Government Affairs| Communications| Admin & Finance| Legal Affairs| Federal Proposals
To carry out its responsibilities, the Washington office includes different divisions which support the governor and help meet our mission to represent the island in the nation’s capital. Below you will find a description of these offices as well as contact information for each of them.
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
The Office of the Executive Director oversees the entire operation of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), including its headquarters and New York Regional Office.
Nicole Guillemard| Read full bio Executive Director
Fernando Peña
Deputy Director
Before joining PRFAA, Peña served as senior attorney in the International Trade Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He previously worked in Puerto Rico as Special Assistant to the President of the Government Development Bank, where he served as financial advisor to the Puerto Rico Tourism Development Fund, among other functions. In the mid and late 1990s, Peña served as a Strategic Planning Officer and Financial Advisor at Banco Popular. Peña received his law degree from the University of Puerto Rico and his bachelor's degree in International Economics from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Peña is an active member of the Hispanic Bar Association and a past director and treasurer of the Association of Customs Lawyers. He is also a past member of the Board and treasurer of the Fondita de Jesús homeless shelter in San Juan.
Wilma Roberts
Executive Assistant
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Government Affairs translates the Governor's priority issues into policy strategies. The division directs and implements legislative and regulatory efforts on Capitol Hill, with the White House, and with federal agencies.
Tiffany Watkins
Director of Government Affairs
Tiffany Watkins joins us after serving as Senior Advisor for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s campaign. Before joining PRFAA, she spent several years as Director of Marketing & Development for Washington, D.C., based consulting firm Orr Associates, Inc. Prior work experience include Chief of Staff in Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education, under the previous administration, and Southern Regional Coalitions Director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign. Watkins is a University of Pennsylvania alumna and holds a B.A. in history.
Colleen Newman
Strategic Policy Advisor (Energy, Environment, Interior, Economic Development, Science and Technology, Telecommunications)
Jorge Lima
Strategic Policy Advisor (Education, Housing, Economic Development, Tourism, Transportation, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Recreation and Sports)
Angel Moreno
Strategic Policy Advisor (Agriculture, Welfare, Postal Service, Labor, Budget & Appropriations, Statistics)
George Laws
Special Assistant to the Executive Director (Homeland Security, Defense, Veterans, Law Enforcement, Justice, Government Reform)
Françoise Mugnano
Legislative Affairs Assistant
COMMUNICATIONS
The Communications office shares critical information about the Governor's efforts with the media, policymakers, and the public.
Sarah Echols
Director of Strategic Communications
Prior to joining PRFAA, Sarah Echols served at the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Public Affairs for Transportation Secretaries Norman Mineta and Mary Peters. During her tenure there, she served as Deputy Director and then Director of Public Affairs for the agency. A New Mexico native, she worked for many years in the Washington press office for U.S. Senator Pete Domenici.
Andres Gonzalez
Public Affairs Officer
BUDGET & FINANCE DIVISION
The Administration, Budget and Finance Division ensures that all funds are allocated efficiently and that the Agency is a responsible manager of taxpayer dollars.
Wanda San Román
Director of Administration, Budget and Finance
Prior to joining PRFAA, Wanda San Román served as Director of Finance at International Utility Efficiency Partnerships, a subdivision of Edison Electric Institute. She is also former Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Senate's Legislative Donations Committee. Ms. San Roman earned her MBA in Financial Management and Marketing from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Finance/Accounting at the Interamerican University.
Isabel Milán
Director of Human Resources & Advancement
Isabel M. Milán joined PRFAA after serving as White House Liaison for the U.S. Small Business Administration. Prior to her tenure at the SBA, she served at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during President George W. Bush's Administration. During her more than 13 years in Washington, D.C., Isabel has worked at the Republican National Committee and at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration during Governor Pedro Rosselló’s Administration.
LEGAL AFFAIRS DIVISION
Legal Affairs provides counsel regarding PRFAA's operation and other issues. The office also provides legal advice to Federal, state and local agencies, as well as non-profit and private entities, regarding the laws of Puerto Rico.
Lillian T. de la Cruz-Torres
General Counsel
Before returning to PRFAA, where she previously served from 1993 to 1997 as Associate Director in charge of the Federal Proposals Division, de la Cruz-Torres was a partner in the San Juan law firm of Cancio, Nadal, Rivera & Diaz, P.S.C. There she created the firm's Federal Assistance law and Processes Division. During her previous tenure at PRFAA, she created the Federal Proposals Division. Over the course of her 25-plus year legal career, Ms. de la Cruz has organized and offered seminars, workshops and courses on subjects ranging from federal assistance for disasters, applying for federal grants, and conferences on Family and Esate Law. She is admitted before the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Supreme Court. She earned her B.S. in Natural Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and her J.D. at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law.
Isabel Melendez-Altieri
Senior Legal Counsel
FEDERAL PROPOSALS
The Federal Proposals team provides technical assistance on grants planning and development to representatives from the Government of Puerto Rico, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations.
Elsa Luis
Director of Federal Proposals
Ms. Luis has over sixteen years of professional experience in the areas of grants planning, development and implementation working with the federal, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, faith-based communities and the private sector in Puerto Rico and in the Mainland. She has experience integrating human service delivery systems to nonprofit organizations, faith based communities and the general public in the areas of child and adult education, training, workforce development, volunteer management, homelessness, child care, mentoring, medical care, law enforcement, senior and youth services. She also has experience in training, project management and design, development and implementation of new programs and the creation of public and private partnerships. Ms. Luis has a Master in Education from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico and a Certificate from the George Washington University on Federal Grants Law.
Sonia Guerrero
Federal Proposals Specialist
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