Board of Directors
Since 2008, Border Philanthropy Partnership has served as the leading binational organization focused on building prosperity along the U.S.-Mexico Border region through leadership, collaboration, and philanthropy. Together, with the leadership of our Board of Directors and staff, we have been able to address issues of prosperity, equity, and opportunity across the Borderlands region.
The Border Philanthropy Partnership Board of Directors is a collective of leaders from all sectors across the Borderlands region. Together, they bring more than 225 years worth of experience in philanthropy, business, academia, and policy on both sides of the Border.
The Border Philanthropy Partnership Board of Directors is a collective of leaders from all sectors across the Borderlands region. Together, they bring more than 225 years worth of experience in philanthropy, business, academia, and policy on both sides of the Border.
OFFICERS
Eduardo Acosta, Chair | San Diego, California
Vice President, R.L. Jones Customhouse Brokers
Eduardo Acosta is the Vice President and partner at RL Jones Customhouse brokers, with 9 locations along the southern border and Los Angeles. He is the area 8 board member for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA),San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's International Business Affairs Chair, as well as Chair for NCBFAA’s Government Affairs Conference. He is also the past president and current Chair for the Pacific Coast Council, and an active board member of the Smart Border Coalition, Border Philanthropy Partnership, Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, and Index. Eduardo started his brokerage career in San Diego/Otay Mesa in 1990. He was born and raised in Nogales, AZ, got his Brokers license in 1997, and is married (Anny) and has three children (Eduardo, Anna Lucia, and Maria Ines).
Vice President, R.L. Jones Customhouse Brokers
Eduardo Acosta is the Vice President and partner at RL Jones Customhouse brokers, with 9 locations along the southern border and Los Angeles. He is the area 8 board member for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA),San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's International Business Affairs Chair, as well as Chair for NCBFAA’s Government Affairs Conference. He is also the past president and current Chair for the Pacific Coast Council, and an active board member of the Smart Border Coalition, Border Philanthropy Partnership, Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, and Index. Eduardo started his brokerage career in San Diego/Otay Mesa in 1990. He was born and raised in Nogales, AZ, got his Brokers license in 1997, and is married (Anny) and has three children (Eduardo, Anna Lucia, and Maria Ines).
Guillermo Garza Martinez, Vice Chair | Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer, Arca Continental
As Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer of Arca Continental, Guillermo is responsible for the corporate strategic planning of public affairs, communications, sustainability, and risk management.
He serves as Chairman of the Board of PIASA, one of Mexico’s largest sugar mills, and as member on several boards for industry-related companies and international organizations, including PetStar, the largest food-grade PET recycling plant in the world, Americas Society / Council of the Americas, International Council of Beverages Associations, UN Global Compact Mexico, among others.
Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer, Arca Continental
As Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer of Arca Continental, Guillermo is responsible for the corporate strategic planning of public affairs, communications, sustainability, and risk management.
He serves as Chairman of the Board of PIASA, one of Mexico’s largest sugar mills, and as member on several boards for industry-related companies and international organizations, including PetStar, the largest food-grade PET recycling plant in the world, Americas Society / Council of the Americas, International Council of Beverages Associations, UN Global Compact Mexico, among others.
J.C. Thomas III, Secretary | Solana Beach, California
Assistant Director Development Services Department, City of San Diego
J.C. Thomas is the assistant director of the Development Services Department for the City of San Diego. In his position, he is responsible for the digital transformation, innovation initiatives and operations support for the department. The department provides review, permit, inspection, and code enforcement services for private and public development projects throughout the City to ensure healthy, safe, and livable neighborhoods.
Assistant Director Development Services Department, City of San Diego
J.C. Thomas is the assistant director of the Development Services Department for the City of San Diego. In his position, he is responsible for the digital transformation, innovation initiatives and operations support for the department. The department provides review, permit, inspection, and code enforcement services for private and public development projects throughout the City to ensure healthy, safe, and livable neighborhoods.
Louis R. Escareño, Treasurer | San Antonio, Texas
Private attorney
Louis was born and raised in San Antonio. He received a baccalaureate degree in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in public administration at Harvard University and a doctorate in jurisprudence at the University of Houston Law Center. A former President of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Escareño serves on numerous boards including the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce Binational Board, the Border Trade Alliance and the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. Escareño served as Special Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Texas Attorney General. In this capacity he was the coordinator/liaison of the U.S. Mexico Border State Attorneys General and Director of the Attorney General’s U.S. – Mexico Border Task Force. Escareño also served in the White House in the Carter Administration as a staff assistant in the Office for Hispanic Affairs and prior to that as a Special Assistant to US Senator Lloyd Bentsen.
Private attorney
Louis was born and raised in San Antonio. He received a baccalaureate degree in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in public administration at Harvard University and a doctorate in jurisprudence at the University of Houston Law Center. A former President of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Escareño serves on numerous boards including the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce Binational Board, the Border Trade Alliance and the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. Escareño served as Special Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Texas Attorney General. In this capacity he was the coordinator/liaison of the U.S. Mexico Border State Attorneys General and Director of the Attorney General’s U.S. – Mexico Border Task Force. Escareño also served in the White House in the Carter Administration as a staff assistant in the Office for Hispanic Affairs and prior to that as a Special Assistant to US Senator Lloyd Bentsen.
|
Rosa del Carmen Montaño Fimbres, Immediate Past Chair | Mexicali, Baja California
Executive Director, Cadenas de Ayuda para México, A.C. Rosa del Carmen was born and lives in Mexicali, Baja California, where she completed a degree in Human Resources from the Center for Technical and Higher Education (CETYS University). From 2004 to 2012, she was a member of the Board of Directors for the local nonprofit Cadenas de Ayuda para Mexico. As of 2012, she serves as the executive director. She has collaborated in advertising and marketing agencies, in the management of different family businesses and since 2006 she is the finance director of a group of corporations based in the state of Baja California. |
DIRECTORS
Denise Herrera
Houston, Texas Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center Denise has devoted much of her academic and philanthropic career to leveling the playing field for underserved populations to receive quality health services and education. Her proudest accomplishment was establishing the “Herrera Internship Endowment” in 2016 – which provides internship and scholarship opportunities for Latina students throughout New Mexico. Denise completed her BS in Health Education from the University of New Mexico, MS in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona, and PhD in Health Education from the University of Texas-Austin. |
Karina Jimenez Lewis
Baltimore, Maryland Associate Director, Policy Reform and Advocacy, Annie E. Casey Foundation As associate director of Policy Reform and Advocacy, Karina Jiménez Lewis leads the Foundation's state policy, reform and advocacy efforts, including engaging young leaders to advocate for policies that can improve the lives of youth and families in states where the need is greatest. Jiménez Lewis earned a master’s degree in social work with a focus on policy practice at the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree from Elms College in Massachusetts. |
Alejandro Ríos Rippa
San Diego, California Director of Litigation, Sempra Global In Washington DC, he was a lawyer in the Organization of American States (OAS) and was formerly an Adviser to Mexico's Attorney General. Alejandro is a lawyer with a master's degree in International Affairs from Georgetown University in Washington DC and a Masters of Law from the University of San Diego. Alejandro was a law professor at Escuela Libre de Derecho, UABC and guest lecturer at University of San Diego, California. |
Adam Lopez Falk
Phoenix, Arizona Senior Community Impact Officer, Discretionary Grantmaking, Arizona Community Foundation Adam Lopez Falk is Senior Community Impact Officer, Discretionary Grantmaking for the Arizona Community Foundation. In his role, he oversees foundation directed grantmaking, with a special focus on the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Development, and ACF's Grant investments in the borderlands of Arizona and Sonora. A fifth generation Arizonan, he is also the founder of "Arizonenses," which preserves and promotes Arizona Latino history. Adam serves as a member of the board for the CALA Alliance, a Latino focused arts organization, and as a Young Talent advisor for the Center for the Future of Arizona. He lives in Phoenix with his wife and his daughters, Arizona y Zia. |
Anabella Díaz Rivera R. Bours
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Board Member, Fundación Tichi Muñoz Anabella Díaz Rivera R. Bours, a businesswoman from Baja California Sur, has been actively engaged with the Tichi Muñoz AC Family Foundation for the past 7 years. Moreover, she has participated in various local initiatives in the city of her residence, Cabo San Lucas. With a profound dedication to community development, education, and fostering opportunities for individuals facing vulnerabilities, Anabella directs her passion into tangible actions that yield positive impacts within her vicinity. As a mother of two daughters, Anabella and Beatriz, her personal experiences have bolstered her empathy and commitment to the community. Drawing inspiration from her family's legacy of community investment, the Robinson Bours, esteemed role models, Anabella is steadfast in her resolve to perpetuate their heritage and effect meaningful societal change. |
José Roble Flores Fernández
Monterrey, Nuevo León Board Member, Fundación de Beneficencia Jesus M. Montemayor He is an emeritus director and professor at the Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey, as well as vice president of its Board of Directors, an institution of which he was director for 25 years. He has been a university professor in the law degree program for 38 years, as well as in various master's programs at several higher education institutions. He has taught courses and given lectures at different universities and at various national and foreign forums. He serves as Board member for several grantmaking foundations and charitable associations, as well as for family businesses and financial sector corporations. |
Ellyn Chatham
Bush Board Fellow Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University Ellyn Chatham is a first-year graduate student at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service where she will graduate with a Masters in International Affairs in May of 2026. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in May of 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Communication. Ellyn will be serving with the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership through a program called "Bush Board Fellows", a program that pairs graduate students with non-profits to act as a non-voting board member for the calendar year. She has focused her study on national security and diplomacy and hopes to work in DC upon graduation. |
Elena Walker
Bush Board Fellow Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University Elena Walker is currently pursuing her Master of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs and Spanish from Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN) and spent over two years working for the State of Tennessee post-graduation. Having taught ESL for three years while living in Nashville, she is passionate about the Latin American diaspora living in the U.S. and bilateral relations within the region and plans to focus her career on economic development and migration in Latin America. |
BPP recently recognized its founder Hon. Russell "Russ" L. Jones as Chairman Emeritus. Russ has been active in community since he was a young man growing up in Calexico, CA. He is the epitome of what is known in the region as a Borderlander. A Borderlander is someone who easily navigates both sides of the border, and identifies as being from both sides of the region. Russ was raised in Calexico, CA and Mexicali, Baja California. His father and grandfather founded what is known today as RL Jones Customhouse Brokers, a premier import/export business facilitating trade and commerce between the U.S. and Mexico across the 10 State region. Russ studied Business Administration at San Diego State University, where he met Janet, his wife of over 50 years. Russ is a founder of multiple organizations. He is one of the founders of the Border Trade Alliance, and he is one of the founding members of the Arizona Community Foundation, and their statewide affiliate system. Since 2008, Russ has served U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (BPP) with grace, humility, and honor. His generous spirit has contributed to the growth and development of the BPP as he faithfully executed his responsibilities as a board member and officer. Russ helped extend BPP's mission, redefine its services, expanded member network, and exponentially increased BPP's influence along and across the binational region. Thank you Russ for your tireless commitment to the Border region!
