Our Team

Christine has engaged in progressive campaign work and organizing for over 8 years. Currently, Christine is the Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Illinois. Christine built a close relationship with LVEJO throughout the final years of the campaign to retire the Fisk and Crawford coal plants in Chicago, and is thrilled to support Little Village in its next steps toward environmental justice.

Brought to the movement by a desire to confront the power of corporate polluters, she has worked tirelessly to build a dynamic grassroots movement to fight for healthy and sustainable communities for our current and future generations. Before joining the LVEJO Board and the Sierra Club, Christine worked at Grassroots Campaigns, where she supported campaigns for electoral candidates, healthcare reform, and marriage equality. Christine holds a BA from Northwestern University, where she studied Religion and Political Science.

Dulce Ortiz joined Mano a Mano Family Resource Center as Executive Director in April 2019. She is responsible for leading Mano a Mano in implementing its mission through strategic planning, programming, and community engagement. She leads in the development of strategic community partnerships and the policy advocacy agenda.

Dulce has been actively involved in the non-profit sector and has dedicated her time to serving as a Board Member of various social, environmental, business, health, and government organizations. She currently serves as the President of the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Board, on the Community Trust Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, and the IDHS Social Services Advisory Council, and as the Co-Chair of Clean Power Lake County. She was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to serve on the Environmental Justice Commission of the State of Illinois and was elected as Waukegan Township Trustee in April 2021.

In 2020, she was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to serve on the Commission on Environmental Justice, and in 2022, she was appointed to the Health and Human Services Task Force. Dulce has also served as a Waukegan Township Trustee since April 2021.Dulce holds a bachelor’s degree from Robert Morris University. She is an advocate for the undeserved and vulnerable population, and brings her expertise and drive to empower immigrant families. She is an immigrant, originally from Mexico City, Mexico.

Kavi has a diverse array of experience in scientific research, policy analysis, on-the-ground organizing, community outreach, and grant writing in various sectors, including academia, national labs, local government, nonprofits, and labor. Prior to joining Vote Solar, she received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, where she studied electrochemical pathways to sustainability.

During her time at Northwestern, Kavi co-founded and chaired the Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in her department and co-chaired the graduate workers’ union, UE Local 1122, through the bargaining of their first contract. Kavi organizes in Chicago with ONE Northside on the Environmental Justice team and as a member of the Leadership Council, and volunteers with the Chicago Childcare Collective, RefugeeOne, and various mutual aid groups.

Vân Huynh (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois. She is an immigration attorney and policy advocate with over 15 years of experience working with immigrant communities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. She has defended individuals in immigration detention and represented families applying for immigration benefits.

Additionally, she has built infrastructure and expanded capacity in community organizations, managed legal programs, and developed new statewide programs. Vân’s work strives to build community power and better the material conditions of our communities. She is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia and has a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston.