Empowering La Coalicion Hispana The Hispanic Coalition Community

Ralina Miriam Cardona is a lifelong South Bronx resident whose life and work embody the power of community empowerment in America. Deeply rooted in the neighborhood that shaped her purpose and leadership, she has spent more than 30 years advancing community transformation through professional training of thousands of youth and stakeholders in transformative behavior, leadership development, and community organizing. Her work spans the United States and Puerto Rico and extends internationally to Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Committed to advocacy and service, Ralina serves as Chairwoman of The Sports Foundation, Inc. and The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival, and as Secretary of the Board for Boricua College, Entre Nosotras, Inc., and the New York Yankees Community Council. She has also been actively engaged in civic and electoral processes at the local, state, and national levels.

Ralina holds a B.A. in Communication & Media and an M.S. in Business Management and Leadership. A professional singer and actor, she has performed off-Broadway and for world leaders, including Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama. She is certified in Appreciative Inquiry through Case Western Reserve University. 

Through La Coalición Hispana, Ralina Miriam Cardona continues to lead with vision, integrity, and unwavering dedication to empowering communities, fostering unity, and building a more just and inclusive society.

Javier Llano serves as Chairman of the Board of La Coalición Hispana, bringing a deep commitment to community service, civic engagement, and equitable economic development. Born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and bilingual in English and Spanish, Javier’s lived experience and professional career reflect a lifelong dedication to advancing opportunities for historically underserved communities.

With decades of experience in strategic consulting, public policy, and economic development, Javier advises public, private, and nonprofit organizations on competitive strategy, coalition building, and advocacy initiatives designed to create lasting community impact. His work focuses on maximizing the power of relationships to influence policy outcomes that improve access to healthcare, affordable housing, renewable energy, and economic opportunity.

Javier has worked closely with the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, House Financial Services Committee, and Senate Finance Committee, contributing to policy discussions that directly affect working families and vulnerable populations. He is widely recognized for his ability to build strategic alliances and cross-sector partnerships that generate innovative solutions and advance mission-driven initiatives.

His professional career includes service as a City Planner and Policy Advisor in New York City, San Juan, and Washington, D.C., where he has helped shape policies responsive to community needs. Javier holds a Master of Public Administration from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras.

Andres Rodriguez was born and raised in Hollister, California and is a proud son of Mexican immigrants. Coming from San Benito County, a region in California’s Central Coast immersed mainly in agriculture, he was raised as a product of many movements, including the farmworkers, civil rights, labor, and Chicano movements. He double majored in Political Science and Chicano Studies at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 2015, attended McGeorge School of Law in 2016, and earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2019 with a specialization in Social Change and Innovation (SCI).
Since the age of 12, Andres has been an avid member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. For the past 15 years, Andres has been an advocate for the Latino community on local, state, and national levels, where he has collaborated with elected officials and community activists to advocate for issues pertinent to the Latino community.

Andres is currently the Senior Field Representative for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, the local state representative for San Benito County and Assembly District 29. He currently attends Santa Clara University, pursuing his Doctor of Education degree in Social Justice
Leadership.

Kim Audrey Butler, Esq. is a passionate attorney, advocate, and community leader whose work is guided by a deep commitment to empowering communities and fostering inclusive economic development. Of Dominican, Filipino, Bermudian, and Spanish descent, Kim draws on her multicultural heritage to celebrate diversity and build bridges across communities.

She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in 1996, a Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1999, and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law School in 2002. After law school, Kim began her legal career at Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York City, followed by Kelley Drye & Warren, focusing on commercial real estate law. In 2010, she transitioned into real estate development and currently serves as National Real Estate Coordinator for McDonald’s, leading transformative projects that support local growth, community revitalization, and economic opportunity.

From 2015 to 2019, Kim lived abroad, broadening her perspective on global development and cross-cultural collaboration. Her career reflects a lifelong commitment to service, empowerment, and building stronger, more resilient communities through both her legal expertise and real estate leadership.

Jade Hing-Batista is a lifelong community advocate whose lived experiences reflect the strength, diversity, and resilience of New York City’s neighborhoods. Born in the Lower East Side to a Puerto Rican mother and a Chinese father, Jade moved to the South Bronx at the age of five, where her deep commitment to community service began to take shape.

She was educated in the Bronx, attending St. Anselm Grammar School and Cathedral High School, and later earned an Associate Degree in Accounting from LaGuardia Community College. At just ten years old, Jade began her volunteer work through the Anasco Social Club, founded by her aunt, where she participated in Puerto Rican Day Parades and community cultural events that celebrated heritage and unity.

Jade has remained actively engaged in grassroots organizations throughout her life, including the Bronx and Florida Stickball Association and SISDA, a South Bronx–based organization providing family support, educational resources, and youth employment opportunities. These early and sustained experiences instilled a lifelong commitment to collective care and neighborhood empowerment.

After a distinguished 50-year career as a property manager overseeing residential properties throughout New York City and New Jersey, Jade is now retired. She continues to bring her wisdom, lived experience, and community-centered values to spaces dedicated to strengthening families, honoring culture, and building inclusive communities.

Jessica Inez Martínez, Esq. is a nationally respected immigration attorney, policy leader, and movement builder dedicated to advancing justice for immigrant children and families. She serves as Director of Policy and Coalition Building and Staff Attorney at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), where her work is grounded in direct legal representation, community partnership, and systemic reform.

Jessica represents unaccompanied minors and vulnerable immigrant children eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), providing comprehensive legal services, consultations, and removal defense. A recognized expert in SIJS, she played a central role in the successful passage of New Mexico’s House Bill 15 in 2023, landmark legislation that codified and streamlined the SIJS process, expanding pathways to permanent legal status for children who have experienced abuse, abandonment, or neglect. She served as lead subject matter expert throughout the legislative process and now leads statewide implementation efforts in collaboration with attorneys, advocates, and the courts.

Inspired by her upbringing in a mixed-status family and as the daughter of a strong immigrant woman, Jessica’s work is deeply community-centered. She is a key leader in the Dignity Not Detention Coalition and advances an anti-oppression framework that centers the leadership, lived experience, and power of immigrant communities. Through coalition building, policy advocacy, and artivism, Jessica continues to work toward generational change rooted in dignity and collective action.