Executive Director

Joe joined the HOLA Foundation in 2017 after traveling to Nicaragua to observe the organization’s annual public health brigade. In the following years Joe has returned to Nicaragua to conduct needs assessments and to help launch HOLA’s women’s health program. Away from HOLA, Joe has worked as an English teacher in South Korea and a ski instructor in Japan before shifting into a career in Real Estate Development. Joe became the organizations Executive Director in 2018 and has been heavily involved in the organization’s strategic planning, fundraising and the expansion of the in-country Nicaragua team. Joe has also sat on the HOLA board since 2017.

Assistant Executive Director

Uriel graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelors degree in biology and is currently working as a patient care technician in Athens, Georgia. In his role as Assistant ED, Uriel has helped sophisticate HOLA’s patient data collection and helped coordinate and lead HOLA’s 2025 volunteer trip to Nicaragua. Uriel’s passion for helping people and communities in need has inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. He is actively applying to medical school for the fall of 2026.

Director of Research and Evaluation

Sara attended medical school at the University of Washington, then completed her Masters in Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health and Ob/Gyn residency at the University of Colorado. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Currently she resides in Seattle where she works at the University of Washington as the medical director of the Ob/Gyn clinic at Harborview Medical Center.

In-Country Director

Julio has long been a friend of the HOLA foundation, working as translator and helping with numerous logistical items during the organization’s earliest years. Julio took the role of In-Country Director in 2018 and his extensive local network has been crucial in helping HOLA establish a more consistent and local presence in the communities surrounding Leon. During Julio’s tenure as In-Country Director he has overseen the expansion of the OBGYN program, coordinated research trips and facilitated a number of collaborative health care efforts between HOLA and the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. Julio is a local business owner, a devoted husband, and father to three wonderful girls.

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist

Dr. Zelaya joined the HOLA team in September, 2017 working as an OBGYN at the clinic in the Raul Cabeza complex in Chacraseca. Since that time, Dr. Zelaya has become a tremendous asset to the Chacraseca community and surrounding communities as well. In addition to providing consistent and dedicated care to women visiting the clinic, she has worked with Ministry of Health officials to identify additional areas of need and collected valuable data that continues to inform the organization’s work. Dr. Zelaya also works as an OBGYN at the Perla Maria Clinic in Leon and is an adjunct professor at UNAN Leon.

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist

Dr. Chevez joined the HOLA team in March 2020 as part of the expansion of the OBGYN program, working out of the MINSA clinic in La Leona and providing care to women in the communities of La Leona and Salinas Grandes. She has previously worked at the Hospital Escuela Oscar Rosales Danilo Arguello in Leon and at the Centro de Mujeres Ixchen a pioneering organization in Nicaragua that continues to defend and advocate for women’s rights.