Staff & Board
National Staff
Melissa Bowe, J.D.
Alba Jaramillo, J.D.
Eric Dillon
Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodríguez
Laura Sonnenmark
Genesis Lazo Walker
Farah Ashurova
Melissa Bowe, J.D.
Co-Executive Director
Melissa Bowe, J.D. (she/her) has been with ILJ for almost ten years. First as Legal Program and Advocacy Manager, and then as Deputy Director, she led our primary legal programming efforts, built out the advocacy program, and was responsible for trainings and technical assistance. Prior to joining ILJ, she was an immigration attorney for a small nonprofit in Philadelphia and led community-building workshops for teens.
Melissa graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 2010 and was the recipient of the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award and Pro Bono award. Melissa loves sports, live-action roleplaying, and being with her daughter, Avery. Alba Jaramillo, J.D.
Co-Executive Director
Alba Jaramillo,, J.D. (she/her/ella) is a celebrated local and national leader in the area of immigration, human rights, and the arts. Alba graduated from the University of Arizona, magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and theatre arts. She also received a Juris Doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
Alba grew up undocumented. Her experiences as an immigrant have been the driving force in her desire to seek justice for underserved communities. Alba was the former co-executive director of the Virginia sexual and domestic violence coalition, making her the youngest director in the country to lead a gender-based violence intervention coalition. Alba currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Southern Borders Community Coalition, and is an actress and the founder of Teatro Dignidad, a theater company in Tucson that produces bilingual plays about human rights. Eric Dillon
Senior Development Director
Eric Dillon (he/his) joined ILJ with 19 years of fundraising experience. Following more than a decade in progressive campaigns and elections at the state and national level, Eric began working with national non-profits and labor organizations to fight for a fair and just society, such as Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO and AAUW, a leading organization in the fight for gender equity.
Born in Austin, TX, raised in El Paso along the southern border, and educated in Kentucky, Eric enjoys being an uncle and spending time with his dog Maeby and his fiancé Frieda. Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodríguez
Culture & Outreach Manager
Laura Sonnenmark
Communications & Events Manager
Genesis Lazo Walker
Network Manager
Farah Ashurova
Program Development Specialist
Farah Ashurova (she/her) is the Program Development Specialist for both ILJ and ILJ affiliate Just Neighbors. She earned her MPA (Master in Public Administration) from George Mason University in 2019. As an immigrant from Tajikistan, Farah knows what it feels like to be homesick for the familiar and to live apart from family members. She is thankful to be working for an organization that serves and supports other immigrants.
Farah also enjoys drawing—she is our ILJ office artist-in-residence—traveling, and spending time with her young niece.National Board of Directors
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