Meet the Team
Martie Garcia Vela
Chief Financial Officer
Martie Garcia Vela is a proud FRONTeras girl from Garciasville, Texas. Born and raised on the Texas-Mexico border, She is fluent in both Spanish and English and loves writing poetry and fiction. She has lived all over Texas, but nothing compares to the peace of her little farm—complete with sheep, chickens, ducks, dogs, and birds singing beside the border wall. She is a former prosecutor who fought for child victims and homicide cases, and now she serves as city attorney for several border communities. Martie is passionate about development, water rights, and defending civil liberties in both state and federal courts. She also serves on nonprofit boards, offering pro bono services whenever she can. She's a mom of two girls. She and her husband love fishing, growing vegetables, traveling, and competition BBQ.
Luke 12:48 says it best: To whom much is given, much is expected.
Maria Santos Salinas
Editor in Chief
Maria Santos Salinas, or Santitos to her friends, was born in Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas to parents from El Barrio-Aldamas, Nuevo León. Raised in Roma, Texas and she is a proud Roma High School Gladiator. She attended UT-PanAm in 1993, way before they slapped it with a new name. She got married, had two kids, and struck out. Got married again, had another baby, and somehow built a life that feels just right. Santitos is a political junkie, Pride and Prejudice devotee, and firm believer that Texas is both beautiful and broken. She's got 18 goats, 16 sheep, three kids that drive her crazy (one autistic, all brilliant), and a house full of love, opinions, and sarcasm. She is a citizen journalist that loves books, puzzles, and Kdramas. She's got $20 to her name and she's never felt richer.
“I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put ‘em.” – End Game by Taylor Swift
Janie Flores-Alvarez
Writer
Janie is a proud native of Starr County, born and raised in the community that continues to shape who she is today. Like many Latino migrants, she spent a significant part of her life in California while her family worked in the fields. Those years taught her the value of hard work, sacrifice, and staying grounded in faith and family—lessons that have stayed with her ever since.
She has been married to her husband for 20 years, and together they've built a life centered on love, resilience, and gratitude. They have a modern blended family and are the parents of five children—three grown sons and their 15-year-old twins, a boy and a girl—who continue to inspire them every day.
She counts her blessings daily: for her husband, her children, and the journey of life and home. It’s from this foundation of family, culture, and community that she shares her stories from.
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou
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