Peruvian Civic Association Of New Jersey

ELIZABETH SANTA CRUZ

Treasurer

Elizabeth SantaCruz is the mother of two children, she became a passionate advocate for raising Lupus Awareness after her daughter was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 9.

Elizabeth is a proud Berkeley College alumna who graduated in 2005 with a B.B.A. in Accounting. Her training allowed her to become more business oriented and analytical. Berkeley College not only gave her the skills she needed for her job as an Accountant, but also for her newfound role as a caregiver and Lupus advocate.

Elizabeth also has had the honor of being interviewed by Emmy-Award winning Brenda Blackmon from PIX11 News & Nilda Rosario from Telemundo47 to discuss how Lupus affects children. She was invited by The Lupus Research Alliance to participate as a Lupus Advocate at the Annual Advocacy Meeting and Hill Day in Washington D.C. to meet with Congressional members & their staff to discuss the support for Lupus research. In 2017 the three leading voices in lupus in the United States host the PFDD Meeting. This groundbreaking initiative culminated in a meeting driven by persons with Lupus and their advocates to provide the FDA with perspectives from our community on several important issues. Twelve panelists were elected from the United States, she was one of them.

ROCIO QUINONEZ

Public Relations

Rocio Quiñonez, born in Magdalena, immigrated to the USA in 1999, mother of 2 children, always stood out for her great altruistic soul, and help to the community, she has been working in various organizations with a single purpose of being able to help those in need. Attended Nassau community College in Long Island Pre-School Teacher. Her hobbies are running and playing softball.

As a NY community leader, she was part of the Committee on her church & organized events; she was aPre-K assistant at Montessori's Schools. Coordinator of the summer bible at OLPH in Lindenhurst NY, also organized events to encourage reading at the elementary school in Lindenhurst NY. She worked as a volunteer in the food pantry at Queen’s Museum and feeding homeless with Maci Forever during the pandemic in 2020. Also, she and friends cooked at la Jornada in Flushing location and deliver the food in Corona Queens. She was Interviewed by a NY channel Volunteer group brings food to the homeless in Corona From 2015 to 2019. She organized with friends NY Fundraiser events to help kids from the Peruvian Sierra organizing raffles “Rifa de la Solidaridad”. Rocio participated in the Festival del Cine Peruano 2016 & 2017 Union City and the book presentation of her dear friend Giovanni Esquivel September 2020. The Shiara Show Radio online “Online with Rocio Quiñonez“ 2021 and 2022 Assistant Director at “Niños Rompiendo Fronteras” in NJ. She is part of the Shiara show team as a production assistant.

JORGE PONCE 

Prosecutor

My name is Jorge Ponce, I was born in Lima Peru, I went to San Marcos University then graduated as a Computer Analyst. Then I came to New Jersey USA in 2001, I have 2 teenagers girl and boy that I loved so much, years later I went to the Fire and Police Academy to become a firefighter since 2012, is a career that I assumed with all my heart and knowledge to do the right thing.

 I work at Newark International Airport as an airplane maintenance since 2008 and have been a member of the North Arlington CERT Team since 2010.

I was always looking to help my community in different ways, that's why I joined the Peruvian Civic Association of New Jersey as a member first then 2 years later became one of the new Directors working to assist my Peruvians and other communities.