OUR PEOPLE
EXECUTIVE TEAM
EDESSA RAMOS, M.A. MPA, Dr.h.c.
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Edessa is a Psychology and Mental Health practitioner, with 9 years of experience in MHPSS and protection program delivery for war-affected women and children. As a security/risk expert, she founded the social enterprise Strategic Edge to help ensure the safety of humanitarians in complex and high-risk environments. She has 20 years of non-profit programming expertise for international and national organizations, focused on designing and delivering NGO management systems, humanitarian programs, training curriculum, monitoring and evaluation, and research. She is an experienced capacity builder with over 4,000 NGO personnel from 45 organizations trained worldwide. Edessa has worked for 7 years as emergency medic, including front-line trauma injury response. She received the 2018 Humanitarian Award from the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Armenia for her emergency work. She currently serves as a subject matter expert for European Commission member agencies dealing with children and women and the handling of cases of children associated with violent extremism. Edessa is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
ANGELA MASCARENAS, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and KOI Institute Director
Angela is a longtime community organizer, educator-trainor, and researcher. She co-founded CIRCA-PINTIG (CP), a three-decade-old Chicago-based community arts organization, and has served on the boards of numerous nonprofits and foundations in the U.S. Angela has developed integrated-arts curricula and conducted workshops for community engagement and movement building in the U.S. and the Philippines. As CP’s founding Executive Director and later as its Community Engagement Director, Angela has led the development and implementation of artistic-educational campaigns as CP’s participation in the passage of several key legislation, namely, the WWII Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) Fund (2009), the Illinois Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (2016); and the TEAACH (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) Act (2021). Angela received her doctorate in Sociology from the University of Illinois Chicago. Angela’s doctoral dissertation documented the decades-old cultural organizing work of CIRCA-PINTIG and developed the theoretical foundation of CP’s own concretization of the theatre of the oppressed practice called “collective historicizing”. She has taught courses and conducted action research on social movements, race & ethnic relations, immigrant organizing, and transformative culture. Angela is based in Chicago, Illinois.
GINGER NEPOMUCENO, M.A.
A2-STEM-LEAF Program Director and Lead Artist-Trainer
Ginger is a Theater of the Oppressed Facilitator, Professor of Early Childhood Education, and holds a degree in Depth Psychology with a specialization in Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco Psychology. She previously served as an Education and Liberation Coordinator for HANA Early Childhood Center and as a coach for the Breakthrough Series Collaborative under the Culture of Continuous Learning Project IL, supporting teachers in curriculum development and guiding center directors in organizational leadership and family engagement strategies. Based in New Orleans, she brings a deep commitment to community, cultural healing, and transformative education. As an artist, mother, and educator, she weaves creativity, and scholarship into her work. She are also the creator of River Movement, an approach that integrates Filipino Indigenous Healing Arts to foster deep connection, resilience, and transformation.
GUSTAVO OTT
Communications Manager and Program Assistant
Gustavo has managed the social media presence of Amalna since its founding in 2018. He has also worked as an English, Humanities and Writing Tutor for students at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Harold Washington College (HWC). He has served as the News Editor of the Herald, HWC’s Campus newspaper from 2013-2015, and has volunteered in CIRCA-Pintig and other community organizations. Gustavo received a BA in English and Creative Writing from UIC. Gustavo is based in Chicago, Illinois.
BASILIO LEOPOLDO
Technology Coordinator
Basilio serves as the technological coordinator, overseeing the organization’s website and broader technological needs. He holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and has been a supporter of CIRCA Pintig utilizing his technical skills to support community based work. He brings a strong problem solving mindset and commitment to technology to be in service of community based art programs.
GOVERNING BOARD
Fr. JULIAN S. JAGUDILLA, OFM
Board President
Fr Julian is a Filipino priest and a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Guadalupe Province, U.S.A. For the past 12 years, he served as a parochial vicar at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in New York City, where he also held the role of Director of the Migrant Center. During this time, Fr. Julian not only provided dedicated pastoral care to the parish community but also became a strong advocate for the rights and welfare of immigrants. Prior to joining the Franciscans, he served as a Catholic educator and pastoral minister.
HEMAN EZRA, PT
Board Member
Heman is a licensed Physical Therapist both in the United States and the Philippines with over 30 years of experience. He graduated with a BS in Physical Therapy degree from Southwestern University, Philippines. He has practiced in the states of Illinois, Florida, and Nevada USA. Heman served as a Board member and has been an active supporter of CIRCA-Pintig, a three-decade old Chicago-based community arts organization, for over twenty years.
DAISY CASTRO
Board Member
Daisy is a Licensed Clinical Massage Therapist who specializes in pain management and rehabilitation. She has worked with chiropractors for over six years. In a prior capacity, she worked in the mental health field as a direct service provider for a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for over seven years. Currently, Daisy focuses on holistic approaches to healing and health maintenance. She incorporates light Energy medicine in her bodywork. Daisy is also a longtime member of CIRCA-Pintig and has acted, directed plays, and facilitated dramatic-educational workshops.
Our Current Funders & Partners
