Richard Jones, CRS El Salvador Country Representative
Richard Jones is currently the Deputy Regional Director for Global Solidarity and Justice for CRS' Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office. During the past ten years with CRS he has worked on human rights, peacebuilding and emergency and development programs in Central America. In El Salvador he led the program to develop innovative approaches to gang violence and immigration. Prior to working with CRS, Mr. Jones worked in a parish in El Salvador accompanying refugees in resettlement at the end of the country’s 12-year civil war. Prior to moving to El Salvador he worked as a community Organizer in Detroit and Chicago focussing on issues of gang violence, and housing. Mr. Jones has a Masters in International Relations from The Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Boston College.
Mary Delorey, CRS Migration Policy Advisor
Mary DeLorey is Catholic Relief Services’ Strategic Issues Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Baltimore. She is responsible for developing and promoting the agency’s public policy positions and legislative and advocacy strategies on migration, human trafficking and other priority concerns relating to Latin America. She acts as a liaison with international Catholic organizations that provide support to migrants and refugees, and works with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations, analyzing regional trends and developing policy recommendations and joint advocacy strategies. She also played a leading role in developing the processes used by CRS for training in social analysis and advocacy.
Erica Dahl-Bredine, CRS Mexico Country Manager
Erica Dahl-Bredine is the Country Manager for Catholic Relief Services’ Mexico Program. In this capacity, she works with church and civil society partners to support initiatives around migration/immigration issues, economic justice and human rights in Mexico. The CRS/Mexico program is also active in advocacy and public education efforts in the U.S. on policy issues related to Mexico, including migration and trade. Erica has worked for CRS since 1995, coordinating human rights and development programs in Brazil and Peru prior to managing the Mexico program. She also worked as a volunteer lay missioner in El Salvador from 1987-1991 before joining CRS. Erica is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Texas at Austin and holds Masters degrees in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning.
Chris West, CRS US Operations & The Justice for Immigrants Campaign
For the past four years, Chris West has worked as a community organizer for Catholic Relief Services in its Constituency Relations Support Unit. In this position he has worked with dioceses throughout the U.S., training Catholics to advocate effectively for more just policies that impact the poor overseas, e.g. reforming trade, foreign assistance, food aid, migration, the extractive industries and others. Because of the moral significance of U.S. immigration policy reform and its impact on the poor overseas whom CRS serves, CRS freed West to assume the position of Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Justice for Immigrants Campaign. In this capacity, he coordinates activity between the legislative Capitol Hill staff and grassroots activists throughout the country.
