executive Director
Lily Pabian joined We Love Buford Highway in 2019 as the agency’s executive director, bringing her over 30 years of experiences of developing a portfolio of skills within nonprofit, consultancy, and corporate sectors (B2B, B2C). When asked why she loves the Buford Highway corridor, her answer is grassroots, “because it was our family’s first home.” Pabian was a resident in an apartment complex right off the highway. “Buford Highway was my family’s first home in Atlanta. It’s where I learned to speak English, became a citizen, and where I had my first taste of foods and knowledge of other cultures,” says Pabian. “I’ve lived all over Atlanta, but my roots are here. I get a visceral sense of belonging. Buford Highway is thriving and constantly changing. People need to know about it, and I have a strong sense to both protect it and educate about how unique, vibrant, and special this place truly is and what it means for immigrant communities.”
A wife and mother of three young adults, Pabian served as a member of Fulton County’s School Governance Council and was a recipient of GADOE’s 2017 Parent Leadership Award. In 2021 and 2022, Pabian was recognized as Georgia Asian Times’ 25 Most Influential Asian Americans, was an honoree for the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, recognized as ABC’s Power 100: Atlanta’s Most Influential Advocates, and most recently Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders and named Asian American Advancing Justice’s Rising Star Award recipient. Pabian is a graduate of Georgia State University where she studied journalism and cultural anthropology.
Ni Hao: Lily@welovebuhi.org
Personal Tagline: Genuineness and Kindness Builds Trust and Fosters Relationships
Program & Communications Manager
As a Mexican-American first-generation college graduate born and raised in the Buford Highway corridor of Metro Atlanta, Delia has always been passionate about working within the community and for the community. From a very young age, her parents instilled in her the drive to achieve everything she put her mind to. While attending Cross Keys High School, she became involved in after-school programs in a local community-based non-profit in Chamblee that served low-income immigrant and minoritized youth. Eventually, becoming the site manager and helped facilitate youth programs that encouraged the students involved to become agents of change within their community. To continue growing and developing in her professional career, Delia transitioned away from youth programming and began focusing solely on community health education within the organization's Health Department. As a community outreach coordinator, she led health fairs that provided free or low-cost basic health screenings. She also conducted free HIV testing for the immediate Hispanics and Latinos in the service area and educated the community on ways to take control of their health. Through this work, she also developed media relations skills that allowed the organization to communicate its health messages in a culturally responsive and accurate way to the Spanish-speaking community it served.
Hola: Delia.Mendez@welovebuhi.org
Personal Tagline: Move forward. Great things are up ahead.
Photo Credit: Eric Sun Photography
Director of Buford Highway Orchestra
Juana P. Alzaga began her teaching career in 1978, when she established the orchestra programs at Miami Edison MS and HS in Miami, Florida. In 1985, she joined the Gwinnett County Schools orchestra faculty, developing the orchestra programs at Pinckneyville MS, Summerour MS, and Norcross HS. From 1988-1994, Alzaga conducted the Gwinnett County Festival Orchestra (Kendall Orchestra). She further developed in 1992 the first distance learning class and Spanish for Spanish Speakers in Gwinnett County Schools. Trained as a violinist and orchestra conductor, Mrs. Alzaga was selected to the North Carolina Conductor’s Institute Discovery Program under the direction of Donald Portnoy and Harold Faberman. She further her conducting studies at the Julliard Conductor’s Institute in New York during the summer of 2013. She has served as guest conductor for the Fulton County Honor Orchestra, and Gwinnett County Tapestry Festival, and is a sought-after clinician/adjudicator. After her retirement in 2012, Alzaga found her second calling: being a parent advocate for Latino students and parents. In 2017, she founded the Latino Engagement and Diversity (L.E.A.D.) at Chamblee Charter High School, promoting engagement and education between community and school.
Hola: Juana.Alzaga@welovebuhi.org
Personal Tagline: Music Opens Your Soul and Mind
Photo Credit: Arvin Temkar
communications assistant
Gabriela Juarez Claro, is a first generation Latina. She grew up in Marietta, Georgia and is the oldest of 3 siblings. Her roots come from Mexico where her parents grew up and is proud of her Mexican decent. She attended Georgia State University for her bachelor’s in psychology and University of Georgia for her master’s in social work with a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership and Management. She has been very involved in Buford Hwy since she was in high school; from volunteering to becoming a mentor and then serving the community in Buford Hwy post-graduation. Gabriela thanks Buford Hwy for becoming a part of her journey and professional career. She is a passionate about helping the community and has a unique perspective to the STEM industry. With a proven track record in recruitment, team leadership, and community engagement, she is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she leverages her expertise in program management, public speaking, and research to drive meaningful change and foster collaboration within the community. Gabriela has been working for Emory University as a Clinical Research Coordinator for about 4 years helping advance healthcare for the underrepresented and minority community in Georgia. On her spare time Gabriela loves to spend time with her husband, her son and her family. She loves the outdoors, meditation, and going on adventures. Her dream is to one day go to Europe and travel all over the world.
Hola: gabriela@welovebuhi.org
Personal Tagline: No matter the challenges we face in our life, embrace them and never lose faith and hope and a generous heart who live and breathes with a timeless love.
administrative assistant
Rahwa Hussein's journey embodies resilience and a deep-seated dedication to community empowerment. A proud first-generation Eritrean/ Ethiopian- American from the Bronx, NY, Rahwa is the first in her family to graduate college, having earned a bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in early childhood education from Lehman College. Her career began with a noble mission at HelpUSA, where she educated children from sheltered families, embodying the spirit of service from the start. Transitioning into a role aimed at preventing homelessness, Rahwa then honed her skills in community outreach, ultimately leading her to become a family outreach coordinator. In this capacity, she was instrumental in connecting families with essential resources, enhancing program outreach through strategic social media and donor communications, and empowering parents through specialized workshops.
The pandemic's shift to remote work coincided with a personal move to Atlanta, marking a new chapter in her life. It was during this time that Rahwa ventured into UX design, merging her passion for inclusivity with her keen interest in technology. Today, as a freelance UX designer, she is dedicated to making digital spaces more accessible, ensuring that websites and apps cater to the needs of often overlooked communities. Rahwa's journey from the classrooms of New York to the digital realm reflects her unwavering dedication to enriching and empowering communities through her work.
Hālo: rahwa@welovebuhi.org
Personal Tagline - Lead with Empathy: The Path to Greatness is Paved with Understanding.
