President: Barbara Salazar
I was born in Cuba from a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. I was raised between Puerto Rico and the United States. I graduated from Medical School and later became a Natural Health professional. I worked all my life in hospitals and clinic settings in administration.
I am also the author of two published books of short stories and poems. The last one was published in Guadalajara, Mexico.
I retired in 2021 and moved to San Miguel de Allende where I embraced the opportunity to join Mujeres en Cambio. I started as the Scholarship Chair and this year it is my honor to be the President of such a beautiful organization.
Vice President: Claudia Lafforgue
Hola. I am Claudia. I was born in Argentina, but I am a Mexican at heart. I’ve been with Mujeres en Cambio for 2 years. I believe that education is the most valuable tool that we can give to girls. I fell in love with the project from the first day when I met some of the girls and saw the effort they made to be able to continue studying.
Treasurer: Daniel Medina
I am Daniel Medina, a Mexican. I am happily married and have two dogs. I have worked in finance in Mexico for 13 years. I joined Mujeres en Cambio as a volunteer two years ago. I love being treasurer and seeing the impact we have on the girls through the scholarships. I believe the support we give has a great impact on the girls in our community and empowers them to define their own futures, professionally and personally.
Secretary: Robin Polanco
I was born and raised in Chicago and its northwest suburbs. Since I was 18 I dreamt of becoming a social worker. In my late twenties, with support, I returned to school to pursue my dream. I worked as a school social worker for 28 years and loved it. I started coming to SMA for the summers in 1998 to study Spanish. My Spanish is still a work in progress, but I met my husband in SMA in 1999. From the first time I came to SMA, I knew I wanted to retire here and spend my retirement volunteering. Mujeres en Cambio is the perfect organization for me. Their mission to offer support through education to young girls and women allows them to pursue their life dreams. I have always believed education is the best way to build a person’s confidence and independence while enjoying their chosen profession.
Events Coordinator: Christine Yanitelli
Christine is from Kansas City, Missouri and has served on the Mujeres Board for six years as the Chairperson of the Events Committee. Her background as a counselor at the community college level and her strong advocacy for women’s empowerment made becoming involved with Mujeres en Cambio a natural choice for her. She has a sincere passion for supporting women. Her goal is to continue to create events that are both friend-makers and fundraisers to further support the organization in its efforts to make education accessible to even more young women in the rural areas around San Miguel.
English Community Communications Director: Barbara Wilson-Clay
After 42 years in Austin, Texas, raising my family, I am now a permanent resident of Mexico living in San Miguel de Allende. My background in maternal-child health attracted me to the mission of Mujeres en Cambio. When girls are educated, families are healthier and more prosperous. As a technical writer, helping with the MeC newsletter seemed a way for me to help promote the mission of the organization. The longer I volunteer for this nonprofit, the more impressed I become at the dedication and competence of the people associated with it. Next year Mujeres en Cambio celebrates 30 years of educating girls in this region. I am proud to be involved.
Board Liaison with Amistad Canada: Erika Sadler
I am originally from Montreal. I developed a keen appreciation for the financial support of the Canadian educational system while pursuing a PhD later in life. Supporting Mujeres en Cambio is an opportunity to give back to a cause close to my heart, and also is in gratitude to the country of Mexico, which has welcomed me.
Co-founder and Mexican Community Communications Director: Pakina Fernandez
My name is Pakina. I am from San Miguel de Allende. In 1995, I helped found Mujeres en Cambio, along with a group of American women: Georgeann Johnson, Diana Negrete, and Zuzu. At that time, I was the president of DIF, because my husband, Jaime Fernandez was Mayor of San Miguel. Since that time, I have held different positions in the Board of the organization; most recently Vice President.
I am a strong believer in Education to make a better world. Educating women is one of the best things we can do because educated women become mothers who will educate their children. The whole family will become better, especially their children.
My goal is that this wonderful organization continues so we educate as many girls as we can .
Co-founder, Board Member Emeritus: Georgeann Johnson
Georgeann Johnson, co- founder of Mujeres en Cambio, claims that she’s an activist because, “My moon is in Aries. I like to start stuff.”
Born in Ft. Worth, Georgeann went to Texas public schools until 1957 when her adventurous mother, Betty, came to live in Mexico. Georgeann and one of her sisters then attended Augusta Irving’s one-room English school house in San Miguel de Allende. Playing in the streets of what was then a small town, bribing the sacristan of the cathedral to let them ring the great bells, Georgeann made life-long friends and developed a love for this city and the people of this region that brought her back as a permanent resident in 1991.
In the intervening years, Georgeann went to Swiss boarding school and convent school in Spain. She attended the University of Colorado and lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay area of California. She eventually became the Program Director of a Montessori School and a passionate advocate for education. When she returned to Mexico, she said that, “As a teacher, I could look around and see that the last ones to be educated were the rural girls.” Then, as now, the Mexican government provides free public education through the 6th grade. From 7th grade on, parents must pay fees. Many families prioritize education for boys, but cannot afford to educate daughters.
Because Georgeann is an organizer by nature, when she returned to Mexico, she quickly became part of various women’s groups. Building community within these groups, she partnered with others, including Pakina Fernandez to tackle the issue of the lack of educational opportunity for rural girls. Pakina was the wife of the mayor of San Miguel de Allende – a role that called upon her to participate in numerous civic affairs. Pakina was instrumental in helping establish secondarias (middle schools) in many of the surrounding villages. In order to fund scholarships so that rural girls could attend these schools, Pakina and Georgeann organized a series of monthly luncheons featuring food and friendship for a small fee. They also created the Hooked Rug project, which taught village women a craft so they could earn money at home. Sale of the rugs raised money for scholarships. These initiatives were the genesis of Mujeres en Cambio, now about to celebrate its 30th year anniversary.
At age 80, Georgeann still serves on the Board of Mujeres en Cambio as emeritus and mentor. Her current passion is connecting the dots between climate activism and the education of girls. She is currently inspired by Paul Hawken, spokesman for a group of climate scientists who compiled a list of 100 solutions to global warming that could mitigate the worst of climate devastation. Number 6 on their Drawdown list is educating girls! Georgeann hopes to mobilize the attention of other non-profits to examine their organizational objectives to see how they might already fit in with ways to mutually tackle climate change. See this video for more information.
There’s one more story to tell about Georgeann that illustrates how wide a net she has cast. The other day she went to the bank, where she waited until her favorite banker was free to grab coffee. As the two talked, the young woman asked Georgeann if she was familiar with the small village she came from. Georgeann said she knew it well because of the rural scholarship program she was part of. The young woman became very silent. Then she told Georgeann how Mujeres en Cambio had sponsored her through middle school, high school, and college, giving her a career and changing her life. “Señora,” she said. “You are my godmother.”