OUR TEAM
Leadership Team
Fredy Adame, Executive Director.
Effective May 1, 2026, Fredy Adame will begin serving as our Executive Director at the City of Children. For the past 10 years Fredy has served as the minister at the El Rosario Church of Christ. He has also served in leadership roles for Baja Missions coordinating youth events at Camp Baja and the annual lectureship for all the Baja churches. Fredy is known for his humility, servant leadership, love for children and families, strength of character, and strong faith.
His parents, Alfredo and Carmen, serve with the Maneadero Church of Christ, and Fredy will be happy to be closer to home. Fredy’s wife, Alicia, is a psychologist, and together they have made a strong impact on the church and community. They have two children, Micah (9) and Saul (7).
Fredy shared that, “I love children and I firmly believe that everyone deserves to grow up surrounded by love, care and emotional stability. I decided to serve in the orphanage because my vocation is to help, and together with my family we are convinced that we can contribute to a healthy environment where children feel safe and valued. We believe that no child should grow up without an environment that strengthens their heart, mind and hope.”
Diana Rosas, Director of Child and Family Services.
Diana has been part of our Leadership Team as the Assistant Director and Child Welfare Coordinator since the fall of 2024. From the beginning she has demonstrated a deep love for the home and faith in God as we faced many challenges. As she has hired new caretakers and welcomed children back, Diana has excelled not only in caring for the children at the home, but also in playing a key role in helping reunite families when safe and in the best interest of the child. She has a special gift for discerning the best care plan for each individual child. Now that we’re expanding our continuum of care to include family reintegration and support, we’ve promoted Diana to be our Director of Child and Family Services.
Diana is married to Adrian Palafox, our Recreation, Arts, and Learning Coordinator. They have two children, Matias (7) and Maya (4).
Diana says that she gains her strength through a promise that God fulfilled in her life: “‘Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me’ (Psalm 27:10). This Bible verse gives me hope that God’s unconditional love and faithfulness remain firm even if the strongest human bonds fail.”
Adrian Palafox, Learning, Arts, and Recreation Coordinator.
In addition to the seven years experience working with his wife Diana in children’s homes, Adrian has served three years as a youth and worship leader. He also holds a Bible college degree. Adrian’s favorite verse is Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Adrian will use his many talents to lead the Creative Arts and Learning Center programs, along with coordinating all the school, tutoring, and recreational programs.
Horacio Cota, Spiritual Development Coordinator.
Horacio returned to the City of Children earlier this year to serve as a campus minister, and will now join the leadership team as the Spiritual Development coordinator for all the children and staff. Horacio first came to the City of Children when he was nine-years-old, and fondly remembers his baptism two years later by “Papá Gordo.”
For the past nine years, Horacio has served as a preacher and also as a teacher at various Bible institutes such as Tijuana Escuela de Predicacion (TEP) and Instituto Biblico Alumbrador Cristiano (IBEAC). Now full-time at the CIty of Children, Horacio continues to teach online at these institutes some evenings. He received his degrees from the Sunset International Bible Institute and the School of Preaching in Monterey. We are blessed to have someone with such extensive training and a heart for ministry. Horacio is married to Aholibama who works for Baja Missions.
Lissandra Nieto, Communication and Visitors Coordinator.
Although she didn’t technically grow up at the City of Children, Lissandra has a deep history with us. She shares, “I was born in the city of Ensenada and basically grew up in Ciudad de Niños because my mom grew up and worked here, which is why Ciudad de Niños is like a home for me and the children who are part of my family. I have many memories of being a little girl in this place thanks to God and my two grandparents that life has given me, Papá Gordo and Mamá Carolina.”
Lissandra practically already works at the City of Children, coordinating group projects with Baja Missions. We are grateful that her new full-time role will help us strengthen this partnership. Lissandra has a degree in Graphic Design, and has been working for Baja Missions for the past seven years. She will continue many of the same roles at the City of Children in the areas of communication and visiting group coordination, but also will help strengthen our sponsorship program.Most importantly, she will bring her love for the children and her passion to help make the City of Children a place “full of joy where the love of God is an example for all children to see and experience.” She has one child, Alexander (3)
U.S Operations
Ozzy Barrera, Director of Development and
Church Relations.
Finally, we are pleased to announce that effective April 27, 2026, Ozzy Barrera will begin serving in a new position, focused on strengthening donor engagement, church partnerships, and long-term sustainability.
Ozzy will continue to live in Elgin, Illinois where he is active in the Iglesia de Cristo (Church of Christ) and has led many trips to the City of Children over the past 15 years. His professional career has been in sales and employee leave programs where he has a proven track record in relationship building, communication, and process improvement. Ozzy is bilingual in Spanish and English. He and his wife, Levit, have two children, Meili (5) and Ovel (4).
Ozzy shared that, “There are numerous reasons that excite me to assume this role at the City of Children. However, the most compelling reason is the opportunity to serve as a conduit between two groups of individuals. Individuals who are eager to extend God’s love and contribute to a noble cause with those who are the most vulnerable members of society. In this blessed process, we are privileged to recognize that all things come from above and that we receive far more than we could ever offer in return.”
Board Members
Terry Bumpus
Brian Lea
Mark Davis
Lisa Bennett
Jeff Fincher
Beth Whitman
Lorely Montaño
David Skidmore
Contact: Board@cityofchildren.com