New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)

Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, President

Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas is the daughter of Paraguayan-born father and Puerto Rican mother and has served on the NICE Board since 2000. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for the Latina Political Action Committee (LatinaPAC), the Coalition of Minority Policy Professionals (CoMPP) and an Advisory Board Member for the Women of Color Policy Network. She was recently appointed to the New York City Transit Riders Council and the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee for the MTA. After working for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, Mrs. Gonzalez went on to work for the NYU School of Law and obtained a masters degree in public policy at NYU. She moved on to serve as a program administrator and the Associate Director of the New York University Center for Multicultural Education and Programs from 2002 until 2006, and is currently the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. In 2002, Mrs. Gonzalez won election as New York State Democratic Committee Woman for the 39th Assembly District and was subsequently re-elected in 2004 for her final two-year term.

Diana Salas, Secretary

Diana Salas was born in Ecuador and is currently an Assistant Research Scientist for the Women of Color Policy Network, an organization dedicated to ending the invisibility of women of color in public policy through research, advocacy, public education and mentoring. Ms. Salas worked as an organizer primarily focusing on students, low-income residents and immigrants. She obtained a master's in Public Policy from the Wagner School at NYU and her Bachelor's degree from Queens College. Ms. Salas currently resides in Woodside, Queens.

Bryan Pu-Folkes

Bryan Pu-Folkes is an attorney specializing in immigration law. Mr. Pu-Folkes serves as a member of the Immigration Committee of the New York City Bar Association and serves on the board of the Queens Legal Services Corporation. Mr. Pu-Folkes is the recipient of many awards including the Best Lawyer Under 40 Award by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
In 1999 Mr. Pu-Folkes founded the non-profit organization New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Inc. (NICE), a New York City based cross-cultural, non-profit immigrant service and advocacy organization. Through community organizing, advocacy and public education, NICE works to ensure that new immigrants are informed, active and influential in civic, governmental and public affairs.
In 2005 Mr. Pu-Folkes ran for City Council for the 25th Council district in Queens challenging an incumbent Council Member. Mr. Pu-Folkes ran a spirited race garnering endorsements from the New York Times, Citizens Union, the New York League of Conservation Voters, among others.
In 2006 Mr. Pu-Folkes envisioned and implemented the annual Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival.
In 2007 Mr. Pu-Folkes founded the Community Journal Legal and Education Fund (the Community Journal), a nonprofit economic and community economic development initiative in Northwestern Queens. Among other things, the Community Journal publishes a fully bilingual Spanish-English newspaper and sponsors several community workshops and local community economic development initiatives.
Mr. Pu-Folkes also served as a New York City Human Rights Commissioner for three years under the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In June 2004 Mr. Pu-Folkes was one of a few New Yorkers who had the honor to carry the Olympic torch through the streets of New York City. Mr. Pu-Folkes graduated with a B.A. in political science from CUNY Queens College and received his J.D. from NYU School of Law.

Rebeca Gamez

Rebeca Gamez was born in Mexico and is currently the Community Education Coordinator at the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP), a resource and advocacy center that works with community groups in New York City to promote community economic justice. Rebeca previously worked as a Princeton University ReachOut '56 fellow at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), where she developed the NICE ESL and Workers' rights program for immigrant families. She is also an alumni of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders for Public Service (FELPS) at NYU Wagner.

Malini Cadambi-Daniel

Malini Cadambi-Daniel is Interim Director of Research for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology and History at the New School for Social Research. Her dissertation is on radical South Asian laborers working on the Pacific Coast in the early twentieth century. She worked in the Oakland, California public schools and been active in education, community and labor issues