At Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services, our staff brings expertise, compassion, and a deep commitment to serving children and families. With backgrounds in social work, counseling, and family support, they combine professional excellence with genuine care.
Norma A. Duque President & CEO
Norma Duque is an unapologetically proud Guatemalan woman and the Founder of Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services (NALCS), which she established in late 1994…
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Craig S. Lyman Vice President
Craig is currently a financial professional with over 30 years of experience evaluating insurance needs and has experience building and maintaining close client relationships…
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Julie Hefner Vice President
Julie Hefner joined the board of directors of NALCS in 2014. She enjoys volunteering at the children’s and family events as well as participating in events with the team at NALCS….
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Nani Thanawala Treasurer
Ms. Thanawala is currently retired after a distinguished career in finance, banking, and compliance. From January 2009 to June 2014, she served as a Director at ICS…
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Aida Khrimian Secretary
Aida Khrimian currently serves as an Administrator at New Sunrise Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), an organization established in July 2004 by her husband and a close family friend…
Read MoreNorma A. Duque President & CEO
Norma Duque is an unapologetically proud Guatemalan woman and the Founder of Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services (NALCS), which she established in late 1994. An immigrant and visionary leader, Ms. Duque earned both her Master’s degree in Psychology and her MBA from New York University. She brings more than 27 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, along with over 20 years in finance, auditing, and accounting.
During her tenure in the financial industry, Ms. Duque recognized a critical need to leverage her expertise to uplift marginalized Latinx youth. This realization became the catalyst for founding NALCS, an organization that has since grown into a state-recognized leader known for delivering high-quality, culturally responsive care. Under her leadership, both she and the organization have received numerous honors, including Woman of the Year and Best Non-Profit in California.
As an immigrant, mother, and Latina, Ms. Duque is deeply committed to the belief that every child deserves an equitable opportunity to succeed within the stability of a loving family. Her leadership is rooted in a vision for systemic change, championing equality, justice, and accountability both within NALCS and throughout the broader community. She is also a vocal critic of the nonprofit industrial complex and an advocate for pioneering, community-centered approaches to human services.
Ms. Duque has served on the Membership Committee of the California Alliance of Children and Families and has held leadership roles, including Treasurer of the Board for the California Association of Adoption Agencies (CAAA). She is also an active member of the Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA), the Association of Community Human Services Agencies (ACHSA), and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA).
In her free time, Ms. Duque enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, traveling, and watching movies. Above all, she cherishes spending time with her son Joshua, her newest family member Julian, and her daughter-in-law.
Craig S. Lyman Vice President
Craig is currently a financial professional with over 30 years of experience evaluating insurance needs and has experience building and maintaining close client relationships. Mr. Lyman has been involved with Nuevo Amanecer for over 16+ years. Mr. Lyman has supported Nuevo Amanecer, with fundraising and donating his time during all children events. Mr. Lyman enjoys interacting with employees and foster parents as well. Mr. Lyman enjoys spending time with family, friends and community events whenever possible.Mr. Lyman participates in community events on his free-time, and helps out whenever needed.
Julie Hefner Vice President
Julie Hefner joined the board of directors of NALCS in 2014. She enjoys volunteering at the children’s and family events as well as participating in events with the team at NALCS. Julie has been an active licensed REALTOR since 2001. She is dedicated to making the dream of home-ownership a reality and does so by providing her clients excellent real estate services with attention to detail. “The most rewarding aspect of real estate is witnessing the happiness of my clients with their family and friends in their new homes. Everyone deserves a home of their very own.”
Mrs. Hefner has been a resident of San Dimas since 1999 where she lives with her husband.When she is not working , Julie enjoys spending time with her husband and family includingher three beautiful grandchildren. Growing up Julie spent most of her time in a small town inMissouri. She was very close with her grandparents and spent much time with them on their small farm learning the value of hard work and family. Before Julie was born her mother and grandparents had callings in their hearts to be foster parents. Three siblings whom her grandparents fostered became forever family members and Julie has always known them as her aunt and uncles.
Diego Perez Vice President
Diego is originally from Quito, Ecuador, and immigrated to the United States at a young age. His formative years were spent in Manhattan Beach, where he built lasting memories as a young adult. In the early 1990s, he relocated to the San Fernando Valley to pursue professional opportunities and fulfill his passion for architecture.
With a career spanning more than 35 years, Diego is a seasoned architect who has made a significant impact on architectural design and construction across Los Angeles. His work encompasses a wide range of industry sectors, with a strong emphasis on the design and construction management of educational facilities, including schools and universities, a focus he has maintained for over two decades.
Diego places great importance on family values and cherishes time spent with his two grown children. He regularly visits family in Scottsdale, Arizona, reflecting his deep commitment to maintaining close family connections. An avid sports enthusiast, Diego is especially passionate about soccer and is a devoted supporter of FC Barcelona. In his leisure time, he enjoys architectural photography, particularly capturing historically significant landmarks, with a special appreciation for the simplicity and elegance of Mid-Century architecture.
Nani Thanawala Treasurer
Ms. Thanawala is currently retired after a distinguished career in finance, banking, and compliance. From January 2009 to June 2014, she served as a Director at ICS Consulting Partners, where she specialized in audit and compliance regulations.
Prior to that role, Ms. Thanawala spent 43 years working with numerous international banks, gaining extensive experience in financial and strategic planning, accounting, regulatory reporting, budgeting, compliance, financial policy development, operations, internal controls, and human resources. Throughout her career, she held several senior leadership positions, including Financial Controller, Vice President/Manager, and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services.
Ms. Thanawala holds a certification in Financial Management of Banking from the Wharton School and is also certified in Computer Information Systems. She completed coursework in finance, accounting, management, taxation, and information systems at Pace University in New York. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Sociology and Political Science.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Thanawala is deeply committed to community service and remains actively involved in several community-focused programs and activities.
Aida Khrimian Secretary
Aida Khrimian currently serves as an Administrator at New Sunrise Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), an organization established in July 2004 by her husband and a close family friend. In her role, Ms. Khrimian oversees a wide range of services provided to a diverse elderly population, supporting participants who require assistance to maintain or improve their functional abilities, including activities of daily living.
Ms. Khrimian brings a strong background in human resources and accounting to her leadership role. She previously served as Human Resources Manager at Nuevo Amanecer Latino Children’s Services from May 1997 to July 2004. In this capacity, she was responsible for recruiting and hiring staff; ensuring compliance with OSHA and state, county, and federal regulations; maintaining employee personnel records; processing payroll; administering retirement and health benefit plans; addressing and resolving employee grievances; assisting with state and county audits; supervising staff; and training supervisors.
Prior to her work in human resources, Ms. Khrimian held the position of Controller at Unlimited Petroleum Inc. There, she managed accounts payable and receivable, payroll operations, fuel purchasing and pricing coordination, banking transactions, and regulatory compliance. She also supervised a 25-member sales team and coordinated fuel deliveries with trucking companies.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Ms. Khrimian actively participates in community events and volunteers her time whenever needed. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from Yerevan University of Economics and Law in Yerevan, Armenia.