Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors consists of the elected Executive Committee members, all appointed or elected officers and the Immediate Past President. Our Executive Committee consists of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Financial Secretary, Immediate Past President and any other Executive Committee position established by the Board of Directors.
Juan Yniguez
President
Juan has over thirty years as an higher education administrator and policymaker, as an assistant dean at Stanford University, Senior Vice President for the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), Executive Director of the Association of Private Postsecondary Education Colleges (APPEC), research analyst for the California Postsecondary Education Commission, and a program coordinator at UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center.
As an higher education administrator, Juan has served on many statewide and national committees and boards, such as Mathematics, Engineering, Sciences, Achievement (MESA), California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP), and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities State Executives (NAICUSE). Additional policy experience includes serving as a California Senate Fellow, legislative staffer and district office representative for State Senator Art Torres.
Juan has also served as a consultant with organizations such as the California Latino School Boards Association, Semillas del Pueblo (charter school), and City of Sacramento Thousand Strong (youth training program).
Juan has a long history of community service as Governance Committee chair of the Marymount California University Board of Trustees, executive director of the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project (CLYLP), president of the Sacramento Hunger Commission, Interim Vice President of Sustainable Wellness Solutions (a peer driven non-profit for people with mental challenges), and as a member and chair of local Catholic parish and diocesan committees.
Alexis Arriaga
President Emerita
Alexis Arriaga was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and has been a resident of Sacramento since 2015. Alexis received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and earned her Juris Doctorate from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Alexis is heavily involved in the arts, as well as civic engagement. Alexis is honored to have been the first female President of United Latinos, and continues to carry out the mission of United Latinos and its members as United Latino’s President Emerita.
On April 12, 2024, Alexis was sworn in as a licensed practitioner of the law. The entire UL board is exceedingly proud of our President Emerita. Alexis Arriaga, Attorney at Law, further confirms the strength and contributions that Latinas provide to civil rights efforts.
Arturo Aleman
Vice President
& Co-Founder
Arturo is a key co-founder of United Latinos. His parents were community organizers with the California Service Organization (CSO) and their influence continues with him and his family. Arturo’s career began as a governor’s appointee with the State of California after returning from his tours in Vietnam. He has been responsible for implementing Equal Opportunities programs in State Government and has served as an executive in Departments like the Cal EPA and the Department of Parks and Recreation. He earned a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Sacramento State University.
Cristina Mora
Treasurer
Cristina Mora was born in Texas but raised in Sacramento. She retired from the California State Chancellor’s Office California Community Colleges (COCCC). She also served as director of the Mathematics Engineering and Science (MESA) Program for UC Office of the President. She served on boards such as MECHA, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment, LULAC, Mexican American Addiction Program MAAP, and Washington Neighborhood Center during her adult life. She also served as a mentor to students enrolled in the PUENTE Program (Community College System) throughout the years. Cristina continues to collaborate with the community in any way she can to advance education, health and volunteerism of Chicanos/Latinos in the Sacramento area.
Joe Ayala
Board Member
Antonio Gonzalez
Board Member
A Sacramento native, Antonio Gonzalez continued his higher education at UC Davis where he earned his BS in Environmental Biology and Management and a BA in Native American Studies. Antonio joined the Peace Corps as an environmental educator in Honduras working alongside community leaders, teachers, and youth to implement environmental education programs. This experience developed a passion for public education and led Antonio to pursue a teaching credential. Antonio has been a teacher in the public school system for twenty years, spanning schools in both rural and urban settings, as well as teaching in Berlin, Germany. As an educator, he has maintained a focus on the environment, ensuring the students have access to hands-on, nature-based, outdoor experiences. During his seven-year tenure in Berlin, Antonio completed an MS in Integrated Natural Resources Management from Humboldt University. Currently, he also serves on the boards of Language Academy of Sacramento and Always Growing Foundation.
Perla Avila
Board Member
Perla Avila is a California-born community leader, REALTOR®, and housing advocate dedicated to expanding economic opportunity and homeownership for underserved communities. The proud daughter of immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico, she has built a career rooted in service, leadership, and empowering families through education, advocacy, and access to resources.
Her commitment to public service began as a union representative for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877. Inspired by her mother, a janitor and union volunteer, Perla helped organize workers and support labor negotiations that improved wages, healthcare benefits, and workplace protections for working families.
Perla serves on the Sacramento Association of REALTORS® Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Fair Housing Committee and the Global Economy Committee. She also chairs the Road to Homeownership Committee for the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates (NHORA) in Sacramento, leading initiatives that promote first-time homebuyer education, down payment assistance, and housing resources, particularly for the Spanish-speaking community.