Meet our Board Members
Maria Alonso, Founder, Executive Director, Board Member
In September 2014, Maria Teresa Alonso found herself celebrated at a regional health collaborative meeting in San Bernardino. People cheered for her work in organizing the Huerta del Valle community garden, and for her commitment to local food and health. Someone in the audience said they wished there could be a whole room full of Marias—a room full of Marias might make change in our region possible. Maria’s leadership has grown in concert with Huerta del Valle and in response to her family’s health challenges. Huerta del Valle was the result when her son’s ADHD and her husband’s diabetes drove her to seek healthy food, only to find it miles from her community and at a prohibitive price. Maria started Huerta del Valle with a handful of students in the Pitzer College in Ontario program, 10 Ontario families, and a will for change. She built what are now seven thriving community gardens and urban farms, an tax-exempt nonprofit for which she is now executive director. Little by little, she says, she is learning—English, computer skills, what it means to lead with heart. She thinks, “If I can do this, you can too. If they can do it over there, I can do it here too.” She is passing on this confidence, drive and values to other members of her community through innovative programming and the vision of “a garden every mile” for her community and others in the region. Huerta del Valle, Maria says, is about growing leaders and a community as well as food.
Dr. Lourdes Argüelles
Dr. Lourdes Argüelles received an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Human Relations and Community Studies with specializations in Psychology and Sociology from New York University. She holds a BA in Economics (University of Miami) and an MSc. in Counseling (Barry University) as well as certificates of post-doctoral studies in Law and Mental Health (York University, Canada) and in Latinx Studies (UCLA). Lourdes is Professor Emerita of Education and Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and a CA. licensed psychotherapist who works pro bono with survivors of domestic and political violence. Prior to her tenure at CGU, Lourdes was a community organizer in NYC and in Montreal, the director of research at the Ministry of Human Resources in British Columbia (Canada), a faculty member at various colleges and universities, and the Mc Arthur Chair of Gender and Feminist Studies at Pitzer College. While at Pitzer, she co-founded the Pitzer in Ontario Urban Studies Program more than two decades ago. In 2017, she returned to Pitzer to design and co-direct with Maria Alonso, the Executive Director of Huerta del Valle, the Huerta del Valle/Pitzer in Ontario training program for community health coaches. During her youth, Lourdes spent long periods of time in the countryside of her native Cuba alongside her agronomist father. It was there that she first encountered the agricultural challenges facing neo-colonial peoples and witnessed their valiant struggles for food justice. She has a certificate in urban and peri-urban agriculture from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and studied Gandhian inspired communal agriculture and other sustainability practices in India.
Dr. Lourdes Argüelles received an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Human Relations and Community Studies with specializations in Psychology and Sociology from New York University. She holds a BA in Economics (University of Miami) and an MSc. in Counseling (Barry University) as well as certificates of post-doctoral studies in Law and Mental Health (York University, Canada) and in Latinx Studies (UCLA). Lourdes is Professor Emerita of Education and Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and a CA. licensed psychotherapist who works pro bono with survivors of domestic and political violence. Prior to her tenure at CGU, Lourdes was a community organizer in NYC and in Montreal, the director of research at the Ministry of Human Resources in British Columbia (Canada), a faculty member at various colleges and universities, and the Mc Arthur Chair of Gender and Feminist Studies at Pitzer College. While at Pitzer, she co-founded the Pitzer in Ontario Urban Studies Program more than two decades ago. In 2017, she returned to Pitzer to design and co-direct with Maria Alonso, the Executive Director of Huerta del Valle, the Huerta del Valle/Pitzer in Ontario training program for community health coaches. During her youth, Lourdes spent long periods of time in the countryside of her native Cuba alongside her agronomist father. It was there that she first encountered the agricultural challenges facing neo-colonial peoples and witnessed their valiant struggles for food justice. She has a certificate in urban and peri-urban agriculture from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and studied Gandhian inspired communal agriculture and other sustainability practices in India.
Maria Elena Bastian, Treasurer
As a child in her native Ecuador, Maria Elena Bastian watched her father in awe as he carefully crafted the leather hats that were his livelihood. He would also perform his calculations of the cost of each component very carefully as he felt it was very important to keep an accurate system of expenses and profits. Ever since, Maria Elena has been interested in accounting. After she graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in Ecuador, Maria Elena spent the next 15 years balancing the books for several types of businesses in both her country and in the US. These businesses included an international company in Riobamba, Ecuador that hosted medical students from all of the world who were learning medical Spanish as well as a large real estate company in Redlands, California. In addition, Maria Elena volunteered her accounting services to CEBYCAM-CES (Center for Human Development in Culture and Solidarity Economy), an Ecuadorean Catholic non-profit organization that sponsored the “Footwear Vinicio”project, a project devoted to helping differently abled people join the labor force.. Footwear Vinicio, which was located in one of the poorest areas of Ecuador, also assisted single and young mothers, low income families and other community members in need. More recently, Maria Elena trained in community health at San Manuel Gateway College in California and worked as a Coordinator of the English as a Second Language program at Ameri-Corp in Boston. At Ameri-Corp she worked closely with both documented and undocumented immigrants who were learning English. At Huerta del Valle, Maria Elena utilizes her accounting skills, community health training and knowledge of the needs of immigrant and other communities in need to carefully craft her work as Treasurer of the Board of Directors.
Marc Hanson, Board Member
Marc Hanson, is a native Californian, raised in the Central Valley. He spent more than a decade as a policy researcher, Congressional aide and foreign policy expert in Washington D.C. During his tenure as a legislative assistant he focused on international human rights and supporting grassroots organizations, securing funding for a farm worker-to-farmer program of Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (‘ALBA’). Since returning to California, Marc has served as District Director for Congresswoman Norma Torres, State Senator Josh Newman’s and Congressman Gil Cisneros. Prior to serving in policy roles, he was a union organizer and strategist with the hotel workers (UNITE-HERE) and home care aids (SEIU). Marc has a degree from Santa Clara University in Political Science and Philosophy and Master of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Honduras (2003/04). He lives in Fullerton with his wife Shaina and two boys, Jasper and Enzo.
Arthur Levine, Project Director and Board Member
Arthur Levine has been working in urban and community agriculture since 2008. Originally starting as a student in New York City he built a strong knowledge of community gardening and the necessary organizing required to not only start them, but maintain them. From 2008-2011 Levine worked summers organizing youth service learning trips to New Orleans to learn and educate about the systemic racial and environmental justice challenges from the events of hurricane Katrina and the recovery/revitalization process. Spending extended time at Our School at Blair grocery, a Growing Power ROTC, Levine was not only able to train in sustainable urban agriculture, but was also able to learn how urban farming can be applied as a tool for education, public health, economic development, and organizing. Levine studied at Pitzer College and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Neuroscience and while finishing he BA also collaborated with Pitzer in Ontario, Maria, Alonso, and the city of Ontario to launch Huerta del Valle. Arthur's work at HdV has resulted in the large urban composting operation, the development of a working urban farm, the development of the community garden and he is currently working with a team to develop educational programming at the farm.
Stephanie Silva, Board Member
A native of Mexico, Stephanie received a degree in nursing and obstetrics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In Mexico, she also studied computer science and programming and was certified in computer operation programs and trained in computer repair. She is currently a small business owner and active in Inland Valley Latinx communities. Stephanie immigrated to the United States in 2008 and spent the following eight years teaching computer operations at RTC College where she eventually became an Assistant Director. During this time, Stephanie continued her education in computer science and took courses in business development from various local Chambers of Commerce, the Small Business Development Center, the Latina Business Association, and the Emprendedor@Business Program. Stephanie founded and currently owns USLC, a company that provides local small business owners with computer and technology education . It also conducts QuickBooks courses through the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino, California. Stephanie trains Huerta del Valle’s agricultural students in specialized computer operations and in small business development. In addition, she teaches community-based computer classes for members of the Huerta del Valle community of gardeners.
A native of Mexico, Stephanie received a degree in nursing and obstetrics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In Mexico, she also studied computer science and programming and was certified in computer operation programs and trained in computer repair. She is currently a small business owner and active in Inland Valley Latinx communities. Stephanie immigrated to the United States in 2008 and spent the following eight years teaching computer operations at RTC College where she eventually became an Assistant Director. During this time, Stephanie continued her education in computer science and took courses in business development from various local Chambers of Commerce, the Small Business Development Center, the Latina Business Association, and the Emprendedor@Business Program. Stephanie founded and currently owns USLC, a company that provides local small business owners with computer and technology education . It also conducts QuickBooks courses through the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino, California. Stephanie trains Huerta del Valle’s agricultural students in specialized computer operations and in small business development. In addition, she teaches community-based computer classes for members of the Huerta del Valle community of gardeners.