Meet Our Team
Daniela Contreras
Executive Director - Zona Norte Ministry
As Executive Director, Daniela leads, coordinates, and directs the strategy, planning, and administrative areas for all our outreach services and for Zona Norte staff and volunteers. She also oversees procurement, logistics and finances. She’s a multitalented, indispensable leader on our team.
Eveling Aguirre
School Program Director
Eveling is the pioneer of the school program at Mexico RED. Now she has the important job of coordinating and supervising the proper functioning of the different school programs. With her experience and love, she has been key in the manner in which we teach the children through the gospel. She also gives additional classes to the students that are working to advance to secondary school.
Natalia Diaz
Adult Ministry & Internal Administration Coordinator
Natalia, the youngest member of our staff, has taken on the responsibility of leading our weekly feeding ministry. She not only contributes many talents to address the physical needs of the people we serve, but also the spiritual needs. Her leadership is vital in coordinating with local teams, scheduling and directing volunteers who come to serve each week.
Elvira Gonzalez
Kitchen Coordinator
Elvira is full of initiative and courage… her ability in the kitchen is evident. She works to feed our students and staff, in addition to handling the logistics of feeding hundreds and hundreds of our friends in Zona Norte. More than a simple cook, she adds a maternal touch as she cares for the students and staff of Mexico RED.
Paulina Galaz
School Program & Hospitality Leader
Paulina, a former teacher, has experience working with preschool and special needs students. With her attentive presence, she excels at providing care to the children and their families. She works hard to connect the children living in Zona Norte with access to education. She also manages the hospitality needs of Casa RED.
Jalynn Baker
Leader of Media & Communications
Jalynn moved from Tennessee to Mexico to join our team. She has a heart to love the refugees and the marginalized in Tijuana. With her creativity, she blesses both the team and the people we serve. She manages our social media and coordinates with visiting teams, while also teaching an art class to our students with patience and love.
Catharina Verheij
Women’s Ministry Leader
Catharina is from the Netherlands, but has been a global missionary and now loves to serve in Zona Norte, Tijuana. A former teacher, she leads a group for the mothers of our students and is the contact for mothers who are seeking therapy. With her gift of hospitality, she creates a warm environment in which to connect and also assists in hosting teams that come to serve community meals.
Elsa Flores
Teacher
Elsa showed lots of initiative in our school program prior to accepting the invitation to join our staff. She is the teacher to our youngest students and provides much needed care and guidance in their development. Originally from El Salvador, she is an example of overcoming difficulties. As a mother, she has a deeper understanding of the needs of our students.
Alejandra Lopez
Teacher
Alejandra joined our staff as a teacher to the upper elementary students. She studied education and brings her much needed skillset to our school program. She has also served in other Zona Norte ministries and the local church in Tijuana for many years and has a unique understanding of how to meet the needs of our students.
Citlali Barrera
School Program Support
Citlali contributed her time and gifts in many ways before officially joining our team. She patiently serves our students and teachers by ensuring that they have a clean and safe space in which to learn and teach. She also offers an important perspective as a mother of Zona RED students.
Meet Our Ministry Leadership & Board
Keith & Maya Durkin
Keith Durkin serves as Executive Director – Mexico RED National Ministry. He and his wife, Maya have ministered in Mexico for over 30 years. Both have served as church planters, launched youth outreach, and developed feeding and community development programs. Maya has a background in both Christian and public education.
David W. Caldwell
Serving as the President of the Board of Directors, David has been involved as a lay leader in missions and ministry for over 35 years. He (and his wife, Elvia) have a long-time passion for ministry to the poor and children in Mexico and around the globe. David has served as a director at Compassion International, as a pastor, and has a Master's degree in Missiology from Denver Seminary.
Carol De Graff
Carol (and husband Terry) have served many decades in ministry. She is the Chief Financial Officer for Mexico RED and the Executive Director of Circle of Concern in Oceanside, CA -- a long-established missions and outreach ministry sending teams for over 30 years to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in Mexico.
Chris Marshall
Christopher serves with NOVO, a missionary group focused on catalyzing gospel movements in unreached regions worldwide. Prior to this role, he held the position of Vice President of Global Advancement at Kids Around the World, an organization aligned with Campus Crusade for Christ.