Ernestor is the Regional Manager of Local Government and Community Affairs for ITC Holdings Corporation. Most recently, Ernestor served as the Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for the City of Topeka, Kansas. Prior to his role at the City of Topeka, he worked for the City of Dodge City, Kansas as the Assistant City Manager.

Ernestor was born and raised in Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of 12. He graduated from Wichita State University with a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management. Ernestor obtained his bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University. In 2019, he was recognized with the Early Career Excellence Award by the Kansas Association of City/County Management.

Monica Vargas-Huertas, Esq. 
Commissioner
mvargas@ufcw.com

Monica Vargas-Huertas is a bi-literate and bilingual licensed attorney with Master’s degrees in government & public policy and US Legal Studies from the University of Connecticut School of Law. With nearly 20 years of public service experience, Vargas-Huertas has served as Chair Commissioner of KHLAAC appointed by Governor Kelly since 2022. She is also the DOL representative before the Nominating Committee for Workers Compensation and Unemployment Boards appointed by the Kansas Secretary of Labor. In addition, Monica has worked with the United Food and Commercial Workers UFCW, District  Union Local Two, role which allows her to work closely with the hardworking men and women in meatpacking and food processing industries in Kansas. Currently, she is National Assistant Director for Civil Rights Initiatives of the UFCW International Union.

Veronica Padilla
Commissioner
vrpadilla5@gmail.com

Veronica Padilla is a Commissioner on the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission, appointed by Governor Laura Kelly. She is also a member of the editorial board for the Topeka Capital-Journal. A life-long advocate for the Hispanic community, she has served as Chair of the National Board of Directors for MANA, A National Latina Organization, Kansas State Treasurer of LULAC, and on the Boards of Directors for YWCA of Topeka, Midland Care, Meals on Wheels and Topeka High Historical Society. She also previously served as a chaplain for the National Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary. 

Geovannie Gone 
Commissioner, Secretary
geovanniegone@gmail.com

Ms.Gone a first-generation immigrant from Cd. Juarez Chihuahua Mexico is the first Executive Director of the Immunize Kansas Coalition.  Gone oversees the development and implementation of statewide immunization strategies, new business initiatives, addresses Vaccine Equity, and related objectives. She provides oversight to Government grant programs and other enabling services of the corporation.  She thrives in serving and finding way to Innovate and strategize plans to increase Vaccines rates to reduce vaccine- preventable diseases. With over 18 years of healthcare experience, Gone is a graduate of Fort Hays Graduate School and has a master’s degree in Public Health. Aside from her work Gone enjoys serving her State that welcomed her many years ago. Currently she has been appointed by Governor Kelly to serve on three State Boards, the State of Kansas Nursing Board, the Kansas Hispanic Latino Commission and the Governors Wellness council. 

Raised in Topeka, Kansas, Jaramillo, credits her parents for their legacy of service in the Topeka Mexican American community.  Jaramillo has been engaged in community service and civic engagement for many years primarily in the Kansas City area. 

Jaramillo’s administrative and leadership roles included the Mattie Rhodes Center and El Centro, Inc. from 1994 – 2013.  Also consulting roles with Olathe civic leaders to develop initiatives for Olathe to become a more welcoming community for Latinos and an immigrant health project for the REACH Healthcare Foundation from 2014-2018.  Early in her career Mary Lou was employed at the Minority Supplier Development Council, Kansas State University and Kansas University Medical Center.

Jaramillo was a founding board member of the Health Forward Foundation (2003-2010) and Cristo Rey High School (2005-2010), a Catholic college prep education with an innovative work study program. Other board services included Park University Board of Trustees, Francis Family Foundation, Kansas Leadership Center.  Current volunteer service includes Johnson County K-State Research & Extension, the League of Women Voters of Johnson County and the Johnson County Latino Leadership Network and appointed KHLAAC Commissioner in 2020.

Ms. Jaramillo holds a Master of Public Affairs/Nonprofit and Community Services Management from Park University, 1996

Yeni Silva-Renteria brings over two decades of dedicated service to children and families, particularly those who are Latino, refugee, and forcibly displaced both nationally and internationally. As a committed social justice advocate, she tirelessly works to foster community engagement and drive meaningful change at local, state, and federal levels. Her exemplary service has earned her key appointments, including by Governor Laura Kelly to the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission and the Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention. Yeni also contributes to national efforts as a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Initiative for Trauma Education and Workforce Development at the University of North Carolina and is involved in the Community Task Force formed after the tragic murder of CJ Lofton. Her commitment extends to housing and community development as a Board member of Wichita Habitat for Humanity. Yeni’s engagement with the broader community includes her active participation in Cultural Sensitivity dialogues with law enforcement, a reflection of her completion of the Citizens Police Academy program. 

Originally from Mexico, Yeni migrated to the United States at age ten and has called Wichita home for over 20 years. As the youngest of 12 siblings, she was the first in her family to graduate from high school and attend college in the U.S., earning a master’s degree in social work from Wichita State University in 2015. She has served as the executive director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and has also shared her expertise as an adjunct professor in the social work department at Wichita State University.

Yeni Silva-Renteria's career is a testament to her unwavering dedication to advocacy, education, and empowerment, making her a pivotal figure in shaping a more inclusive and equitable society.