Two new members, one with roots in Jefferson County and the other with a passion for equitable healthcare, have joined the board of the Latino Community Association.

Imer Gutiérrez, an agent at Dreams Realty Group in Madras, helps clients navigate through “the tedious paperwork” to reach their dream of home ownership. Growing up, he interpreted for family members, so advocating for the Latino community has always been second nature for him.

Gutierrez graduated from Madras High School and attended Seattle Pacific University.  Later, he studied counseling at Central Oregon Community College and became a certified recovery mentor at Turning Points Recovery Services in Madras. He also worked at SELCO Community Credit Union as a loan officer. Outside of work, Gutierrez coaches soccer and encourages his children, who play soccer and volley ball. His wife, Monica, works as office manager at Bend Immigration.

Elizabeth Sánchez of Bend brings a strong health-care perspective to the board as Language Access Coordinator for the Deschutes County Health Department. She got an early start in the medical field. When she was in 6th grade, her family left Silverton, Oregon, and moved to Jalisco, Mexico. A family hired her at 16 to work weekends as a dental assistant and summers in their pharmacy.

After her family moved to Central Oregon in 2011, Sánchez became a Spanish health care interpreter and volunteered at Volunteers in Medicine. Currently, she serves on the board of the High Desert Educational Service District and co-chairs the Deschutes County DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) committee. She joined LCA to advocate for the Latino community to be seen and heard. Sánchez and her husband enjoy camping, kayaking, swimming, and traveling with their children.