Ashley DeAzevedo (President)

Ashley joined American Families United in 2017. She has served previously as Vice President and has helped organize multiple national lobby day events. Ashley is an entrepreneur and studied Political Science.

Kali Pliego (Treasurer)

Kali Pliego has been with American Families United since 2013. Kali is a crime prevention specialist and holds a M.A. in Community Ministry Leadership.

Shawna Kibuta (Secretary)

Shawna joined American Families United in 2007. She has participated in several  Valentine's lobby days engaged legislators in Florida and New Mexico. She works in the counseling/sociology field. Shawna holds a B.A. in Spanish, an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and an M.A. in Global and Sociocultural Studies.

Heather Gonzalez (Vice President)

Heather Gonzalez has been with American Families United since 2017. Heather holds an MPA in Public Administration From The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and B.A in Geology from The Ohio State University. 

Liza DuPont 

Liza was thrilled to discover American Families United in 2018. She has participated in several lobby days and rallies. Liza flies the friendly skies as a flight attendant and holds an M.S. in Professional Counseling.

Amanda Valencia

Amanda recently joined American Families United in 2021. She has been actively involved in our advocacy efforts and has attended numerous lobbying events. Her story was featured on FWD.US storytellers section of their website. Amanda works as a Quality Analyst in the Information Technology field. Amanda has an Associates degree from Lansing Community College and completed Spanish Studies certification at Lansing Community College. 

Allyson Batista (Vice President)

Allyson joined American Families United in 2010. She has served in the roles of Philadelphia Chapter President and Vice President, and regularly assists with organizing legislative advocacy events since becoming a member. Allyson holds a B.A. in Spanish Literature & Linguistics and a M.Ed. in World Language Education, both from Temple University. She is a former high school Spanish teacher and administrator of a non-profit crisis intervention organization serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She and her husband’s story was featured in the Wall Street Journal in April 2024. She currently owns a residential and commercial construction company.

Jenni R. 

Jenni Rivera learned about American Families United in December 2020 and started to volunteer in February 2021. Jenni is a high school mathematics teacher and holds a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Psychology from Michigan State University and an M.Ed. in Secondary Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Jones International University.

Ed Markowitz 

Emily Leyrer