Nelly has lived in Steamboat Springs for 17 years, originally from Peru. Initially, she managed a couple of local restaurants and then began working with the Yampa Valley’s immigrant community. Through her years of work with Northwest Colorado Health (former VNA) as a professional medical interpreter and care coordinator and also by working for our local hospital UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center where she also worked as a medical professional interpreter and advocate for the immigrant community she quickly learned what the needs in our community are. Being an immigrant herself, she understands the challenges and hardships that people face when starting a new life in a foreign country. Personally accomplishing the process to obtain U.S. citizenship has given her invaluable experience in immigrants’ rights and the processes and statutes associated with gaining citizenship. She is able to share her experiences with those who are tackling the same obstacles she did. This has established a strong connection and bond of trust between her and the immigrant community. Nelly attended Ricardo Palma University, a highly esteemed institution of learning in her home country, obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpretation where she learned multiple languages as well as how to teach and translate those languages. She is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in French and has some basic Italian knowledge. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree she worked as an intern at the USA embassy in her home country where she was able to use and improve her language skills.

Nelly also got her ESL (English as a Second Language for teachers) certification in Peru and worked as an English and French teacher in a couple of public and private schools. She is truly passionate about working with immigrants in our community and she actively strives to help them reach higher standards of living. She is dedicated to advocating for their rights as active members of our community and country.

Nelly serves on several Boards and acts as an advocate for those in need. Some Boards and committees include: UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, Latinx Alliance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Human Resource Coalition among other initiatives.

She is participating in the Energize, Develop & Grow program with Alpine Bank.  She has completed and passed the 40-hour Immigration Training which is the first step to become accredited under the Department of Justice to better serve our clients with immigration needs as a non-attorney.
She was also recently nominated to the “20 under 40” award for all the work she has done in our community as well as the 2021 Latinx Emerging leader by the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado.