Immigration and Rural America RoundtablePresenters

Panelists:Felicia Escobar, Director of Immigration Policy,

White House Domestic Policy Council Julie Rodriquez, Public Engagement Advisor

White House Domestic Policy CouncilErica Lomeli, Policy Director, UFW Foundation

Moderator: Edyael Casaperalta, Center for Rural Strategies

Immigration and Rural America RoundtableEdyael CasaperaltaCenter for Rural Strategies

Edyael joined Rural Strategies after serving as a consultant for our efforts in the Gulf Coast in the fall and winter of 2006-2007. She has worked with the Llano Grande Center for Research and Development, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educational pursuits and community youth leadership, beginning when she was a sophomore at Edcouch-Elsa High School in Elsa, Texas. Edyael is one of four founders of the Llano Grande Center’s Spanish Language Immersion Institute, and she led several community based research initiatives in her rural South Texas home town. She was born in Mexico, immigrated to the United States when she was 12, and graduated from Edcouch-Elsa High School in 2001. Edyael received a B.A. from Occidental College in Los Angeles and a master's degree in Latin American Studies at Ohio University in Athens.

Immigration and Rural America RoundtableFelicia EscobarSenior Policy Director for Immigration

Felicia develops the President’s strategy for building a 21st century immigration system. This work involves coordinating efforts across the Executive branch to strengthen the current system and working toward passage of meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Felicia previously served on U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s legislative team, working with him to develop his legislative agenda on a host of issues including labor, civil rights, judicial nominations and immigration. Felicia advised Senator Salazar during the comprehensive immigration reform debates of 2006 and 2007 in which Senator Salazar was a key member of the bipartisan group pressing for reform.

Prior to this, Felicia was Associate Director of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. In this role, Felicia helped cultivate relationships between Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and key stakeholder groups, including Latino, immigration and education advocacy groups. Felicia started her career as a State Policy Analyst working for the National Council of La Raza. She represented NCLR and its network of affiliates in the Texas State Legislature, testifying before legislative committees to advocate for education, immigrant access to benefits, and hate crimes legislation. Felicia is a native of San Antonio, TX. She received an undergraduate degree from Yale University, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Immigration and Rural America RoundtableJulie Chavez RodriguezPublic Engagement Advisor

Julie Chavez Rodriguez is a Public Engagement Advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement. Most recently Julie served as the Director of Youth Employment at the Department of the Interior under Secretary Ken Salazar. Prior to joining the Administration, Julie served as the Director of Programs for the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, a non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by the Chavez family to educate the nation about his life and work. In 2001, Julie helped launch the Chavez Foundation’s service-learning programs in Latino communities across the United States. In the nine years she spent with the organization, Julie distinguished herself as an effective program manager, community organizer, and advocate for Latino youth. She has established school and community based partnerships in major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix, and helped develop curricula widely used in school districts throughout the country. Due to her extensive traveling and commitment to service, Julie has helped to engage Latinos and other communities of color across the country in service-learning and community development programming.

Immigration and Rural America RoundtableErica LomeliUnited Farmworkers FoundationCivic Participation and Policy Director

Ms. Lomeli joined the UFW Foundation in March of 2007. She assists with coordination of civic participation efforts for immigration reform for agricultural workers. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Lomeli worked at VELA, a non-profit organization, where she was responsible for coordinating various community projects serving low-income families and mentally challenged children. Ms. Lomeli received her bachelor's degree in Social Science in Public and Community Service at UC Irvine, and her master's degree in Public Administration at the University of Washington.

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