Tomas Margain, Board Member-Chair

Tomas E. Margain was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States when he was eight. He has practiced law in California since 1997. He began his legal career representing Labor Unions and, after three years, opened his law firm representing primarily service and construction workers in wage theft litigation. Most of his clients are recent immigrants to this Country who are exploited based on factors that can include their immigration status and, ironically, their loyalty to employers who take advantage of their hard work and desire to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Tomas is the current Board President of SIREN and has been a Board Member since 2014. He is married and has a daughter who is in high school. 

Richard G. Konda, Board Member-Treasurer

Richard G. Konda is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He attended law school at Santa Clara University, graduating in 1978, and has worked at the Asian Law Alliance (ALA) since graduating from law school. He was one of the founding members of ALA. 

Richard Konda actively participated in the movement to obtain redress and reparations for Japanese Americans incarcerated by the U.S. government during World War II. He was one of the founding board members of SIREN. 

After the tragic police shooting of Trần Thị Bích Câu on July 13, 2003, Konda actively advocated for justice for the Tran family. He facilitated the formation of the Coalition for Justice and Accountability, which continues to support humane police practices.  Konda has been the Executive Director of ALA since 1994. 

Mirna Henriquez, Board Member-Secretary

Mirna Henriquez, a dedicated community organizer, is passionate about advocating for immigrant and workers' rights. Born and raised in El Salvador, she is committed to positively impacting immigrant communities in San Jose, CA. Mirna found her calling as an immigrant rights advocate during her college years. She actively collaborated with other South Bay organizations, including SIREN, to lead campaigns supporting and protecting immigrants' rights. This experience shaped her commitment to social justice and inspired her to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Mirna graduated from San Jose State with a bachelor's degree in business management and has over five years of public service experience. Outside of work, Mirna enjoys spending quality time with her family, gardening, and long walks with her dog. 

Rebecca Armendariz, Board Member

Rebeca Armendariz is a native of Gilroy, a mother, and a labor/community organizer. She is currently the Director of Movement Building for Working Partnerships USA/Silicon Valley Rising and is a member of the Gilroy City Council.

Ruth Silver-Taube, Board Member

Ruth Silver Taube is Supervising Attorney of the Worker=s Rights Practice at the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center at Santa Clara University School of Law and the Santa Clara County OLSE Legal Advice Line, Coordinator of the Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition, and a founding member of the Bay Area Equal Pay Collaborative. She was a journeyperson machinist, President of the IAM Local 547 and Field Representative for SEIU Local 535. After law school she clerked for District Court Judge Ronald M. Whyte and worked at the EBOC and the Law Office of Silver & Taube. She has received the Overall Wonder Woman Award from the Santa Clara County Office of the Status of Women and awards from CAIR, the Santa Clara and California Bar, the Filipino and Vietnamese American Bar of Northern California, Freedom Network, Ind the Silicon Valley/San Jose NAACP.

Felwina Opiso-Mondina, Board Member

FELWINA OPISO-MONDINA is an employment lawyer living in Santa Clara County with her husband and 2 children. She migrated from the Philippines in 2013 where she had been working as a Court Attorney in the Philippine Court of Appeals-Mindanao for almost six years. She finished her Masters of Law at Santa Clara University in 2016, passed the California Bar and was admitted to the State Bar of California. Currently a member of the Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS), Falwina works with Filipino workers and immigrants, particularly caregivers working in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (REs), nursing/assisted living facilities and for home care agencies who have wage theft, labor trafficking and immigration issues. In addition, she participates in the Employment Law Clinic of the Katharine and George Alexander Law Center and is also part of the Santa Clara County OLSE Advice Line. She speaks fluent Tagalog and Visayan. 

Huong Nguyễn, Board Member

Huong Nguyen spent 15 years in the non-profit realm, working at various points with youth, seniors, families, and even Congress. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from San Jose State University and a master's degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Human Resources from Southern New Hampshire University. She currently works in the private sector and enjoys working out, spending time with loved ones, and love having random adventures.