Executive Director

Vanessa brings a wealth of experience and a passion for community empowerment to her role. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Vanessa moved to the United States at 17 to pursue higher education, eventually establishing her roots in Montana in 2016. With degrees in Psychology and Business Administration, she has worked with the MSU Leadership Institute, where she created and led numerous leadership development programs for students, staff, and faculty. Vanessa co-founded and chairs "English Para Todos," a non-profit providing accessible education to adult English learners, and has worked with Montana Language Services as a Spanish-English interpreter. In her free time, she teaches Latin dance with Sizzling Salsa, a local group enriching Bozeman's cultural scene. She has also served on the board of "We are HER," a local non-profit, contributing her skills in philanthropy, event management, strategic planning, and leadership training to various community initiatives. Committed to cultural understanding and community involvement, Vanessa works closely with the Spanish-speaking community to advance Bienvenidos' mission and enhance its programs and impact.

President

Kendall is a language nerd by nature and by trade. She used to be a nomadic acquirer of all things foreign, until settling down in her hometown of Bozeman and starting Montana Language Services to fight for meaningful language access for the ever-growing limited English proficient population. When she is not running her translation & interpretation business she is a thriving single mother to a sassy 10-year-old girl (all the while wondering where she could have possibly gotten that from!). She is a humanist at the core and enjoys long walks on the beach.

Vice President

Buck has worked in the non-profit healthcare sector for more than 30 years caring for underserved populations in both Chicago and Montana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in public health policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring Montana’s great outdoors with his family and serves as a deputy fire chief/EMT with a volunteer fire department in Bozeman.

Mayra is a professor of psychology at MSU. She has spent her academic career trying to understand Latin Americans’ workplace experiences in the U.S., specifically those employed in farm work. Mayra earned her PhD from the University of Michigan in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies. She hopes to offer her research tools, community outreach skills, and unwavering commitment to the Spanish-speaking community of Gallatin County.

Resource Coordinator

Gladys was born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico. She moved to Big Sky in 2020 and considers it her forever home. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and is a graduate student studying Politics and Public Management. Her background is in politics, public management, and community work. She volunteers as a Wellness Navigator for YCCF and as a Promotora de Salud for MSU. Additionally, she is part of the Elevate Committee in Big Sky, advocating for the Latin/Hispanic community, particularly in terms of workforce issues.

Co-Founder

Ita Killeen is a retired family physician and has a life-long interest in supporting the health of families and children. She has lived in Bozeman for 21 years and enjoys skiing and biking.

Carmen has spent her life as a liaison and advocate for the Latino Community using her personal and career experiences to help her clients overcome language barriers in healthcare, education, and criminal justice. Carmen is the Bilingual Resource Coordinator at Community Health Partners.

Treasurer

Paul spent over 40-years in the hospitality industry; primarily in domestic and international tourism development and business management. Locally he's volunteered with a number of organizations, and recently self-published a history book on Bozeman with his wife Susan. In addition to a passion for history, Paul enjoys writing, skiing, riding his bike and floating a river in his kayak.

Co-Founder

Tina has been a lifelong advocate, educator, and consultant for low income early childhood programs and parents. She retired from her psychotherapy practice 3 years ago and is trying her hand at community organizing. She is also a mother, a soon to be grandmother, a reader, gardener, and enthusiastic Celtic fiddle player.

Marcus brings nearly 20 years of experience in organizational leadership, nonprofit management, and law to the Board. He has worked in house and as a consultant across the private and nonprofit sectors with a focus on strategic planning, partner engagement, and risk mitigation; he also provides expert advice on corporate governance, operations, and compliance. Marcus is a graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Washington School of Law; he also studied international environmental policy at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Universidad de la Habana. While traveling 11,000 miles from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego and working on small family farms, Marcus met his future wife, a first-generation Dominican-American. In 2006 they chose to put down roots here in Bozeman, where they are raising their curious and fierce daughters. 

Marcus is excited to help Bienvenidos continue to grow and serve our community.

Boardroom Bobcat

Flor Vega-Castillo is an international graduate student at MSU and is in her last year of the master's in public administration program. She holds a Master of Science in public relations from MSU Billings and a bachelor's degree in communication sciences from Peru. Before moving to Montana, she performed different roles in Peru, from being an anchorwoman and communications representative for a for-profit organization, to a communications analyst in a public institution of telecommunications. Now, she is a graduate recruitment and admissions assistant at the MSU Graduate School and has been a student leader for two different student organizations in the past two years. Flor has led many initiatives and events, like "Independence Fiesta," a celebration for Latin-American cultures that brought together people from diverse backgrounds into a real Fiesta. Besides her multiple leadership and volunteer roles, Flor's aims are to keep working on accessibility and belonging in Higher Education. Her fields of interest also include multiculturalism and increased opportunities for underserved and underrepresented communities, including first-generation students and multi-language speakers.