UPROSE Staff

Adonis Arias

Executive Assistant

Adonis Arias was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. at the age of eight. Adonis joined UPROSE in the summer of 2005 as a youth organizer. His commitment to environmental justice has led him to pursue an Associates Degree at Kingsborough Community college in Maritime Technology

Murad Awawdeh

Youth Organizer

Murad Awawdeh (Palestinian) was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Murad noticed the environmental injustices that existed in Sunset Park at a very young age. All of Murad's family had asthma, and he didn't understand the coincidence of a family of 8 having asthma. At the age of 11 he joined UPROSE with his brothers and sisters to help his family and the community. He learned about the environmental and social injustices that Sunset Park faces and started with other environmental enforcers to change things. At the age of 14, Murad and other Environmental Enforcers founded a youth coalition called YOUTH JUSTICE. Youth Justice is a movement for young people that fight for social and environmental justice. Murad has spoken environmental justice and racial profiling at conferences throughout the country. Murad is also student at Long Island University majoring in Biochemistry.

Ting Ting Fu

Youth Organizer

Ting Ting Fu is a youth organizer and lives and organizes in Sunset Park. Ting Ting recently completed a training done by some fierce organizers at Educators for Social Responsibility on education justice and has also learned about education justice at the Youth Organizing Institute. Ting Ting speaks more than 4 languages and is a lead youth organizer.

Frank M. Torres

Director of Youth Leadership Development & Organizing

Frank M. Torres is a 22 year old Brooklyn born and raised Rican. He comes from a relatively big family being one of six siblings. In 1996, Frank's family moved to Sunset Park where he started off a long relationshipo with UPROSE. As a student, Frank joined both UPROSE's Middle school and high school program. While at John Jay High School, Frank assisted UPROSE in organizing the First Environmental Justice Conference in Sunset park, Brooklyn. At the age of 18, Frank joined UPROSE as a full time Lead Youth Organizer and Co-Founded The Youth Justice Initiative. Frank has represented the UPROSE Organization on many occasions at National conferences and has served on Community Board 7 for the past two years. Frank is a recipient of a 2006 Young People For Fellowship award.

Jae Watkins

Environmental Justice Programs Coordinator

Jae Watkins, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia joined the UPROSE team because she is dedicated to advocacy and action that ensures that all communities have a voice in the policies that affect their quality of life. She is an alumnus of Virginia Tech where she completed degrees in Sociology and History while concentrating on issues of social and environmental justice. She handles the organizations environmental justice programs.

Elizabeth Yeampierre

Executive Director

Elizabeth was born, raised in New York City. Coming from a home, politically and spiritually grounded in Puerto Rican culture and African Ancestry she learned that the sacrifice and power of people who struggled to abrir camino should always be at the heart of all we do. Consequently as Executive Director of UPROSE, the oldest Latino community based organization in Brooklyn, Elizabeth works to build community power. In 1996, Elizabeth helped shift UPROSE's mission to organizing, advocacy and developing intergenerational, indigenous leadership through activism. Elizabeth was an instrumental part of the New York City environmental justice leadership responsible for getting New York State's first brownfield legislation passed. Elizabeth successfully organized a community wide coalition and is credited for facilitating the defeat of a 520 mega-watt power plant application in her community. Elizabeth developed a community based planning model to ensure that the UPROSE Greenway design is a community led greenway design. $8.4 million dollars have been allocated for the greenway and the waterfront park. She secured $1,000,000. for pollution reduction projects that are being shared and distributed throughout the community. Because supporting the New York City Environmental Justice movement is important, Elizabeth is a co-founder of CURE (Communities United for Responsible Energy) and OWN (Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods) and Co-Chair of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. She was also a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Energy.

She received her BA in Political Science from Fordham University and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey. Elizabeth C. Yeampierre received the 2004 National Latina Leadership Award from the National Foundation of Women Legislators and its affiliate, the National Council of La Raza, the country's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. Her other recent accolades include the 2003 Asian Americans for Equality's Dream of Equality Award and the Comite Noviembre Hispanic Heritage Award. Elizabeth lives, works, and plays in Brooklyn with her husband Eddie, and son, Rico.



	Adonis Arias Executive Assistant Adonis Arias was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. at the age of eight. Adonis joined UPROSE in the summer of 2005 as a youth organizer. His commitment to environmental justice has led him to pursue an Associates Degree at Kingsborough Community college in Maritime Technology Murad Awawdeh Youth Organizer Murad Awawdeh (Palestinian) was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Murad noticed the environmental injustices that existed in Sunset Park at a very young age. All of Murad's family had asthma, and he didn't understand the coincidence of a family of 8 having asthma. At the age of 11 he joined UPROSE with his brothers and sisters to help his family and the community. He learned about the environmental and social injustices that Sunset Park faces and started with other environmental enforcers to change things. At the age of 14, Murad and other Environmental Enforcers founded a youth coalition called YOUTH JUSTICE. Youth Justice is a movement for young people that fight for social and environmental justice. Murad has spoken environmental justice and racial profiling at conferences throughout the country. Murad is also student at Long Island University majoring in Biochemistry. Ting Ting Fu Youth Organizer Ting Ting Fu is a youth organizer and lives and organizes in Sunset Park. Ting Ting recently completed a training done by some fierce organizers at Educators for Social Responsibility on education justice and has also learned about education justice at the Youth Organizing Institute. Ting Ting speaks more than 4 languages and is a lead youth organizer. Frank M. Torres Director of Youth Leadership Development & Organizing Frank M. Torres is a 22 year old Brooklyn born and raised Rican. He comes from a relatively big family being one of six siblings. In 1996, Frank's family moved to Sunset Park where he started off a long relationshipo with UPROSE. As a student, Frank joined both UPROSE's Middle school and high school program. While at John Jay High School, Frank assisted UPROSE in organizing the First Environmental Justice Conference in Sunset park, Brooklyn. At the age of 18, Frank joined UPROSE as a full time Lead Youth Organizer and Co-Founded The Youth Justice Initiative. Frank has represented the UPROSE Organization on many occasions at National conferences and has served on Community Board 7 for the past two years. Frank is a recipient of a 2006 Young People For Fellowship award. Jae Watkins Environmental Justice Programs Coordinator Jae Watkins, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia joined the UPROSE team because she is dedicated to advocacy and action that ensures that all communities have a voice in the policies that affect their quality of life. She is an alumnus of Virginia Tech where she completed degrees in Sociology and History while concentrating on issues of social and environmental justice. She handles the organizations environmental justice programs. Elizabeth Yeampierre Executive Director Elizabeth was born, raised in New York City. Coming from a home, politically and spiritually grounded in Puerto Rican culture and African Ancestry she learned that the sacrifice and power of people who struggled to abrir camino should always be at the heart of all we do. Consequently as Executive Director of UPROSE, the oldest Latino community based organization in Brooklyn, Elizabeth works to build community power. In 1996, Elizabeth helped shift UPROSE's mission to organizing, advocacy and developing intergenerational, indigenous leadership through activism. Elizabeth was an instrumental part of the New York City environmental justice leadership responsible for getting New York State's first brownfield legislation passed. Elizabeth successfully organized a community wide coalition and is credited for facilitating the defeat of a 520 mega-watt power plant application in her community. Elizabeth developed a community based planning model to ensure that the UPROSE Greenway design is a community led greenway design. $8.4 million dollars have been allocated for the greenway and the waterfront park. She secured $1,000,000. for pollution reduction projects that are being shared and distributed throughout the community. Because supporting the New York City Environmental Justice movement is important, Elizabeth is a co-founder of CURE (Communities United for Responsible Energy) and OWN (Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods) and Co-Chair of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. She was also a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Energy. She received her BA in Political Science from Fordham University and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in the States of New York and New Jersey. Elizabeth C. Yeampierre received the 2004 National Latina Leadership Award from the National Foundation of Women Legislators and its affiliate, the National Council of La Raza, the country's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. Her other recent accolades include the 2003 Asian Americans for Equality's Dream of Equality Award and the Comite Noviembre Hispanic Heritage Award. Elizabeth lives, works, and plays in Brooklyn with her husband Eddie, and son, Rico.