Hillary Jenks
Executive Director
Dr. Hillary Jenks, Executive Director of the Inland Empire Labor Institute (IELI), is a leader with over 15 years of dedicated experience in managing complex organizations and serving diverse stakeholders in the fields of education and workforce development. Previously she directed professional development programs for over 3500 graduate students at UC Riverside, led the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties at the Riverside Community College District, and taught at Portland State University. She received her PhD from the University of Southern California.
Fatima Nelson
Director of Programs & Outreach
Fatima Nelson has over two decades of dedicated service and expertise in external engagement and program management. With a career spanning diverse fields from education to community engagement, Fatima has consistently excelled in orchestrating impactful initiatives for underserved communities. Notably, she spearheaded the organization of major community engagement events related to data, research and policy while serving as the Community Engagement Specialist for UCR’s Center for Social Innovation out of the School of Public Policy. She is currently working as the Outreach Coordinator for the Inland Empire Labor Institute. Fatima and her husband made the Inland Empire their home in 2021 along with their three school-aged children.
Athena Tan
Senior Research and Strategy Specialist
Dr. Athena Tan (she/her, they/them) brings to the Inland Empire Labor Institute a background in qualitative research, communications, community organizing and advocacy, collective leadership, and mutual aid practices. She is committed to fostering an economically democratic Inland Empire that’s built by and for working people around principles of solidarity, degrowth, and regeneration.
Contact:
athena@pluginie.org
Esmeralda Vazquez
Director of Special Projects
Esmeralda Vazquez is a lifelong resident of the Inland Region, with humble roots stemming from East L.A. Since 2005, Esmeralda has served her community as a social justice, community, education, and labor advocate. She is an Alumni from Crafton Hills College, UC San Diego, and Georgetown University, where she received her Masters in Policy Management. Having previously worked in K-12, Higher Education, and the California State Assembly, Esmeralda is now the Director of Special Projects for the Inland Empire Labor Institute. She helps lead the I.E.’s community-led Regional Investment Initiative known as Thrive Inland SoCal in partnership with California Jobs First. This program is a new approach to inclusive economic development that seeks to center disadvantaged communities as part of California’s transition to a clean energy, carbon neutral economy, creating quality jobs and prosperous communities for all. Her most important role, however, is as a mama, raising her little girl, alongside her partner.