Who We Are
Conexión Latina started on Broadway in Newport as a welcoming space for Latino families
Today we connect Latino communities across Rhode Island with services, education, culture, and a stronger voice in public life. We build bridges between families, nonprofits, schools, health providers, and local leaders.
Connect Latino communities with resources and relationships that support dignity, stability, and opportunity.
An Aquidneck Island where every Latino family can access what they need to thrive and feel at home.
Our History
Founded in 2019 by four local women, Conexión Latina began as a response to the growing inequities faced by Newport’s Hispanic community and the lack of resources available to them.
A local survey revealed that Hispanic residents were not seeking help from social service agencies and were largely disconnected from civic life. When the COVID pandemic hit, the city shut down and the service industry—sustained primarily by Hispanic workers—came to a halt. Conexión Latina acted quickly, distributing food and grocery gift cards to more than 200 households within six weeks.
New grant funding soon followed, allowing us to reach the most vulnerable families during a time of crisis. Today, we continue to identify service gaps, strengthen partnerships, and build trust so that families can access the support they deserve.
Our Values
We are neighbors, parents, and advocates who speak English and Spanish and know how local systems work. We are here to listen, guide, and stand with you.
Diginity
People first in every interaction.
Belonging
Everyone deserves a seat at the table.
Clarity
Plain language and clear next steps.
Collaboration
We work with partners to go further together.
Culture
We celebrate who we are through language, food, music, and story.
Do you share these values?
Connect with us to see you how you can support our work.
Our Team
We are neighbors, parents, and advocates who speak English and Spanish and know how local systems work. We are here to listen, guide, and stand with you.
Rebekah Gomez
Rebekah Rosen-Gomez, a native of New York City, moved to Rhode Island in 1991 and after her first career as a chef, worked with families in the Newport public schools for 16 years. Rebekah returned to school as an adult and earned a BA in Social Work from Rhode Island College. In 2019 she co- founded Conexión Latina Newport, an organization that seeks to educate, support, empower, and advocate for Hispanics in Newport, as well as partner with local agencies, government, and schools, to better serve this population. Rebekah enjoys volunteering as a Spanish / English translator on medical missions to Central America, and has always been Rebekah and her Peruvian husband have 2 adult children and are full time grandparents, as well as dog parents.
Yolanda Macias
Yolanda “Yoli” Macías, a native of Mexico City, moved to Newport in 2014. She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in tourism at “La Universidad del Valle de México” in Mexico City. Working as an office assistant at San José Church since 2015 she has been working with the Latino community for 6 years. Yolanda is a founding member of Conexión Latina Newport, an organization that seeks to educate, support, empower and advocate for the Hispanic community in Newport. Yoli is a 2023 graduate of Leadership RI and serves on the board of the St Vincent dePaul Society at St Joseph’s Church.
Marissa Portillo
Marissa Portillo, a native of El Salvador, moved to Newport in 2000. Marisa is the Family Education Navigator for Conexión Latina Newport with 15 years of experience working with and for the Latino community of Newport. Marissa specializes in accessing education opportunities for children aged birth through 12th grade, as well as navigating those systems and serving as a conduit between families and providers. Marisa’s children have all been or are students of Newport public schools, and she is very knowledgeable about the systems and the community thanks to her lived experience.
Zaida Humphrey
Zaida Humphrey is a native from Mexico and has lived in Newport for thirty-five years. Prior to joining the Conexion Latina team She was Spanish Interpreter/translator at Claiborne Pell Elementary School in Newport. In her role as an interpreter she interacted heavily with a vast number of families in Newport county and is well known for her genuine willingness to help the hispanic community. She is fluent in Spanish and English and is working in her proficiency in Italian. Zaida has 3 adult children born and still lives in Newport. She loves to travel and really enjoys working with supporting the Latin community.
Johana Franco
Johana Franco is a native of El Salvador, passionate about supporting our Latino Community in achieving better health and well-being. Johana believes that wellness starts with balance – taking care of both the body and mind. She enjoys exercising and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. She is fluent in both Spanish and English.
JFranco@CLNewport.org
Our Board
We are neighbors, parents, and advocates who speak English and Spanish and know how local systems work. We are here to listen, guide, and stand with you.
Ella Auchinloss
Ella Davila Auchincloss serves as the principal of Project Limina, where she offers strategic and organizational development advice to foundations and nonprofits who are on the threshold of transformational change. She develops strategies that focus on collective action toward equitable well-being in a region or community. She also provides leadership development and coaching for teams and coalitions in the population health, education, and health care sector. Ella holds a Master’s in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Babson College. She completed an academic fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, studying Leadership and Community Organizing. In 2015, Ella was awarded the Barbara C Harris Award for Social Justice by the Episcopal City Mission in Boston, MA for her commitment to equipping community leaders to do the work of justice. Ella has strong family ties to Newport and became a Middletown resident in 2016.
MaryEllen Mendonca
Mary Ellen is a senior Program Cost and Control analyst for SERCO with over 30 years of business management experience. In her role she interfaces with program, functional, and business managers to provide financial support and analysis. She has a vast amount of knowledge in cost proposal development and setting up cost control systems to monitor and control costs and schedules.
Alicia L. Anthony
Alicia is an attorney in Newport, Rhode Island focusing her practice in estate planning, probate, trusts, charitable giving, and non-profit formation and general counsel. Alicia has worked in the trusts and estates business for almost fifteen years, serving in a variety of roles, including as a trust administrator for a regional bank. In addition to her active legal practice, Alicia is the Municipal Court Judge for Portsmouth, Rhode Island, a Trustee of the Newport Public Education Foundation, the Vice President of the State of Rhode Island League of Women Voters, a member of the Rhode Island Foundation’s Professional Advisory Council, Salve Regina University’s graduate school advisory committee, Past President of the Charitable Gift Planners of Rhode Island, and development/fundraising committee member for other non-profit national and local organizations. In addition to Alicia’s Juris Doctorate, she also holds a Master’s in Public Administration: Government and Non-Profit Management. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Alicia now lives in Newport with her husband, Xay, and their beloved cat, Gracie.
Alex Hammer Ducas
Alex is a social impact strategist, advisor, and advocate who has spent twenty years working with philanthropies, companies, and nonprofits to drive equitable social change. She currently runs her own consulting practice and advises organizations on strategy, program development, and fundraising.
Previously, Alex led fundraising and programs at Girl Effect, where she also served as Chief of Staff. Prior to Girl Effect she worked at Nike, she managed the European grant portfolio for the Social Impact team. She serves on the boards of Conexion Latina and Social Enterprise Greenhouse.
Alex holds a BA in Development Studies from Brown University and a Master's in Food Policy from City University London. She lives in Middletown with her husband and two young children.
Gene Thompson-Grove
Gene Thompson-Grove is an educator, facilitator, and leadership coach with more than 40 years of experience helping individuals and organizations build collaborative cultures that support transformational learning and equity. Before launching her consulting practice, Gene served as Director of Professional Development and Special Initiatives for the Public Schools of Brookline (MA). She also spent twelve years at Brown University as a Clinical Professor in Education and Senior Associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Nationally, she has facilitated educator learning for the School Reform Initiative, All Kinds of Minds, and the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color.
A lifelong advocate for civic engagement and social justice, Gene also serves as Vice President of the Newport Public Education Foundation and the League of Women Voters of Newport County. In addition, she is President of the RI State League of Women Voters, and a board member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and the Women’s Resource Center of Newport County. She is an active member of reNewport and serves on the School Committee’s Policy Sub-Committee. Gene has a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Boston College and received her M.ED from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is married to Keith Grove, a retired secondary math teacher. They currently live in Newport, RI.
Karla McCoin
Karla McCoin is a proud Latina-American entrepreneur, community advocate, and member of the Board of Directors for Conexión Latina, where she currently serves as Secretary. Born in Honduras, Karla brings her passion for business and community empowerment to every endeavor—from her successful ventures in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, to her entrepreneurial efforts in Los Angeles and her home country.
Since joining the Conexión Latina Board over a year ago, Karla has been an active voice for inclusion, collaboration, and the advancement of Latino families on Aquidneck Island. She also had the privilege of being part of Mujeres Poderosas, a dynamic group of Latina women from the area dedicated to promoting empowerment, leadership, and mutual support among Hispanic women.
A Newport resident since 2018, Karla is deeply involved in the local community alongside her husband and three children. Her family participates in organizations such as St. Joseph’s Church, the YMCA of Newport, the Boys and Girls Club, Head Start, Baby Steps, Sail Newport, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and Hibernian Hall.
Through her business success, volunteerism, and leadership, Karla continues to champion opportunities that strengthen families, elevate women, and celebrate the vibrant cultural fabric of her community.
Teresa Andrade-Borja
Teresa Andrade Borja is a passionate and dedicated educator whose career reflects a lifelong commitment to language learning, cultural diversity, and community engagement. She is a graduate of Cónexion Latina's 1st Mujeres Poderosas cohort, and Community Advisory Board. She currently serves as a Spanish language teacher at Rogers High School, where she teaches both heritage Spanish speakers and students learning Spanish as a second language.
Originally from Mexico, Teresa began her teaching career as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at the middle and high school levels. After immigrating to the United States, she continued her vocation in education, transitioning to the field of Spanish instruction. Her vast experience spans from early childhood education through high school, demonstrating her versatility and deep understanding of language acquisition across developmental stages.
Teresa holds a Master’s Degree in Spanish Language and Culture from the University of Salamanca, Spain. Her academic and professional journey is marked by her ability to connect linguistic education with cultural identity and social awareness. Teresa believes that educators have the profound responsibility to inspire, guide, and empower the next generation to become thoughtful, compassionate, and globally-minded citizens.
Elise McCaffery
Elise is an immigration attorney representing individuals affected by the immigration enforcement and criminal justice systems in Rhode Island, and formerly in New York City. She has a law degree from CUNY law school and an undergraduate degree from Brown University. Elise speaks Spanish, French and occasionally tries to speak another language. She is a Newport native and grew up in the two worlds of wooden boat building and the visual arts locally. Her step-mother and mother were advocates for the RI gay and lesbian civil rights bill in the 90's. Elise is on the board of the RI ACLU and active with many local and state-wide groups including the Newport Democratic City Committee and the RI Immigrant Rights Initiative, a group she is starting to increase the access to legal services for immigrants detained in Rhode Island. She likes enchiladas verdes, frijoles de olla, swimming, sailing and her feline friends.