Sandra M. Duque
President-Founder
Sandra M. Duque works for Ironshore Pharmaceuticals as an ADHD Specialist. Her job is to visit Pediatricians, Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrists and Pediatric Neurologists and explain the safety and efficacy of the product she represents. She has been in the pharmaceutical industry over 17 years. Prior to being in the Pharma Industry, she worked for Black & Decker and Dewalt Power tools as a sales representative and Territory Manager. Sandra came from Bogota, Colombia to the US on a Tennis Scholarship at University of Texas, San Antonio and got her Bachelors Degree in Marketing and Minor in Business Administration. She has a deep rooted passion to help others which comes from the HEART, and is with those principles that she started what today is Mission of the Heart.
Evelyn Quintero
Vice President
Evelyn comes to Mission of the Heart with a Passion to help others that words cannot describe. Evelyn was born in Leticia Colombia and is mother of Valery Luna. At a young age her family moved to Cali. She discovered that she loved being surrounded by people and had the ability to make friends easily. She is outgoing, hard worker and what she sets her mind to do, she will do it. In 1995 her parents moved to the United States to live the American Dream. She studied english and went to high-school upon arrival to the US. Later on Evelyn decided to enter a beauty pageant contest and win the contest. Winning this contest, opened her a lot of doors in that industry. She studied Journalism and was part of Marin and Sons, where she worked on political campaigns such as Ilana Ros-Lehtinen, FIU, Inter Miami CF Stadium and the current Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez. This experience gave her the opportunity to establish great business and personal relationships within the community and learn and work with different cultures.
Today she owns 4 ECO car wash locations called First Class Detail Carwash, and is the owner of a commercial cleaning company called First Class Cleaning Services. Her passion to work non stop and helping others, has made her who she is today.
Jennifer Shyu MD, L.Ac
Director
Born in Cali, Colombia, Jennifer was always taught that the most important people were priests, politicians and doctors. But growing up in an unsafe third world, where she witnessed many situations, she quickly realized that being a doctor could help her provide aid and assistance to those in need.
While attending medical school in Colombia, she learned how to love this career, but the most important thing was the valued of patients trust in you by giving their lives to somebody they believe. This was the way she understood about responsibility, kindness, compassion and how sometimes patients thank you even if it was just offering a shoulder to cry.
Deirdre Nero
Secretary
Deirdre Nero is an Immigration & Nationality Law Attorney in private practice with her own firm, NERO Immigration Law, P.L. located in Coral Gables. Originally from New Jersey, Deirdre has lived in Florida for over 20 years. She earned a Bachelors Degree from Florida State University in Communication Studies and Spanish in 1999. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from FSU, Deirdre moved to Spain and worked as an English teacher for a year. Upon returning to Florida, Deirdre attended the University of Miami School of Law, where she graduated with honors in 2003 and passed the Florida Bar. Ms. Nero started her own law practice, NERO Immigration Law, P.L., in 2009 after having spent several years as an Immigration & Nationality Lawyer in two large law firms also in Coral Gables (Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. and Fragomen, del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP).
Deirdre’s practice focuses on all types of business immigration including employment based immigrant (permanent residency) and nonimmigrant (temporary) visa petitions, and related business immigration matters. She also routinely handles family immigration matters and naturalizations. Ms. Nero works closely with small and medium companies and individual clients to personally coordinate and execute all aspects of the client’s Immigration strategy and represent them in front of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of State.
Deirdre has been actively involved and held leadership positions in many local organizations, such as the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, The Beacon Council, the Organization for Women in International Trade, and BNI Miami-Dade. She also frequently writes and lectures on Immigration Law and other topics, such as Alopecia Areata.
Deirdre serves as an advocate and Legislative Liaison for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) and frequently travels to Washington, DC to advocate on that organization’s behalf. She is also the co-founder, with her sister Aria, of a jewelry line called B.A.L.D., which raises awareness for Alopecia Areata and donates a portion of profits to alopecia related charities.
Deirdre is a Certified Spinning® Instructor by Madd Dog Athletics and is Certified in CPR/AED. She teaches Spinning® classes four times a week at Red Zone Fitness and at the University of Miami Herbert Wellness Center, both located in Coral Gables, FL.
Isabella Alycia Thomas
Treasurer
Isabella Alycia Thomas is a Miami native and attended Palmer Trinity School for High School prior to taking the leap of studying out of state. She currently attends Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts and is completing her Bachelors in Finance.
Isabella is the CEO and Founder of the Isabella Alycia Foundation which aids the younger generation of Miami. It’s ultimate goal is to disrupt the cycle of poverty in inner city Miami, and give back to her beloved city. The IA Foundation secured a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami in early 2020. Isabella also has a leadership role in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Impact Circle.
When Isabella is not studying at school she is interning at CGI Merchant Group where she expands her horizons in the private equity and real estate industry. At 19 years old, Isabella is a licensed real estate agent and sales associate. However, her passion remains with the charitable work she can do in Miami and worldwide.
The next step in her philanthropic journey is Mission of the Heart. From having her own Foundation and attending Business school, she is determined to dominate her role as Mission of the Heart’s Treasurer.