Katie (she/her) is a single mom, lawyer, activist, and proud ally and member of the queer community, based in Chattanooga, TN. She has worked for large nonprofit organizations for many years where she built deep relationships with social justice workers across the country and developed extensive experience as a legal advocate. She also gained an invaluable education in the systemic failings of the nonprofit industrial complex. She was raised in the South eventually understanding that the land she grew up on was stolen from Indigenous people and stewarded by enslaved Africans in order to maintain systemic white supremacy. She uses her white privilege in radical new ways to support the very communities who have made the South a refuge to reclaim their ancestral power. She enjoys nourishing her chosen family with badass music, delicious home-cooked meals, and the joyful presence of her daughter, Ellis.

Pat Blankenship serves as business administrator for Sanctuary of the South. She manages billing, banking, tax filings and business records. Pat is a retired attorney. She practiced law in Tennessee for 35 years, serving as Managing Partner of the firm she co-founded in Nashville in 1979, Blankenship & Blankenship, Attorneys at Law. Her practice consisted primarily of business law, estate and trust planning, and probate. She formed and advised small businesses, both for-profit and non-profit. While practicing, she taught Business Law at Middle Tennessee State University for over 15 years. Pat is a certified yoga teacher with over 2000 hours of teaching experience and a children’s picture book author. And yes, she is Katie’s mom! Learn more about Pat here: patblankenship.com

Alejandra Puerto (she/her) is a first-generation immigrant born in La Ceiba, Atlantida, Honduras. She migrated to the United States without prior authorization, living the majority of her adolescence as an undocumented person. She (and her family) navigated the country’s cruel and unjust immigration systems to secure her citizenship in 2015. This journey propelled her to take a critical stance on immigration and human rights, pursuing a degree in Law, Societies, and Justice from the University of Washington. Her studies immersed her in coursework that illuminated the interconnectedness of U.S. foreign policy and the influx of immigration from the Global South. This historical and critical understanding contextualized her immigration journey and fueled her desire to join Sanctuary of the South, PLLC, to provide direct legal services to migrants and their families. Her vision of a just world is one where we acknowledge migration as a fundamental human right, a right that transcends social categories and is afforded to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. In addition to her passion for social justice causes, Alejandra also deeply enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching films and television shows, reading, writing, and staying physically active.

Geraldo Salcedo (he/they) serves as SOS’s managing paralegal. Geraldo draws from his years of anthropological training and experience as a child of Dominican immigrants to advocate for migrants and displaced persons. Prior to SOS, he worked as an academic and, later, a non-profit researcher, focusing on linking multinational financial institutions to current and historical crises affecting working class people globally. Geraldo firmly believes that no human being is illegal and that migration is a human right. In their spare time, Geraldo recharges by spending time with their community, eating delicious foods, and traveling.

Rooted in accountability, equity, and collective liberation, Jessica (she/her) brings over a decade of experience as a grant writer, donor communications specialist, and institutional giving strategist, securing resources to grow organizations supporting immigrant and refugee communities. As a queer, neurodivergent woman, Jessica is dedicated to justice and community care, supporting movements that prioritize safety, dignity, and power for historically disenfranchised communities. She is driven by the fierce belief that the health, joy, and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color must be resourced, celebrated, and amplified. Jessica specializes in developing and executing integrated fundraising and communications strategies that center equity, sustainability, and systemic change. Her work spans a range of issues across human and civil rights. A former journalist, she brings a deep commitment to honest storytelling as a tool for change. She has held leadership roles at grassroots, national, and international nonprofits and continues to support alternative models of care, solidarity, and justice as a Floridian living in the American South. When she’s not working, Jessica can be found spending time with her beloveds or hiding under a pile of books, but always and forever surrounded by animals.

Oliver Torres (he/they) is a passionate advocate and strategist. As a contractor with Sanctuary of the South, Oliver leads the organization’s communications strategy, volunteer coordination, and supports internal structuring. Before joining Sanctuary of the South, Oliver spent nearly five years at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where they helped lead immigrant rights advocacy grounded in the voices and needs of directly impacted communities at the intersection of legal advocacy, community organizing, and policy. Oliver’s commitment to immigrant communities began with their work in education, supporting children and families navigating the school system. They studied Education Policy at Brown University as a Gates Millennium Scholar, with a focus on centering historically excluded communities in policy design. They later brought this perspective to the political arena, serving as a Regional Voter Protection Director for the Harris Campaign in Florida. Oliver recently completed a Social Impact MBA from the Heller School at Brandeis University as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholar, where they honed their skills in managing mission-driven organizations, strategic planning, and human-centered leadership. When not working, Oliver spends time with his adorable kitten and dog, traveling to new places and visiting friends, or enjoying live music in their cherished native hometown, Miami, FL.

Charlene (she/her) is a photographer, media producer, writer, editor, and a raft of other things in-between / around. Born and bred in Singapore, she has spent over two decades working and travelling as a photographer in Australia, Europe and North America. Prior to returning to Singapore in 2020, Charlene worked with refugees and internally displaced people in northern Iraq for a US aid organisation. She is passionate about community, and in her work as a producer and editor, has championed important social issues, supporting practitioners in the field to tell stories of those most in need, as well as those making an impact.