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YWU's Staff

Adriann Barboa - abarboa@youngwomenunited.org
Director

Adriann Barboa is a Chicana, Native New Mexican born and raised in Albuquerque, where she is a single mother of two kids. Adriann has three years experience working with the Juvenile Community Corrections Program at Youth Development Inc. She also worked as Program Coordinator for ORALE, a youth mentoring program developed by students at the University of New Mexico, and has been involved in local community organizing since high school.  Adriann is currently the Director of Young Women United, a community based organizing project, for young women of color in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  YWU works to build Strong Women and Healthy Communities by engaging in community organizing, policy/systems change and Sister Education Trainings.  YWU’s Reproductive Justice and Gender Justice organizing has seen successful results at both the local and statewide level.  Adriann loves working for YWU where she can work with her own community to recognize and exercise their power. 

Dominique Pierson - dpierson@youngwomenunited.org
Communication and Office Coordinator

Dominique Pierson was hired in April 2008.  She was born in RAF Lakenheath, a US Air Force base located in Suffolk, England to a black/white interracial couple.  In the past she has call the States of California, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and the Commonwealth of Virginia home. Due to her many childhood moves she has been exposed to and befriended people from many different races, ethnicities, cultures and points of views. She graduated high school in Waldorf, Maryland (a suburb of Washington DC) in 2001.  She moved to Albuquerque in 2002 and has been here since. As of February 2010 she became a first time mother to Persephone Calvin Pierson.

Dominique has an Associates of Applied Science in Business Graphics (Graphic Design) from the Central New Mexico Community College.  She is greatly pleased to be the Webmistress of YoungWomenUnited.org and hopes to further develop her skills in web development and the media arts.

Micaela Cadena - mcadena@youngwomenunited.org
Campaign and Program Coordinator

Micaela is a hermana chicana from southern NM, now blessed to be living and loving with the fabulous women of YWU. Being a revolutionary mama of Aymara Nayeli has made her who she is. From a family of smart, strong, and compassionate women, Micaela believes that her privileges come with a social responsibility to work for a more just and loving world. Micaela is a graduate student in Community Planning at UNM and is writing a thesis on the access that low-income women of color have to homebirth in New Mexico.

Elizabeth Silva-esilva@youngwomenunited.org
Community Organizer

(bio unavailable)

Denicia Cadena - dcadena@youngwomenunited.org
COS Community Organizer

Denicia Cadena was recently hired to work with Circle of Strength until December of 2011. She first started with YWU in the summer of 2007 as an intern. During that time she lead the visioning process that helped the membership decided to start working on an anti-violence against women campaign. In the three years following, Denicia stayed engaged with YWU from afar as she was going to school in Massachusetts. Working on issues of women’s health, particularly for women of color and low-income women, is her passion. Denicia is thrilled to be back home in New Mexico and even more excited to be back with YWU!

Board of Directors

Mireya Cadena
(bio unavailable)

Sireesha Manne - Sireesha@nmpovertylaw.org
Sireesha Manne grew up as one of the few and proud South Asians in Albuquerque. She joined forces with Young Women United in 2001 as an early member and recently returned to the group after moving back to the city. Sireesha is a staff attorney with the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty where she works to improve health care access in low income communities through legal services, community education, and policy advocacy. She received her Bachelors degree at the University of New Mexico and went to law school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Before starting her legal career, Sireesha had worked at Planned Parenthood as a clinical health specialist, and as a programs/communications coordinator for YouthAction, a grassroots training and networking center for youth organizers. She has interned with civil rights firms including the ACLU of North Carolina, advocated for immigration and human rights issues as a law clinic student, and provided contract work for the Southwest Women’s Law Center. She has served as a board member of the Highlander Center, chairing the Education Committee of the 75-year old southern center for community organizing and popular education. She loves YWU and aspires to continue growing her roots and fighting for justice.