BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paulina Torres is an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”). Paulina’s work focuses on oil and gas policy and advocacy, increasing equitable access to nature for low-income communities of color, and protecting open space and wildlife habitat across Southern California. Prior to joining NRDC, she was a staff attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment for five years. During her time at CRPE, Paulina worked with community groups in Kern County on pesticides and oil & gas issues.
Paulina received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton and her J.D. from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. Paulina is based in Los Angeles. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, hiking, and singing karaoke.
Attorney, National Resources Defense Council
Tina Eshaghpour is the director of learning and innovation at The California Wellness Foundation where she is responsible for fostering a culture of continual learning, improvement and innovation. Prior to joining Cal Wellness, Tina directed her own philanthropic and nonprofit consulting practice, led the Women’s Foundation of California’s environmental health and justice program, and pioneered efforts to increase awareness and funding to support the health of low-income families and agricultural workers in California’s Central Valley.
Tina is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and has a master's degree in public health from UCLA. She serves on the boards of the Center on Race Poverty and the Environment and the Center for Environmental Health.
Director, Organizational Learning & Evaluation The California Wellness Foundation
Sofia is an Associate Director in the Career Services Office of UC Davis School of Law. She works with students and alumni interested in pursuing careers in public interest or government after graduation. Sofia worked for the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment for 9 years, first as a staff attorney, then Senior Attorney, and then she was promoted to Assistant Director. During her time with CRPE, Sofia worked on a number of campaigns, including climate change and energy. Prior to CRPE, Sofia worked as a staff attorney for Legal Services of Northern California in its Sacramento Office for several years. Sofia graduated from UC Davis in 1999 where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Policy, Analysis, and Planning. She then went onto the University of San Diego School of Law where she earned her JD in 2002. Sofia lives in Sacramento with her husband and two children and is honored to be able to continue to support an organization she admires so deeply.
Associate Director for Public Interest & Government, UC Davis School of Law
Madeline Wander is a UCLA Urban Planning doctoral student and a graduate student researcher at the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. She conducts qualitative and quantitative research with a focus on transportation justice. Prior to being a doctoral student, Madeline was a Senior Data Analyst at the USC Program from Environmental and Regional Equity (now USC Equity Research Institute) where she worked with community-based organizations, foundations, and government agencies on research around social-movement building, environmental justice, and equitable urban planning. Prior to that, she pursued social justice through a variety of organizing efforts, including the affordable housing coalition Housing LA and Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign in Colorado. Madeline is co-author of several publications, including: Carbon trading, co-pollutants, and environmental equity: Evidence from California’s cap-and-trade program (2011–2015) (2018); Measures Matter: Ensuring Equitable Implementation of Los Angeles County Measures M & A (2018); and Changing States: A Framework for Progressive Governance (2016). Madeline holds a BA in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA.
Doctoral Student, UCLA Urban Planning
Guadalupe Martinez was born in Brownsville, Texas, and moved to California with his mother and family in 1964 after his father suffered a fatal tractor accident. He soon started working in the field of the San Joaquin Valley, working for a variety of farm labor contractors. Martinez left school at an early age to work to provide for his family. In 1973, he met Maria Gallegos while attending night school. They were married shortly afterward and have lived together to this day, raising three children, Esmeralda, Jorge and Jeraldo.
While working in the grape fields in Ducor, Martinez met several organizers from the United Farm Workers, including Cesar Chavez. That was his first encounter with the Union and the taste for organizing and seeking justice never left him. He soon joined the UFW staff in Delano and worked as a full-time volunteer, tirelessly organizing farm workers for $10 a week stipend. In 1984 Cesar asked Martinez to move to Canada to help organize the grape boycott. Because of his dedication and belief, Martinez moved his family to Toronto, Ontario, Canada where they lived and organized support for the UFW. Upon his return from Canada in 1988, he continued working with the Union including organizing the local community supporting Cesar’s “Fast for Life” in Delano.
The following year Martinez began working with attorney Federico Sayre on a variety of cases involving pesticides in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1991 he started working with Luke Cole at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment as CRPE’s first full-time organizer, working on environmental justice issues in farm worker communities such as Malaga, Kettleman City, Delano, Shafter and Buttonwillow.
Martinez’s daughter Esmeralda and his wife Maria returned to work for the Union in 1993 after the death of Cesar Chavez, and new UFW president Arturo Rodriguez recruited Lupe back to the Union as well. He served the Union as an organizer, contract administrator, negotiator, Regional Director and National Organizing Director. In 1996 Martinez was elected to the UFW Executive Board and subsequently elected third vice president. He worked tirelessly, loyally, and passionately organizing farm workers and to establish a union presence again in the San Joaquin Valley. He retired from the Union in January 2006 and has now returned to CRPE to do environmental justice work. He now has retired from CRPE and doing volunteer work with EJ Groups.
Member of Delano Guardians