OUR MISSION:
Forward Latino empowers affiliates to inspire and engage communities, strengthen our democracy, improve the lives of working families, protect the environment, and stand up for equality and civil rights. We cultivate, train, and support a diverse national network of Latina/o/x community leaders addressing the civic, economic, and political challenges of the 21st century.
OUR REACH:
Forward Latino currently has members 29 states across the country including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin as well as in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Forward Latino is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Darryl Morin is President & CEO of Advanced Wireless, Inc. serving customers in 14 countries. In addition to his professional efforts, Mr. Morin is an avid hunter, serves on the Board of the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Milwaukee Jewish Museum, Employ Milwaukee and Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort and Education Fund in addition to the board of the Hmong American Peace Academy, our nation's largest Hmong population serving educational institution. Mr. Morin is also a Co-founder of the 80% Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention, the Latino Jewish Alliance and was a charter member of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's Justice for Immigrants Committee.
For his many philanthropic efforts Mr. Morin was named Hispanic Man of the Year by UMOS, named a "Friend of Education" by the State of Wisconsin, named to the United Way of Greater Milwaukee's "Philanthropic Five" and more.
Mr. Morin is a graduate of the University of North Texas and is a proud husband and father to two sons.
Joe Enriquez Henry is a graduate of Iowa State University and former LULAC National VP-Midwest serving a 12 state region. A former Washington DC staffer for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Mr. Henry served in various capacities, ranging from leading national field and civic engagement campaigns to contract negotiations for the 1.5-million-member union from 1992-1999. From 1999-2003, he managed issue and candidate campaigns, ranging from city council to congressional and a statewide effort to stop “English Only.” In 2012, as state director for LULAC, worked with the ACLU to take on a 2-year battle against the Iowa Secretary of State who attempted to suppress the vote amongst Latinos and other minorities. Led a successful 5-year statewide voter outreach effort that culminated into tens of thousands of additional registered Latino Voters, a first ever data base of identified registered Latino Voters, and a record turnout of Latinos in the 2016 Iowa Presidential Caucuses. For his many efforts, Mr. Henry was award the Louise Noun Award by the American Civli Liberties Union Foundation of Iowa.
Eileen Figueroa is a passionate community advocate. She has and continues to lobby for DREAMers, immigrant rights, education and against family detainment across the state of Wisconsin and through to the doorways of Capitol Hill. Eileen works with the Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent and others on the district's Black and Latino Male Achievement Initiative and more. Ms. Figueroa just completed her tenure as State Director for the League of United Latin American Citizens and was the Chair of the host council that organized the 2019 LULAC National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With her Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, she is passionate about improving public safety. Eileen advocates for the implementation of community-based problem oriented policing strategies across the state as a member of the Community Coalition for Quality Policing. Professionally, Eileen coordinates hundreds of volunteers throughout the state of Wisconsin for a major non-profit, which provides life-sustaining products to thousands of patients in the communities they serve. In addition to being committed to a life of service, Eileen is a proud wife and mother.
Steven Monroy is a civil rights attorney with experience in community organizations and state government. As a legislative staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Steven worked on policy throughout the Midwest in the areas of employment, education, immigrants’ rights, and voting rights. Steven led advocacy on key Illinois legislation, including laws providing DACA recipients access to professional licenses and a right to equal employment opportunity. He also provided technical assistance to government and community stakeholders. Steven received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago and is a veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard.
Alicia Rios is a lifetime advocate defending the rights of the underserved. In addition to serving on the National Board of Forward Latino, Alicia serves as the Lake County Military Service Academy Board as well as the board of Neighbors' Educational Opportunities (NEO). Alica has also held local state and leadership roles with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and is the Finaince Committee Chairperson of the LULAC Neational Educational Service Centers (LNESC).
Born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and raised in Northwest Indiana, Ms. Rios is a graduate of the Bishop Noll Insitute and is most proud of her three children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Attorney Craig Mastantuono of Matantuono, Coffee & Thomas s.c. is well respected and recognized across Wisconsin as an aggressive criminal trial lawyer and effective negotiator.
Craig has earned distinction by being named in the criminal defense category for the Wisconsin Super Lawyers every year from 2005 to 2024. He has also been featured frequently in the Top 25 Attorneys in Milwaukee and the Top 50 Attorneys in Wisconsin lists from the same publication.
He has been recognized as the Best Criminal Lawyer in the Milwaukee Shepherd Express Readers' Poll in 2012 and 2018. He was named a Leader in the Law in 2008 by the Wisconsin Law Journal, earning this honor for his successful constitutional challenge of Wisconsin's carrying concealed weapons law, as well as for his defense of a 10-year old boy in a high-profile Milwaukee homicide case.
Prior to entering private practice, Craig headed a unit focused on defending drug prosecutions for the Waukesha County trial division of the State Public Defender. He has worked extensively in state and federal courts as well as appearing before Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and the Federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, winning cases before all of those courts. He co-authored an article about one of those cases in 2012, which appeared in the Wisconsin Lawyer entitled SOS: Defendants’ Right to Counsel.
Outside of the courtroom, he applies his experience teaching criminal practice as a faculty member at Marquette University Law School. He is also a member of The American Law Institute and served on WI Governor-elect Tony Evers' Transition Team Advisory Council on Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform. He currently serves on Gov. Evers' Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, which interviews and recommends applicants for appointment to Wisconsin Circuit and Appellate Courts.
As the son and grandson of immigrants, Craig is a former President of Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association (WHLA), and currently chairs the WHLA Scholarship Committee for Latino Law Students. He is the current Chair of the American Constitution Society Milwaukee Lawyers Chapter, and was recently named to the board of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. Craig is also a frequent expert legal commentator for TV Channel 12 WISN/ABC News Milwaukee.
Attorney Cain Oulahan of Oulahan Immigration Law has been fighting for immigrant rights for over 15 years. His practice focuses on family-based immigration, deportation defense, naturalization, U visas, VAWA, asylum, deferred action/DACA, post-conviction relief, and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. He is currently a consulting attorney with Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee. He volunteers regularly with the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic and frequently presents on immigration issues for local non-profit organizations, churches and schools.
Attorney Oulahan is fluent in Spanish. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated cum laude from Marquette University Law School where he was an associate editor of the Marquette Law Review. His comment, titled “The American Dream Deferred: Family Separation and Immigrant Visa Adjudications at U.S. Consulates Abroad,” was published in the Summer 2011 edition of the Marquette Law Review.
Attorney Oulahan was Chair of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the past President of the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association, and has appeared on the PBS program Adelante, the Telemundo evening news and program Buscando Soluciones, and has been interviewed by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Attorney Mark Thomsen of Gingrass, Thomsen & Wachs LLC attended law school at Marquette University and after graduating cum laude in 1987, served as law clerk to the Hon. John L. Coffey, Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Attorney Thomsen has been practicing law for 35 years, in both state and federal courts and has been, and remain, primarily devoted to personal injury (e.g. car and truck crashes), civil rights (Sec. 1983 claims), medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and legal malpractice claims. Mark strives to create a legal infrastructure designed to expand justice and protect people and their individual rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In addition to his legal practice and work with Forward Latino, Attorney Thomsen is a member of the American Association for Justice, past-president (2009) and board of directors member of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ), member of the WAJ Amicus Committee, Wisconsin Chapter member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (2019 – present) and a member of the American Bar Association, Milwaukee Bar Association and Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers (2005 – present), Best Lawyers (2009 – present) and Martindale-Hubbell, AV rated.
Pastor Patricia Ruiz-Cantu collaborates with various stakeholders, including faith leaders, media outlets, non-profit organizations, and elected officials, to build trust, collaboration, and awareness on various issues and opportunities that impact the city and its residents.
In addition to her role as a Community Outreach Manager, Patricia also serves as an Election Commissioner and a Certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker with The John Maxwell Team. These roles allow her to leverage her skills in conflict resolution, workshop facilitation, and leadership development to empower individuals and groups to achieve their goals and create positive change. As a bilingual and bicultural professional in Spanish and English, she has a unique perspective and ability to communicate effectively across cultures and contexts.
Copyright © 2019 Forward Latino, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.