of Latino and Native American students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We hold common goals of: Supporting our youth, students, and community; using and strengthening our collective resources for recruiting, advancing, and networking with students; and exchanging information to promote our own continuing education and the advancement and professional development of all alumni. 

UI LULAC Collegiate Council 373: The mission of Collegiate LULAC Councils is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health, and civil rights of the Latino community. As student-led units, they empower members to make a difference through volunteerism, community advocacy, voter registration drives, and awarding scholarships to Latino students

Escucha Mi Voz: An Iowa City-based, immigrant-led, faith-based organization founded in 2022 to empower working-class immigrant and refugee communities through advocacy, legal aid support, and direct assistance. They work to build power, protect worker rights, and provide resources against rising immigration detention rates, including operating a hotline to report ICE activity

Open Heartland: Open Heartland cultivates a strong, inclusive community by supporting immigrants who face barriers.  We empower individuals by providing access to vital resources, fostering meaningful connections, and celebrating the diverse cultures that enrich our society.

Saturday Conference

Moderators (in order of appearance):

Ed Moreno: He was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. He is a first-generation college graduate, with a B.S. in General Science and M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa. He served as the President of West Liberty (WL) LULAC Council 310 from 2016-2023 and is the current State Director of Iowa LULAC. He retired as the Water Superintendent of Iowa City in 2015 and currently works for the family business, Gentle Family Dentists. He has been active on many community boards, including the WL Youth Dream Catchers, WL Community School District, WL Lions Club, etc. And professionally boards as trustee and chair of the Iowa Section-American Water Works Association. He has been married for 47 years with two children and a granddaughter.

Adele Lozano, Ph.D: She is an Emeritus Faculty member in the Department of  Student Affairs Administration, at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. Before becoming a faculty member, she worked for 18 years in multicultural student affairs/higher education, including 8 years at the University of Iowa and 3 years at Iowa State University. Her scholarship centers on experiences of Latinx students at historically white institutions in the Midwest, with a focus on identity development, leadership development, and the role of cultural centers in Latinx student success. Adele’s experience as a Chicana first-generation college student shaped her interest in how Latinx students resist traditional expectations of assimilation in college, while finding culturally sustainable ways to develop as leaders. Her book, Latina/o College Student Leadership, was published in 2015. 

Denise Pérez: She was born and raised in southeast Iowa. She is a first-generation college graduate, with a B.A. in Global Health Studies, Sustainability Sciences from the University of Iowa. She interned for the Swami Vivekanada Youth Movement (SVYM) in Mysuru, India to develop comprehensive literature of agricultural development for tribal farmers in Mysuru. She is passionate about promoting sustainable health solutions within low and middle-income communities and addressing health aid challenges and food insecurities. She is a proud life-long member of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. where she serves as the co-advisor for a collegiate chapter. She is the in-coming president of the Iowa City LULAC Council 308. She also serves as a board member for the Latino-Native American Alumni Alliances (LANA3). She currently works at a private operation foundation, Resilient Sustainable Future Iowa City (RSFIC) as the Event Creator. Her experience working with nonprofits has equipped her to design and execute sustainable, community-building events that foster collaboration, raise awareness, mange and sustain free shared spaces, and shift the cultural narrative of what is normal and imaginable. 

Mario Duarte: He was born and raised in Western Illinois and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the University of New Hampshire. He is a Senior Academic Advisor in the Academic Advising Center at the University of Iowa. He is the author of a micro-poetry collection To the Death of the Author published by the La Resistencia Press and a story collection My Father Called US Monkeys Growing Up Mexican American in the Heartland published by the Ice Cube Press.

Joe Henry: For over 40 years, Mr. Joe Enriquez Henry has worked with members of a wide variety of organizations supporting Black and Brown Communities. Joe has worked in various capacities, from elected and appointed positions in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), American Civil Liberties  Union (ACLU), and Forward Latino. As a member of the Latino community, he led a statewide effort to stop "English Only" legislation in 2001 and 2002. In 2012, as state director for LULAC Iowa, Joe worked with the ACLU to take on a 2-year battle to fight voter suppression. He also led a successful 5-year statewide voter outreach effort that culminated into tens of thousands of additional registered Latino Voters, a first ever data base of identified registered Latino Voters, and a record turnout of Latinos in the 2016 Iowa Presidential Caucuses and again in 2020 Iowa Caucuses. Mr. Enriquez Henry is also a regular contributor to media -- local, statewide, and national -- on issues impacting the Latino Community.