Board Members – Updated April 2025

Bless Burke lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies. After graduating from college, she lived in Southern Mexico for over two years teaching English and volunteering with mostly unschooled indigenous children accompanying their families who were working on the streets. When she returned to North Carolina, she held the position of Executive Director of Centro Latino of Caldwell County, and then worked as Co-director of the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center. She has also worked as a Project Manager for the North Carolina Farmworker Health Program and a Paralegal with the Farmworker Unit at Legal Aid.

Bless is driven by the mission of supporting marginalized communities to enhance their well-being and quality of life and is honored to use her passion and skills as a board member of the NC Farmworkers Project.

Doctor Lori Byrd is a distinguished leader in the field of nursing, currently serving as the Associate Dean of Strategic Partnerships and Practice with the Carolina School of Nursing. Previously Lori served as the Associate Director of Academic Programs and Coordinator of Health Sciences for the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), where she expertly coordinated nursing and allied health programs for 58 community colleges.

Lori began her research career in migrant health, where she investigated the incidence of tuberculosis in migrant farm work populations in Johnston County, North Carolina. Since then, she has established herself as an expert in clinical nursing leadership, rural health, and workforce development.

She is deeply involved in nursing workforce development projects across the state and currently serves on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) Nursing Workforce Taskforce and Steering Committee. Lori actively contributes to health policy development and served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging for 5 years. Doctor Byrd has also served 5 years on the Executive Board and is currently the Vice Chair of the NC Institute of Medicine.

Jessica Collogan has served as Dean of Library Services at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke since 2020. She brings more than 20 years of unique experience in corporate consulting, academic, public, and medical libraries. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from The University of South Florida. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean and holds a graduate degree in Library and Information Science. Her ongoing education includes the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians program at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Her past involvement in serving the community has been in an appointed board position by the Florida Secretary of State as a member of the State Library Council, and as a board member of Northeast Florida Library Information Network. In addition to being a board member at the NC Farmworkers Project, Jessica also currently serves as an advisory board member of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and is an executive board member of the UNC University Library Advisory Council.

Since 2023, Dr. Melanie Escue has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at UNC Pembroke. Her passion for serving migrant communities began in 2020 as she grew aware of the pressing needs of im/migrant communities in the United States. Over the years, she has engaged in two National Science Foundation mixed-methods projects examining the health and incorporation experiences of im/migrant populations living in the United States. She is currently co-Primary Investigator on a NC Collaboratory funded project exploring the health outcomes of rural and urban North Carolina residents.

Melanie earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of South Florida in 2023. She earned her M.S. in Criminal Justice (2014) and B.A. in Psychology (2013) from the University of Central Florida, and her A.A. from Valencia College (2011).

As a first-generation college student, Melanie understands the critical importance of social capital for college students – especially those from impoverished backgrounds. When she is not engaging students in the classroom or with research, Melanie can be found investing in the growth of student leaders through her role as faculty advisor of the Latin Student Union and African Student Organization.

Mackenzie Mann has her Masters in Social Work and Masters in Public Health. She is particularly passionate about outreach, health policy, and program development work. Mackenzie was previously an employee of the NC Farmworkers Project and has completed a health fellowship through Student Action with Farmworkers. While working at the NC Farmworkers Project, Mackenzie was involved in the Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment program. She currently works in public health in Montana, and spends her free time skiing, quilting, and hiking with her dogs.

Librado Mendoza Sosa has previously worked as the Assistant Director of Programs with Student Action with Farmworkers. He is a graduate of Guilford College and has a Certification in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. Librado comes from a Farmworker background himself, and is excited to continue to be part of the Farmworker Movement as a board member at the North Carolina Farmworkers Project.

Dr. Ann Ortiz is a Spanish language professor at Campbell University. She has written a book for students and healthcare providers in medical Spanish, and she has presented in the US and the Dominican Republic on medical Spanish programs. Outside of work, Dr. Ortiz is active in the community through her Spanish language interpretation and musical activities. One of her favorite hobbies is playing the piano at her local church.

Fawn Pattison is a consultant who helps organizations through leadership transition. She has worked with nonprofit organizations for more than twenty years, and brings deep experience in non-profit organizational development and strategic communications. She is a passionate advocate for children, families, public health, environment, and social justice.

Fawn has served in many capacities in nonprofit organizations. Recently she has served as the interim executive at Family Connects International, and the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation. In addition to BA and MA degrees, she holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and a Certificate in Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill. Fawn and her family live in central North Carolina.

Sandra Rodriguez is from Costa Rica, where she began her career in the nonprofit sector. She came to the United States to study environmental science and has called North Carolina home since 1998. Sandra is deeply committed to environmental protection, immigrant and labor rights, farmworker justice, and expanding educational access for Latinx students.

She spent a decade at Triangle Community Foundation, helping connect grassroots organizations with critical funding. For the past eight years, she has worked with Student Action with Farmworkers, where she serves as Assistant Director, overseeing the organization’s finances, policies, fundraising, and communications.

Sandra has also contributed her leadership to several nonprofit boards, including El Pueblo, Leadership Triangle, Durham Nativity School, and the NC Conservation Network.