Rey Velasco
President
Mr. Velasco is a third generation Mexican-American and Arizona native, who graduated from University of Arizona in 1988. Mr. Velasco has served as a member of HACER’s Board of Director for two years. He is an Insurance Consultant with RJ Ahmann Company and he volunteers as Marketing Chair for the Nonprofit Financial Group of Minnesota. Mr. Velasco has worked for many years in financial services, before joining HACER’s Board of Directors, Mr. Velasco worked in the nonprofit sector for two years. He shares two kids with Debbie Velasco.
Rafael Robert
Vice-President
Mr. Robert is a native of Puerto Rico and has been a member of HACER’s Board of Director since 2002. Before becoming a board member Mr. Robert worked at HACER as a graduate student and then full time as Project Manager/ Research Director. He holds a Masters in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota and is currently a Sales Manager for Small Business Services at ADP, Inc. Mr. Robert offers HACER experience in both research and management.
Debbie Velasco
Secretary
Debbie is a Minnesota native and 1988 graduate of the University of Arizona. She has worked for many years in college financial aid. She is currently employed as the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at the College of St. Catherine, Minneapolis Campus. She is staff advisor to the Latina Student Organization, Hermanas. She is married to Rey and they have two children.
Susan Mae Pauly
Treasurer
Susan Pauly is the Director of the Learning Center and the Extended Program on the Minneapolis campus of the College of St. Catherine. She has extensive knowledge regarding non-profit management and fund raising, having served as the executive director of what was once the only HIV/AIDS service organization in Northwest Ohio, and also as the executive director of La Posada, a homeless shelter serving displaced migrant workers. While living in Toledo, she was a regular contributor to La Prensa, a bilingual newspaper serving northern Ohio and southern Michigan, and taught in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Bowling Green State University.
Katherine Fennelly
Dr. Katherine Fennelly is a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. She has been dean of the University of Minnesota Extension Service, a faculty member and department head at the Pennsylvania State University, and a faculty member at Columbia University School of Public Health. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and has worked and traveled extensively throughout Latin America. Dr. Fennelly holds a certificate of studies from the University of Madrid, master of philosophy, master of health education, and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. She has written extensively about immigration and attitudes toward immigrants.