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 and is deeply passionate about the wellbeing of the organization’s team, clients, and mission.
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.
Shana Dawson Fish – Senior Staff Attorney
Shana is an Arizona native and has been a licensed attorney since 2012. Shana spent the first 10 years of her law career as a trial attorney defending indigent families in involuntary state actions. In law school, Shana held two judicial internships, one in the Federal District Court of Arizona and another in the Maricopa County Superior Court, Juvenile Division, under the Presiding Judge. She also achieved academic excellence, including as an editor of her law school’s law review journal. Shana loves the Arizona community and enjoys advocating for children and families.
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 5 brothers. With hard work, Graciela earned full ride scholarships to study at Arizona State University (ASU), thus becoming a first-generation college student. Gracie 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.
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.