Board of Directors
President Al Macias
Vice President Nicole Greason
Treasurer Anita Luera
Anita is director of high school programs for the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Her television broadcast news career spanned 27 years working in management at three Phoenix TV stations. She is an award-winning news producer, having served at 12 News, Univision KTVW and Channel 10. Prior to joining the Cronkite School, Luera has volunteered and continues to help organize the annual news writing workshop for high school journalism
students in partnership with Arizona Latino Media Association and ASU. She is a member of NAHJ and current president of ASU’s Chicano/Latino Faculty Staff Association – CLFSA. She graduated from ASU with a BA in Broadcasting. Anita was inducted into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018.
Gabriel Gamiño
Gabriel Gamiño serves the Alhambra Elementary School District as its Director of Community Relations. There he oversees communications and marketing for the district. Before joining Alhambra, he was a full-time reporter/anchor at KTAR News 92.3 FM, where he now is a fill-in anchor. He is a proud "Double Devil," having earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Arizona State University. Born in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, he was raised in west Phoenix. In his spare time, he enjoys
reading about politics, trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with loved ones and friends.
Jhoana Molina recently started her new role as Immunizations Equity Project Manager at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. She works with the Spanish-speaking community to inform them of the services public health offers. Her previous work included producer/reporter at Phoenix 11 and anchor/reporter at Univision in Phoenix. Jhoana received her BA in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish from Arizona State University.
Jhoana Molina-Villar
Juan Villa is currently the News Director of Univision Arizona in Phoenix and Univision 32 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Villa has more than 27 years of experience in the Spanish media including television, radio and newspaper.
He began his career in 1995 as a News Announcer in the Spanish Radio station KPHX-1480 “La Super X”. Later, he became the first News Reporter/Announcer for Radio Unica 740AM. In 2000 he became one of the founding reporters for La Voz Newspaper where he became Chief of information.
He worked as a News Producer and Managing Editor for Telemundo Arizona.
In 2011, he became News director at KTVW Univision Arizona.
Villa is a recipient of multiple Emmy awards for TV News content. He is also an Award winning of print media awards from The Arizona Press Club and National Association of Hispanic Publications. Villa earned his bachelor's degree in journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University (ASU) in 1998. Villa also has a master's degree in Spanish Literature from ASU and a Doctoral Studies. He has represented ASU in several academic conferences in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Venezuela.
Juan Villa is originally from Mexicali, Baja California. He is the author of the book: Coyotes en el cine fronterizo (2011).
newspaper in Tucson, Ariz. In addition to serving as president of ALMA, she is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Society of Professional Journalists. She is on the steering committee for the Diversity Leadership Alliance, a Phoenix-based non-profit that promotes diversity and inclusion in business and education. Nicole graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in Journalism and minors in English and Sociology.
Richard is a reporter for the Arizona Republic. He has worked as a breaking news reporter, features reporter and columnist. He started working at the Republic and Gazette in 1994. He writes profiles of the people that make Arizona interesting. His work has also been featured in USA Today, and 12 News Phoenix. Richard is a graduate of Arizona State University.
Jonathan Higuera
Jonathan Higuera is a communications professional and former journalist who specializes in helping organizations tell their story in an authentic voice. He currently works for Creighton University at its Phoenix Regional Campus as the communications strategist. He previously worked at Scottsdale Community College, helping the college boost its community profile through positive media coverage and
external/internal communications. His previous positions include serving as Deputy Director of the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and working as a business writer for the Arizona Republic. He also served as Editor of the Hispanic Link Weekly Report in Washington, D.C. and as a metro reporter for the Washington Times. He has a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Mexican-American Studies from the University of Arizona. He and his former wife have a 15-year-old son, Alejandro. He enjoys fishing, traveling, hiking and reading.
Sandra Munoz
Sandra Munoz is the creator of Latinaology.com, an inspired lifestyle and auto blog with Latina flair, and the first Hispanic automotive journalist in Arizona. Her weekly column is published in Digital Trends en Español. As the founder of Latinaology, she collaborates with brands representing companies in the fields of automotive, travel, food, health, beauty, and entertainment including: Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, Volkswagen, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Chevrolet, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Infiniti, Jaguar, Ford, Subaru, Fiat, Mazda, Harrah’s, Neutrogena, Narciso Rodriguez, and Four Seasons Resorts.
Sandra also directs an award-winning marketing and social media consulting group specializing in connecting clients with the Hispanic market, the largest growing ethnic consumer group. She was recognized in 2009, by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Univision-Radio, as one of the 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40. She also received the prestigious Arizona Governor's Volunteer Award in 2005. She is a graduate of the Valley Leadership and Hispanic Leadership Institute. Her proudest role is that of mother to grad nurse Brandon Munoz. She resides in Phoenix, with her dog Vanilla. She prefers a smoky eye rather than a bold lip.
Octavio Pulido
Over the past eight years I have built my professional career in two of Arizona’s main Latino media organizations; first as a producer and multimedia journalist at Univision Arizona and for the past three years as an anchor and multimedia journalist at Telemundo Arizona.
Working as a journalist in Arizona has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, but it would not have been possible without ALMA.
Upon moving to Arizona, ALMA introduced me to the state’s journalism community, connected me with Juan Villa, my mentor, former boss, and a leader in Latino media in Arizona.
Strong mentors and a robust network are keys to professional success, and I found that through ALMA. As a member of ALMA I experienced firsthand the great impact the organization can have on an aspiring journalist. A few years ago, I received a scholarship to attend my first NAHJ journalism conference, an experience that has had a lasting impact on my career.
Al is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast news reporting, production and management. He was part of the management team that launched the KNXV newsroom in 1994 and oversaw its growth from a staff of 20 to more than 60 in less than a year. He also served in multiple management roles at KPNX-TV from 1981-1994 and as an assignment editor and manager for KTVK, both in Phoenix. Macias is news director for the KJZZ newsroom. A Phoenix native, Macias earned a journalism degree from Arizona State University.
Nicole is the marketing, public relations and publicity manager at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. She previously was the marketing and public relations administrator for Fennemore Craig, P.C., and a business law firm with offices in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. She also worked in public relations and communications for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Maricopa Community College District, Tempe Union High School District and Kyrene Elementary School District. Prior to her work in public relaltions, she was a reporter and editor at The Tucson Citizen, a daily afternoon