Valentina Restrepo Montoya – Executive Director & CEO
Valentina is a native of Boston and the daughter of Colombian parents. After graduating from Berkeley Law in 2014, Valentina joined the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, where she participated in a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Corrections for inadequate medical care, mental healthcare, and noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Following that, Valentina became an Assistant Public Defender in Birmingham, Alabama where she represented clients in specialty courts and in jury trials. She then joined The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Arizona, where she provided direct representation to people deemed unable to represent themselves in immigration removal proceedings under Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder. Valentina has been the Executive Director of ALWAYS since June 2021. In 2025, Valentina was awarded the State Bar of Arizona’s Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award and Valle del Sol’s Premio Humanitario. Valentina is also a 2025 Piper Fellow.
Marissa Anderson – Managing Attorney
Marissa was one of the first people to join ALWAYS (then known as “Project ALWAYS”) shortly after the organization was founded by January Contreras in 2013. Marissa held the role of Senior Attorney, dedicating over seven years to advocating on behalf of ALWAYS’ clients and supporting its staff. Prior to becoming an attorney at ALWAYS, Marissa practiced at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office for several years, representing the Department of Child Safety in dependency, guardianship, and other matters in Juvenile Court. Marissa rejoined ALWAYS as Managing Attorney in January 2024 and has since been largely in charge of programming since then. She earned her law degree from Indiana University School of Law in 2005 and was admitted to the Arizona State Bar the same year.
Nicole Edelen - Staff Attorney
Nicole was born and raised in Owensboro, KY. She chose to attend New York Law School because of her passion and drive to help vulnerable populations. While studying law, Nicole deepened her understanding of aiding victims of violence by interning at the Legal Aid Society of New York. During her time at the Legal Aid Society, she gained invaluable, hands-on experience in and understanding of anti-human trafficking litigation. Motivated to dedicate her career to serve those affected by domestic violence and human trafficking, Nicole dreamed of working for an organization like ALWAYS and, after graduating from New York Law School in 2024 and successfully passing the Arizona Bar Exam, she joined the organization as its Staff Attorney, handling family law and criminal history repair matters on behalf of clients.
Graciela Gomez Cruz – Bilingual Department of Justice Accredited Representative
Graciela, or “Gracie,” was born and raised in South Phoenix, Arizona. She is the daughter of Mexican parents and is a sister of five brothers. With hard work, Graciela earned full ride scholarships to study at Arizona State University (ASU), thus becoming a first-generation college student. Graciela graduated from ASU in May of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice; she did so with a 4.0 GPA, earning ASU’s Moeur Award, given to graduates with the highest academic standing. Just one month after graduating, Graciela stepped into the social work realm by starting as a shelter advocate at a domestic violence shelter and working her way up to a case manager. While case managing, Graciela worked with survivors of human trafficking and/or domestic violence by assisting them to obtain stable housing, look for counselling resources, and taught them life skills. Graciela first joined ALWAYS as a Bilingual Social Worker and, nearly two years into her work with the organization, became a Department of Justice Accredited Representative which allows her to represent clients in front of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in applications for crucial forms of status like Lawful Permanent Residence, U-Visas, T-Visas, protection under the Violence Against Women Act, and more. In 2025, the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence awarded Graciela the Cliff Rose Award for Advocacy and Outreach.
Nallely Vasquez - Bilingual Social Worker
Nallely was born in Tijuana and raised in Southern California. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from La Sierra University in 2010, Nallely began her career as a Behavior Interventionist working with children with Autism. After that, she dedicated herself to being a Community Health Worker advocating for individuals with health disparities. For over ten years, Nallely has focused her professional career in social work by partnering with diverse communities to bridge the gap for those in need and brings those skills and that wisdom to supporting clients at ALWAYS.
Maria Rubalcaba- Bilingual Social Worker
Maria is the proud daughter of a single mother who immigrated to the US from El Salvador. Maria was born and raised in Southern California and relocated to Arizona in 2015, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a concentration in Children and Families from the University of Phoenix in 2016. Maria began her career as an In-Home Family Support Specialist at Catholic Charities and, later, joined Southwest Human Development’s Healthy Family program, serving pregnant women and families with newborns who have been identified with risk factors for child abuse and neglect. Maria then joined Building Arizona Families as a Birth Mother Case Manager where she provided intensive, compassionate case management in adoption plans. There, she worked with pregnant women who struggled with substance use disorders, housing insecurity, mental illness, and abuse. Maria is driven by helping clients access resources, rebuild their lives, and navigate challenges with compassion and respect.
Adriana Gomez Andrade - Community Coalition and Policy Coordinator
Adriana is a proud Mexican immigrant and Arizona native. After graduating from the University of Arizona with degrees in Spanish, Psychology, and Political Science, she began her career at Southwest Human Development where she worked in programs focused on child welfare, family intervention, and community support. Later, at Arizona’s Children Association, Adriana continued her efforts serving vulnerable populations with programs focused on Kinship Care and Adoptions, Foster Care, and managed the program for The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). She then joined The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project where she was later part of the Border Action Team serving asylum seekers and migrants via a transnational collaboration with the Kino Border Initiative Migrant Shelter on the Nogales, Mexico border. Adriana’s work has been wide reaching and diverse but always centered on providing accompaniment and advocating for underserved and at-risk children, women, and families. Adriana is grateful to now be part of the ALWAYS team and contribute her diverse expertise to coalition building and serving our communities.
Nubia Rodriguez - Development and Operations Coordinator
Nubia Rodriguez is a native of Mexico who immigrated to the United States with her family as a child. Raised in Kansas and later settling in Arizona, her lived experience has shaped her commitment to expanding opportunities and improving outcomes for underserved communities. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Project Management from Northern Arizona University. With a career spanning behavioral health, local government, and nonprofit organizations, Nubia has led workforce development initiatives, community partnerships, and grant-funded programs focused on economic mobility and community well-being. During her time with the Maricopa County Human Services Department, she co-managed a U.S. Department of Labor initiative supporting working families in partnership with the City of Phoenix and was recognized as an Unsung Hero for her contributions to expanding access to workforce development services. Most recently, she served as a Project Lead Consultant for a local foundation, supporting strategic initiatives that expanded access to mental health resources and strengthened opportunities for women and families across Arizona.
Layla Bartlett - Office Assistant
Layla was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico , but has spent most of her life living in Arizona. She recently graduated from the University of Arizona with her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law, and earned a minor in Bioethics. In 2026, Layla was awarded the Patrick Harless Award for “excellence in the pursuit of freedom and classical liberalism” by the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom. From a very young age, Layla knew she wanted to enter the legal field and advocate for people battling challenging systems.