ALWAYS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Listed in alphabetical order.
Ezequiel Dominguez, MSW - Arizona State University's Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research, Arizona Labor Trafficking Outreach, Board Secretary
Ezequiel’s work is rooted in a commitment to social justice and a belief in the power of community-driven solutions. As Associate Director at Arizona State University’s Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research and a Ph.D. candidate in social work, he has spearheaded a variety of research and service projects addressing labor trafficking and exploitation, including the Arizona Labor Trafficking Outreach (ALTO) collaborative. His work focuses on amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and supporting efforts to create meaningful change.
Ezequiel joined the ALWAYS Board of Directors because of his deep appreciation for the organization’s mission to provide free legal services to survivors of crime and human trafficking, an essential but often inaccessible resource. Through his work in the community, he has seen how legal barriers can prevent survivors from moving forward and how organizations like ALWAYS play a critical role in addressing these challenges. He is honored to contribute to an organization that shares the vision of justice as a tool for empowerment and opportunity.
Belen Gonzalez - Gonzalez Consulting Group Corporation
Belen Gonzalez has worked in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors for over 25 years. An Arizona native, she graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in social work and earned a master’s in social work, with an emphasis on policy and community organizing, from the University of Chicago. She graduated from the Valley Leadership program and completed the John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Leadership Program at Harvard. She received the “Top Forty Under 40″ award by The Phoenix Business Journal, the Raul Yzaguirre Community Leadership award from Valle del Sol, and was recognized by the Arizona Community Foundation for founding the Latina Giving Circle.
In 2017 she started the Gonzalez Consulting Group, providing fund development, grantmaking support, strategic planning, project management, facilitation and board development services to nonprofits and foundations. Her consulting work is informed by a racial equity and racial justice lens, her education, the hundreds of organizations she has worked with, experience as a social worker, and community involvement as a volunteer, board member and servant leader.
Sarah Gonzalez, MSW - Gonzalez Consulting LLC - Board Chair
Sarah Gonzalez is a change-maker and dedicated Latina leader. She is the founder of Gonzalez Consulting LLC and a passionate advocate for transformative relationships and change who has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona, Sunnyside Foundation, and Golden Gate Community Center. Sarah is also Co-Founder of Lotus Liberation and has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of low-income women, girls, and families across Arizona.
Matt Jewett - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice
Matt Jewett joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice in December 2024 after 10 years overseeing grants for Mountain Park Health Center, including federal grants to construct two new clinics. Matt also served in two stints as Director of Health Policy at Children’s Action Alliance, working with state agencies and legislators to expand children’s health insurance coverage and reform state laws to encourage more physical activity in schools. Matt was a member of the Creighton Elementary School District Governing Board from 2008-14 and currently serves on the board of the Osborn School District Education Foundation.
Josh Messer, JD - Osborn Maledon, P.A.
Josh Messer is an attorney at Osborn Maledon, P.A. He practices civil litigation with an emphasis in public law, including several pro bono cases related to voting rights, election conduct, and public benefits. Prior to joining Osborn Maledon, Josh served as law clerk to the Hon. Dominic Lanza, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the Hon. Chief Justice Scott Bales, Arizona Supreme Court. Josh’s experience demonstrated first-hand the barriers that some community members face in accessing and participating in the legal system. With this understanding, he joined the ALWAYS Board of Directors to help advance its efforts and contribute to an organization that works for the most vulnerable.
Ruth Santos - Nunez Law Firm
Ruth Santos was born in Oaxaca, Mexico but raised in Arizona since she was 6 months old. She is one of five siblings, and her parents have been pastors sine 2013. Ruth is also the mother of two girls, works at Nunez Law Firm, and is completing her college degree. Ruth is a former client of ALWAYS’, which she was referred to by Chicanos Por La Causa. She is grateful to ALWAYS for the organization’s free support with her immigration and family law matters and honored to be able to work alongside other Board members to advance ALWAYS’ mission of providing free legal and social services to people in near-impossible circumstances.
Syreeta Amesha Tyrell, JD – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Board Vice Chair
Syreeta Tyrell is an attorney. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 11. Syreeta has spent her professional career working in the government sector, at both the state and federal levels. Before serving in her current role at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she was an Assistant Attorney in the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Section of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AZAGO). At the AZAGO, she also served as Co-Chair for the Taskforce Against Senior Abuse. Before her time at the AZAGO, she clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals for the Honorable Judges Donn Kessler (ret.) and Jon W. Thompson (dec.) and then at the United States District Court for the District of Nevada for the Honorable Judge Miranda M. Du. She has also worked in the public sector at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society. Syreeta hopes to continue focusing her career and advocacy on ways that help to advance equity, inclusivity and a sense and reality of belonging in society generally and especially for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Syreeta holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Berkeley Law).
Whelan - Women's Foundation for the State of Arizona
helan is an accomplished and visionary finance and administration professional, known for their ability to drive strategic growth and cultivate operational excellence within the non-profit sector. With a unique expertise in financial management, budgeting, and forecasting, Whelan consistently demonstrates an unwavering commitment to achieving organizational goals while upholding impeccable standards of financial sustainability and transparency.
Over the past decade, Whelan has left a lasting mark on the vibrant community of Tucson and the state of Arizona, where they have dedicated their talents to esteemed organizations such as the Tucson Bird Alliance (formerly, Tucson Audubon Society), Read Between the Bars, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, the Fox Tucson Theatre, and the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona. Throughout their tenure, Whelan’s invaluable contributions have spanned from establishing robust financial systems to forging strong community connections.
Board Members Emeritus
Nancy Baldwin – Hickey Family Foundation
Nancy is the Executive Director and a Trustee of the Hickey Family Foundation. Nancy holds a BS in Business Administration, an A.A.S. in Marketing and A.A.S. in Management. In 2011, Nancy received her certification in nonprofit management from the Nonprofit Management Institute, ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network and Valley Leadership.
Mary Mitchell – Girl Scouts of Arizona Cactus Pine Council
Mary Mitchell serves as the Deputy Director, Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. She serves as a member of the council’s senior leadership team. Over the course of her 21 years at the organization, she has held various roles in the areas of fund development, finance, volunteer services, membership and community engagement. She serves as the senior advisor and co-lead for the organization’s work related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Mary has spent the majority of her professional career working within the non-profit sector. She has also worked for the government sector (city, county and state). Mary is a 2017 Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Fellow. She is also a graduate of Valley Leadership, Class 26. She has served on several nonprofit boards and community coalitions.
Honorable Barbara Rodriguez Mundell – Retired Superior Court Judge
Barbara Rodriguez Mundell was appointed to the bench of the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County in 1991. She is currently serving a 5-year term as the Presiding Judge for all Trial Courts which began July 1, 2005. In her tenure as a judge, she has served in several assignments, including Civil, Juvenile, Family Court, Criminal, and Probate and Mental Health. Prior to her appointment, Judge Mundell was with the juvenile department as a Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner. As an attorney, she was in private practice, specializing in Workers’ Compensation and Social Security cases. She received her B.A. and J.D. degrees from Arizona State University. Judge Mundell joined the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts in August 2007. Additionally, the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government selected Judge Mundell to serve as a member of its Executive Session for State Court Leaders in 2008 to convene over a three-year period. Judge Mundell is a past president of the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association and has served on a number of Arizona Supreme Court committees including the Task Force on the Code of Judicial Conduct, the Committee on Keeping the Record, the Fiduciary Advisory Committee, and as the past chair of the Commission on Judicial Conduct.