US Team

Mario Flores
Co-Executive Director
Mario is our Co-Executive Director, overseeing all of Global Visionaries’ Programs in the US and Guatemala. He first joined GV in 2006 as a Country Coordinator in Guatemala. Mario brings to GV his leadership and management skills, knowledge of restoration, and experience in environmental education and community outreach.

Sarah Popelka
Co-Executive Director
Sarah is our Co-Executive Director, overseeing all of Global Visionaries’ Development & Operations. She brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit development with her to GV. She holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management with an Emphasis on Global Studies from Northeastern University.

Jennifer Jallos Restrepo
Director of Finance & Operations
Jennifer has been with Global Visionaries since 2018. She holds an MA in the Humanities from the University of Chicago and has over 10 years of operations and administrative experience. As an at risk youth herself, Jennifer is passionate about working alongside and serving young people in her community.

Gabriela Torres Figueroa
Logistics Coordinator
Gaby holds a Masters degree in Social Work with a concentration in Community-Centered Integrative Practice from the University of Washington, and has over 6 years of community-based work experience. Before moving from Puerto Rico to Seattle, she worked with local organizations focusing on community care and education, mutual-aid, and LGBTQI+ issues.

Jasmine Fernandez
Program Assistant
Jasmine is a third-year Interdisciplinary Honors student at the University of Washington pursuing a BA in Law, Societies, and Justice with minors in Labor Studies, Human Rights, and Political Science. Since joining Global Visionaries as a sophomore in high school, she has held various roles within the organization and has worked to enhance its program.

Mason Tepper
Program Assistant
Mason is a student at the University of Washington studying Computer Science. He joined the program in 2018 as a high school freshman and continued to participate in Global Visionaries as a Pro-Justice Leader
Guatemala Team

Aurelio Hernandez
Guatemala Senior Director
Aurelio has worked with GV since 2003. Prior to his involvement, he worked with El Centro Linguistico, La Union in Antigua. He coordinates all on-the-ground activities in Guatemala, connecting GV with local partners for service projects and cultural exchanges.

Billy Lopez
Country Program Director
An Antigua native, Billy graduated in an accounting career in 2007 and is currently studying Auditing and Public Accounting at la Universidad de Mariano Galvez. In his last year of high school, he began to volunteer with GV, and was deeply impacted by the work he did constructing a school near his hometown.