Categories: Leadership

Ambassador Susan Esserman founded and leads the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. She is Co-Chair of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force Labor Trafficking Committee as well as Chair of the Prince George’s Human Trafficking Task Force Labor Trafficking Committee. In addition to leading the Center, she is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, a Washington, D.C.- based international law firm, where she served as Chair of the International Trade Practice and in firm management and co-founded the firm’s Women’s Forum. She leads the firm’s pro bono program on behalf of survivors of human trafficking and has represented many human trafficking survivors. She has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Justice for Girls Empowerment Award and the National Journal’s Outstanding Women’s Lawyers List, recognizing the 75 most outstanding women lawyers in the nation. Ambassador Esserman held four senior positions in the Clinton administration: She was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (with rank of Ambassador) and Assistant Secretary of Commerce. She also served in the role of General Counsel at two agencies – the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards with a women’s rights and international focus. She was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Oliver Gasch, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Columbia. Ambassador Esserman is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Michigan Law School.

Heidi Alvarez, MA, MBA, is a distinguished leader in the fight against human trafficking with over a decade of experience in non-profit organizational development. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. In her role as COO, Heidi is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the SAFE Center’s operations, human resources, finance, and administration to ensure that the SAFE Center processes are streamlined and efficient. As Chief of Staff, Heidi advises the Center’s director to develop and implement the center’s strategic plan. Throughout her career, Heidi has demonstrated a commitment to collaborative efforts and strategic planning, working with teams to develop effective solutions for combating human trafficking. Her expertise extends to grants writing and management, staff development and supervision, and fiscal management, ensuring the efficient operation of the SAFE Center’s initiatives.

Heidi has played pivotal roles in local taskforces in Maryland and Virginia, raising awareness and providing crucial training to professionals within and outside of the anti-trafficking field. Her dedication to advocacy and education has made a significant impact on communities and organizations striving to address this pressing issue. Prior to her role at the University of Maryland SAFE Center, Heidi provided vital social services advocacy at Polaris Project and the University of Denver, specializing in support for survivors of human trafficking, victims of torture, and asylum seekers. She also has experience overseeing social services coordinators at affordable housing properties in Washington, DC, demonstrating her versatility and dedication to serving vulnerable populations.

Heidi holds an MBA from the University of Maryland Smith Business School, MA in International Development from the University of Denver and a BA in International Relations from Connecticut College, grounding her work in a solid academic foundation and a deep understanding of global issues. Her combination of academic knowledge, practical experience, and compassionate leadership make her a driving force in the fight against human trafficking and an asset to the SAFE Center.

Rosa “Delmy” Alvayero, MSW-LCSW-C joined the SAFE Center as the Director of Clinical Services in July, 2019. Delmy is a social worker, immigrant, and community activist with over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector and social and behavioral health systems. Prior to joining the SAFE Center, Ms. Alvayero served for ten years at the Maryland Division of the Latin American Youth Center where she developed, implemented, and evaluated programs using a positive youth development approach. She also served as a clinician at Mary’s Center, a multi-site, integrative, healthcare clinic, where she worked one-on-one with a range of clients as they navigated their medical and social-emotional needs. Ms. Alvayero’s professional approach emphasizes the importance of connecting somatic practices with experiences of trauma, especially in cases of children, youth, and families who have been impacted by migration, displacement, and other forms of oppression. She specializes in challenges related to depression, anxiety, and trauma, including PTSD, attachment, anger in children, and family reunification. Ms. Alvayero completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Social at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, with a dual track in Program Management and Clinical Work and a sub-specialization and Certificate in Maternal and Child Health. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Certificate in Women Studies, both from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Jatnna Gomez, LBSW is the Director of Equity and Community Engagement at the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Survivors of Human Trafficking. Ms. Gomez brings more than a decade of experience working with vulnerable communities in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She has worked with vulnerable youth, victims of gender-based violence, immigrant population, BIPOC-led community organizations and other groups. Ms. Gomez has worked with various victim services, public health, healthcare, and youth enrichment organizations to provide programming, advocacy, education, crisis intervention and program leadership.

In her current role, Ms. Gomez serves as a community leader for the SAFE Center by overseeing efforts in community events, education, prevention, and initiatives. She advises senior SAFE Center leadership, coordinates diversity and inclusion trainings for SAFE Center staff, and works with the different teams to use an equity and inclusion lens to evaluate SAFE Center policies related to personnel, programs, and clients. Ms. Gomez currently chairs the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force Victim Services Committee and is a member of the Freedom Network USA Steering Committee. Ms. Gomez serves as a Commissioner in the Prince George’s County Commission for Women. Ms. Gomez is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law.

Mayra Herrera, MSW, is the Director of Social Services at the UMD SAFE Center. As a bilingual social worker, Ms. Herrera oversees comprehensive social services to SAFE Center clients and supervises a team of case manager advocates who provide crisis intervention, intensive case management, victim advocacy, and basic needs for sex and labor trafficking survivors. Ms. Herrera has eleven years of expertise in the nonprofit sector in a variety of roles including program management and evaluation, community organizing, and direct services to at-risk populations in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Prior to joining the SAFE Center, Ms. Herrera supervised a team of 20 case managers at the Latin American Youth Center/Maryland Multicultural Youth Center for the Promotor Pathway Program. Ms. Herrera is highly experienced in evidence-based models to intervene in gang activity, increase family reunification, and engage disconnected youth and adults. Ms. Herrera received a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore.

Allison Norris, Esq. is the Legal Immigration Services Director at the SAFE Center. Most recently, Allison served as a Supervising Attorney at Catholic Charities, where she led a team of attorneys and managed a large caseload of family and humanitarian applications, specializing in asylum and removal defense. Previously, Allison worked at Americans for Immigrant Justice, where she coordinated the legal program at an Office of Refugee Resettlement emergency shelter housing thousands of unaccompanied minors. She later represented children who were released from custody, advocating for them various immigration and custody matters. Allison also held an endowed position at Americans for Immigrant Justice bringing federal impact litigation on behalf of detained immigrants in South Florida.

Allison earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish from the University of Miami. She is fluent in Spanish and is a member of the Florida Bar.