Meet the Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Isidro is a proud born and raised El Pasoan. He received his BA in Organizational and Corporate Communication (2017) and MBA (2021) from the University of Texas at El Paso.

He began his time with NAMI El Paso in 2015 as a volunteer working on the website and other small projects. Having seen the impact stigma and the machismo culture has on mental health, he found a deep passion for the mission. He has held various roles within the organization since joining such as a Board Member, Outreach and Fundraising Coordinator, and Director of Outreach and Fundraising.

He now proudly serves as the Executive Director. He is committed and dedicated in working alongside the board, staff, and wonderful volunteers to excelling NAMI El Paso’s mission of bringing education, advocacy, support, and awareness to help this living with mental health conditions and their families.

PROGRAM MANAGER

avaldez@namiep.org • 915-778-5726 ext 101

Alejandra leads the NAMI El Paso Program Team by supporting our program coordinators, maintaining community relationships, and bringing innovative collaboration to the borderland.

In the past, she has served as one of our Program Coordinators where she coordinated classes for parents of children and family members of adults who have expressed or have been formally diagnosed with a mental health condition. As a previous elementary school educator and now as a mastered rehabilitation counselor, she has many years of experience working with families and the community.

Alejandra has a deep commitment and passion for the mental health sector as she has seen the great need and lack of sufficient and effective mental health support and treatments available to our community. She intends to continue to work in the non-profit sector for many years to come.

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Yolanda “Yoli” Armendariz has been a part of NAMI El Paso since Spring 2018 and has played various roles in our team. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational and Corporate Communication with a minor in Health Promotion from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Yoli made her NAMI debut as our Communication/Public Relations Intern. She has also served as our Outreach and Volunteer/Intern Coordinator before serving as our Office Manager and Program Specialist. In the past, she has helped fundraising events to support the El Paso community in collaboration with various organizations including El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, Eta Sigma Gamma, the Great Khalid Foundation, and many more.

Integrating communication with health only benefits the community and as someone who believes in serving the community, Yoli would like that to reflect in her work.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Melissa is a native El Pasoan who joined NAMI El Paso as a volunteer after graduating with a Bachelor of arts degree in Psychology (and minor in Communication Studies) from the University of Texas at El Paso (2021). She has had several community service opportunities in the past, including non-profit organizations like Latinitas El Paso and Special Olympics with the purpose of improving others’ lives and promoting the importance of eliminating stereotypes among vulnerable groups. Melissa is a strong advocate for mental health, the availability of effective treatment and recovery options, and ensuring individuals with a mental health condition feel supported. This has motivated her to reduce the mental health stigma in the community and achieve her goal of becoming a mental health professional. Through her work at NAMI El Paso, Melissa is committed to increasing mental health awareness, as well as facilitating the accessibility of resources along diverse socioeconomic populations in need. She hopes to further her education in mental health counseling in the near future.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Christina, a native El Pasoan, received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso and joined NAMI El Paso in 2018 after switching from her career in business and finance. She has a been a strong advocate for helping her community long before joining the NAMI El Paso team by volunteering and fundraising for various organizations in El Paso. She has a deep-rooted passion for helping others and brings her strong organization and business experience to NAMI to help expand on all the great work the NAMI El Paso team has begun.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Jocelynn graduated from Texas A&M San Antonio with a degree in mass communications. She enjoys exploring the outdoors and is dedicated to giving back to the community through volunteering at local animal rescues, where she helps care for and find homes for animals in need. In her free time, she can often be found on Target runs, picking out supplies for her next gardening project.