EcoLatinos was born out of our passion for the environment and love for our Latino community. We are committed to social and environmental justice initiatives for all, especially in Spanish-speaking and under resourced communities. EcoLatinos works to engage, educate, and activate the Latino communities of the Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic Region. We support non-profit, private, and public organizations creating connections with a growing and potentially powerful stewards of the community.
To connect and empower the Latino Communities in the pursuit of social and environmental justice through engagement, education, and activism across the Chesapeake Bay Region.
A world where Latinos leave their green footprint on the earth.
EcoLatinos nació de nuestra pasión por la protección del medio ambiente y el amor por nuestra comunidad Latina. Tenemos un compromiso con iniciativas basadas en justicia social y ambiental para todos, con un interés especial en las comunidades de habla Hispana y de bajos recursos. EcoLatinos trabaja para incluir, educar y activar las comunidades Latinas de la Bahía del Chesapeake y la región del Atlántico Medio. Apoyamos a las organizaciones sin fines de lucro, privadas y públicas creando enlaces con la más dinámica comunidad de protectores del medio ambiente.
Conectar y empoderar a la comunidad Latina en búsqueda de justicia social y ambiental a través de compromiso, educación y activismo en toda la región de la Bahía del Chesapeake.
Un mundo donde los Latinos dejan su propia huella ambiental sobre la tierra.
OUR TEAM
Victor R. Ramirez
Chairman of the board
Is the principal owner of the Law Office of Victor R. Ramirez, LLC and is a seasoned trial attorney. Mr. Ramirez received his Bachelor’s Degree from Frostburg State University and his Juris Doctor’s Degree from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, Florida. Additionally, he served with distinction in the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates for sixteen years.
He is currently a Trustee on the Prince George’s Community College Board and a Board member on the Salvadoran American Chamber of Commerce. He is married to Betsy and resides with her in Cheverly, Maryland with their two beautiful children.
Emily Franc
Secretary
spent many years working on Capitol Hill for a member of the House Energy and Environment Committee, as well as for multiple international organizations, such as the Anacostia Riverkeeper, the United Nations Environment Program Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP), The Ocean Foundation (TOF), and Qatar Foundation International (QFI).
She currently serves as Vice President of Development and Philanthropy for Potomac Riverkeeper Network. Emily received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from California State University, Hayward, and her Masters of Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to ecoLatinos, Emily serves on the boards of Waterkeepers Chesapeake, and Capital Community Partners.
Emily believes in lifelong learning and has an insatiable curiosity. An avid explorer and world traveler, this Maryland native has called the Potomac River watershed home for most of her life; she enjoys fishing, hiking, boating, and any opportunity to be out on the water. She has four amazing adult children!
Chris Markomanolakis
Treasurer
David Hunke
Member
Michael Burke
Member
Erin O’Grady
Member
Jaime Contreras
Special Advisor
Ruby Stemmle
Founder, CEO
Ruby R. Stemmle is the founder and CEO of EcoLatinos. Ruby started EcoLatinos following her passion for the conservation of our madre tierra and her commitment to social and environmental justice, by engaging and advocating for Spanish -speaking and diverse communities. From her over 15 years of experience in government relations, public engagement and inclusive outreach, Ruby understands the need to build bridges with the fast-growing Hispanic community as well as other under-resourced communities and minority groups. She believes that communities of color are a great natural ally for conservation and environmental efforts and she has experience achieving engagement by employing a dynamic yet culturally sensitive approach. Through her previous work as Executive Director of the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, Appointments Advisor to the Maryland Governor’s Appointments Office and Hispanic Liaison for Prince George’s County, Ruby has built a strong record of proven results connecting private and public services and programs with hard-to-reach and under-resourced constituents. Ruby Rozo received her higher education in management in her native Colombia.. Ruby is married to Jack and is the mother of David, a college freshman. They all share a deep love for Luna, their little Maltese dog.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sandi Jimenez
Chair of the Board
Currently serves as an elementary school principal in Baltimore County Public Schools and has been a long-term educator in the Maryland region. She began as an ESOL teacher in Prince George’s county, and progressed to lead schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. She served at the district level in Baltimore County leading school improvement efforts. She also served for a decade on the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Kansas, and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Sandi’s has a deep connection to the community in which she works, which is how she came to know the people and work of ecoLatinos. Sandi is the proud mother of four adult children.
Jack Stemmle Jack
Board Secretary
is a native to Prince George’s County and has worked as a teacher since 1992 in both Colombia and the United States. After graduating from University of Maryland, Jack took up residence in Bogota, Colombia where he taught classes on Political Science, United States History and English Literature at Universidad de los Andes. He worked with the National Park Service at several events commemorating the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.
He has worked at High Point High School for the past ten years where he teaches US History and Latin American History to ESOL students. Jack earned a BA from University of Maryland and an MA from St John’s College in Annapolis. Jack worked closely with Ruby as she founded ecoLatinos and has helped develop a variety of projects for the organization. Together they have a son, David.
Jaime Contreras
Board Member
Is Vice President and head of 32BJ’s Capital Area District, which boasts 18,000 members in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area and Baltimore, Maryland. The Capital Area members are commercial, government, arenas and residential cleaners, security officers, and education facilities cleaners and maintenance workers. He served three years in the Navy and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies from the National Labor College.
Described by the Washington Post as “one of Washington’s most active advocates for immigrant rights,” Jaime has progressed from a part-time cleaner to a leader of workers’ rights and union organization. He is the founder and former Chair of the National Capitol Immigrant Coalition (NCIC) – a coalition of organizations that has advocated, educated, and mobilized the public in the DC metro area in support of citizenship and civic participation. Jaime is also the first Latino president of the SEIU Maryland and DC State Council. Jaime Contreras currently resides in College Park, MD with his wife Ana Contreras and their four children.