Board Advisors

Bernice Arias
Manager, Contact Center Operations at Allina Health Health

Pamela Barragán
Commander, St. Paul Police Department

Linda Freemon
Retired

María Ramírez Johnson
Retired Teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools

Key Staff

Eloisa Echavez – Executive Director
Eloisa has been the Executive Director of La Oportunidad since 1998 and also produces and hosts its television program En Familia. She has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management and education. Eloisa holds a Master’s degree in Education & Leadership as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Business Administration and Communications, both degrees from Augsburg University, and a certification in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas’ Graduate School of Business. Prior to La Oportunidad, she founded and directed the Latino Student Services Program and also served as the Multicultural Coordinator for Augsburg University for six years. Originally from Colombia, Eloisa is bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally competent.

Eloisa has been an active member of the community for over 30 years including her multiple-year service on the City of Minneapolis Youth Violence Prevention Executive Committee (2008 – 2016), the United Way Speakers Bureau (2000 – 2018), and the Augsburg University Scholastics Connections Mentorship Program.  She has also served on the City of St. Paul Youth Fund Board, the Minnesota Department of Education Multicultural Advisory Board, and the National Hispanic Leadership Institute Conference Planning Committee. She has been actively involved in the nonprofit sector including her role of Co-Chair of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits-Minnesota Council on Foundations 2012 Joint Conference. Eloisa has been recognized for her community involvement and leadership over the years, including by various Governors and by the Minnesota Medical Association for her contributions to violence prevention in the state. In addition, she has been a featured guest of the TV show Comcast Newsmakers as well as been profiled in the Minnesota Historical Society’s Latino Leaders Oral History Project published in 2011. In 2017, she was honored with the NFL-Vikings’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award in recognition of her contributions to the Minnesota Latino community.

Adrian Diaz Jr – Special Projects Consultant
Adrian graduated from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Community Development and Sociology with an emphasis on social justice. He is Mexican-American, bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally competent. He co-founded and co-directed a Multicultural Center that provides adequate resources to ensure the academic and social success of students of color at Northland College. Since 2016, Adrian worked for our organization as a Youth Program Coordinator for several years, then moved to his current role of Special Projects Consultant.

Teo Nuñez – LEAP (Latinos Ending Abuse Program) Coordinator & Parents Program Coordinator
Teo Nunez possesses an Associate Degree in Public Administration from the University of Puerto Rio, Carolina Campus and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rio, Rio Piedras campus in Social Work. Teo worked for the Administration of Juvenile Institutions of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation of Puerto Rico from 1991 to 1997 as a social worker for juveniles in institutions. Teo has worked for more than 26 years in the field of social work. He is bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally competent, he joined our organization in 1998.

Jill Spurgeon – Finance Coordinator
Jill holds an Associate in Business degree from Cardinal Stritch University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has over 15 years of experience in Financial Management including with non-profits. Jill works closely with the Executive Director in managing the finances of the organization. She joined La Oportunidad in June of 2019.

Franklin Zumba – Latino Youth Programs Coordinator
Franklin moved to Minneapolis from Ecuador to finish high school when he was  only 15 years old. He later attended and graduated from St. Cloud State University with two Bachelor’s degrees: one in Political Sciences and another in International Relations (2015). He later pursued a  Masters in International Development and a minor in International Education from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He brings vast professional experience through his work as a career counselor for the Latino Economic Development Center, adult academic counselor at Minneapolis Public Schools, and more recently as a pathways coordinator for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Franklin is bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally competent, he joined La Oportunidad in October of 2021 as a Latino Youth Program Coordinator. He believes that working with La Oportunidad provides him with the opportunity to help both students and families to broaden their postsecondary options and aspirations. He believes that success in education is about building trust with people and ensuring that all students reap the benefits of all the resources available through La Oportunidad. For him, as a minority, postsecondary education and career readiness are a pathway of hope, an equalizer in terms of opportunities for the future of our community.

All Program Coordinators and the Executive Director of La Oportunidad are bilingual (English/Spanish) and culturally competent.