Board of Directors

Mercedes Falk gravitated towards rural life when she started working on a farm on the weekends during her teaching career. She enjoys learning about all forms of agriculture and has a deep appreciation for the diversity that makes up our world. Since 2017, she has worked as an interpreter on various dairy farms in our area and has led groups on Puentes trips to Mexico. She has loved seeing the transformation that takes place when individuals take the time to see life from someone else’s perspective and begin to understand another on a deeper level.

Nora Lindstrom grew up on a dairy farm in rural Buffalo County and farms with her brothers on that same land. She feels that getting the opportunity to go to Mexico to learn about her employees’ families and lives has been life-changing for her. She loves being a farmer and believes strongly in the mission of Puentes.

Lori Miller was the director of the Women, Infants, and Children program in Buffalo and Pepin counties for fourteen years and now is a retired Dietitian. During this time, she made strong connections with dairy farm workers and helped increase cultural understanding in the counties. In addition to going on a Puentes trip several years ago, she gave presentations in her workplace about the experience. She is thrilled to be a part of the Puentes board.

Roberto Tecpile grew up in Astacinga in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. He has been working in the United States for 20 years and on dairy farms in Wisconsin for 10 years. He loves helping others and meeting new people. At his farm, he is a go-to fix-it guy. He has spoken about his experiences at the University of Minnesota, UW-River Falls, and UW-Eau Claire along with several different community groups in the Winona area.