Hey,
I’m Raul Lopez.
Executive Director
about
Raul López was born in Havana, Cuba in 1962. At the age of five, he and his family escaped Communism and found a new life in the United States of America. He attended two years of community college and two years of Bible college. Raul married his lovely wife, Julie, in 1992. Together they have six children, including two children adopted from Bogotá, Colombia. In 2006, after more than a decade of being a small business owner, Raul was called to full-time prison ministry at Men of Valor, where he managed the Aftercare/Re-Entry and Family Ministry outreach program for eight years. In 2014, Raul was appointed to be the Executive Director of Men of Valor after the sudden passing of its founder, Carl Carlson.
Raul has chaired and served on many boards, and has always been involved in politics. He was
an alternate delegate for the George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign and served as Minority Communications Director for the Tennessee GOP. He also worked as the Tennessee Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, as well as the Middle Tennessee Chairman for the Marco Rubio presidential campaign in 2016. Raul has
started two PACs and has served on the board of a third PAC.
Raul is also active in the Latino community. Over the years he has been involved in both the
Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of
Commerce, as well as his local church and various Conservative causes. He also helped found
and host two local television programs, Qué Pasa Nashville and Spanish TV, both of which are
dedicated to the opportunities and challenges facing the Hispanic community in Middle
Tennessee.
Raul is also the Founder and Executive Director of Latinos for Tennessee. His vision and
commitment to the cause of Latinos for Tennessee have been invaluable in bringing the
organization to the place it is today. Raul’s service within the community and his passion for
making a positive difference in the lives of those around him are emblematic of the Latinos for
Tennessee mission: to educate the Latino community on issues affecting faith, family, freedom
and fiscal responsibility.
Hey,
I’m Tommy Vallejos.
about
Tommy Vallejos was born in the barrios of Roswell, New Mexico. He lost two brothers
and a stepfather to gang violence on the streets that surrounded his young life. In an effort
to escape the streets, Tommy joined the United States Army in 1980.
Tommy's life further changed on September 7, 1987 when he became a Christian while
serving in South Korea. As a Staff Sergeant in the Army, he fought in the Gulf War
leading an infantry platoon from the 101st Airborne Division into combat and was
awarded the Bronze Star for Action. In 1997, while serving in Germany, he and his wife
founded the Christian Servicemen Center in Hohenfels. He retired from the US Army in
2001 as a Sergeant First Class, with over 21 years of service to his country as an
Infantryman.
In 2010, Tommy Vallejos became the first Hispanic in Tennessee history to be elected as
a County Commissioner. He serves District 14 in Montgomery County, and is in his
second four-year term. Tommy has served on the Montgomery County Commission
Budget Committee, the School Liaison Committee, the Personnel Committee, the Rules
Committee and the Delinquent Tax Committee. Tommy currently serves on the
following Montgomery County Commission committees:
– Airport Authority
– Bi-county Waste Committee
– Budget Committee
– Jail & Juvenile Committee
– Legislative Committee
– Loss Prevention Committee
– Clarksville Economic Development Council
During his tenure as President of the Tennessee County Commissioner Association,
Tommy represented all ninety-five Tennessee counties in stopping unfunded mandates.
In 2016, the Tennessee General Assembly honored Tommy Vallejos for his contributions
to the local community, including his leadership as the Chairman of Latinos for
Tennessee, a local non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting faith,
family, freedom and fiscal responsibility to the Latino community in Tennessee.
Tommy is also the Associate Pastor at Faith Outreach Church in Clarksville, and is
known for his commitment to stopping gang violence. He travels around the country
teaching gang awareness classes to schools, communities, and churches, and he also
counsels and mentors former gang members, helping them become productive members
of their communities. Tommy regularly preaches the Gospel to prison inmates, providing
hope and restoration to those who feel lost. He is a graduate of North Tennessee Bible
Institute & Seminary with Bachelor of Arts in Practical Theology.
Tommy has been married for thirty-five years to the love of his life, Caroline, and they
live in Clarksville. They are the proud parents of four children, and loving grandparents
of seven grandchildren.
Hey,
I'm Paulina Albornoz Madaris
about
Born in Quito, Ecuador, Paulina moved to the United States with her family as a young child, settling in Tennessee in 1965. Five years later, her family proudly became naturalized citizens. She grew up in Cleveland and moved to Chattanooga to attend the University of Tennessee. Her background is in Mass Communications & Marketing and Administration.
Paulina served as Executive Administrative Assistant to former U.S. Representative Zach Wamp for 16 years where she was also responsible for Community Outreach, Compliance and managing the Internship program. She was instrumental in planning and executing numerous congressional events in Tennessee. The highlight of her time with Rep. Wamp came in 2001 when he served as Chairman of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. where she assisted heavily in the coordination of the three-day event with powerful national and international political, musical and faith leaders.
Politics has always played a large role throughout her life working and volunteering in numerous federal, state and local campaigns, as she does to this day. She has served in various capacities such as fundraiser, scheduler, event organizer, volunteer coordinator, including the successful “Draft Fred 08” campaign which resulted in the presidential candidacy of actor Fred Thompson in 2008. She served her local county party as Vice Chairman for four years responsible for organizing the annual fundraising dinners.
Additionally, Paulina is an entrepreneur serving as Executive Secretary of ImproveAmerica, Inc., a residential remodeling company owned by her husband Mel Madaris. Paulina also worked in the banking industry and insurance industry as a bilingual marketing consultant.
Paulina serves on the board of Latinos for Tennessee and Friends of Mountain Creek. She is a former Cultural Ambassador for the City of Chattanooga, member of the YMCA Hamilton Branch Board of Advisors, Combined Federal Campaign and First Presbyterian Church Chattanooga World Missions Board. She is currently an active member of the Pachyderm Club of Chattanooga, as well as, the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club.
Paulina came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior in December 1992 while attending church under the leadership of Rev. Ben Haden, where she has participated in several mission trips.
Her favorite quote: “There is no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” –President Ronald Reagan 1981-1989