PWNCR’s 2026-2028 Board of Directors
About Us
Vanessa Saenz
President
Vanessa Saenz is a corporate lawyer specializing in business, real estate, compliance, and risk management. She has extensive experience in various legal areas including corporate, contractual, intellectual property, labor, tax, and migration law.
Vanessa provides legal assistance in real estate investments and offers translation and interpretation services in English and Spanish for legal and medical documents. She is also involved in business ethics, social responsibility, and project leadership.
Rommy M. Herrera
Vice President
Rommy M. Herrera, MBA, Intl. Mgmt., serves as the Vice President of the PWNCR. Rommy has a natural gift for making everyone feel welcome and confident that they are in the right place. She is always ready to answer questions, support members, and ensure a positive experience within the organization.
Working closely with the President, Rommy also oversees our network and excels and making sure that operations are running smoothly. Rommy’s warmth, professionalism, and natural charisma help members feel comfortable.
Monika Estrada
Treasurer
Monika is an Industrial Engineer with a Master’s degree in Finance from Louisiana State University and has 18 years of corporate experience at Intel in a combination of Finance and Human Resources roles. Monika is also highly trained in leadership and personal development: she holds a Master’s certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, is an ACC Certified Executive Coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Hudson Coaching Institute, and is a certified instructor in HeartMath, Mindfulness, and Meditation.
Monika has 2 boys, with whom she loves to spend time with. She loves natures, yoga, and outdoor hiking. In her free time she likes to read mystery novels.
Monika is our new Treasurer and brings wonderful energy, professionalism, and a strong willingness to collaborate and work as part of a team.
Lauretta Nkwocha
Secretary
Lauretta Nkwocha is a British-born Nigerian who lived in New York for 20 years! She is a British and American Citizen, a wife, a mother to 2 young children, an entertainer, and an entrepreneur.
Her work as a professional performer ranges from several TV shows for the BBC, to singing and dancing on London’s West End stage; from playing Lady Macbeth in theaters across the UK with the English Shakespeare Company, to playing an American on America’s longest running CBS soap “As The World Turns”; from discussing vocal techniques in London with the legendary Luther Vandross, to singing for former Real Housewives of New York City cast member, Bethenny Frankel!
As an entrepreneur, Lauretta makes and sells her own brand of wellness beverages currently relaunching in her new country of residence, Costa Rica. Lauretta’s British GingerT has a special blend of ingredients, and is packed with immune boosting power that has enabled Lauretta to live a life free of colds and/or flu since 2014!
Lauretta believes that “healthy habits + fun and frolics = a balanced life!”
Phylliss Crist
Founding Member and Vocal 1
Phylliss is a Founding Member and serves as Vocal of the association, acting as the voice and connection between the leadership team and the broader membership. Her extensive experience and unwavering commitment have helped shape the organization’s foundation and ongoing development.
In her role, Phylliss represents the perspectives of members, ensuring their ideas, needs, and feedback are heard and considered in organizational decisions. Through her guidance and engagement with the community, she helps strengthen collaboration and keeps the leadership aligned with the vision, interests, and growth of the entire membership.
Sarah Joy Staude
Vocal 2
Sarah Joy is an enterprising professional with over 25 years of experience in student exchange and travel. She is an international travel consultant and the owner of Boyero Travel in Costa Rica, specializing in ecological and rural tourism.
Having previously served the organization as President and Vice President, Sarah brings deep institutional knowledge and a long-standing commitment to strengthening the community. In her role as Vocal, she serves as a bridge between the Board of Directors and the broader membership, ensuring that members’ perspectives, ideas, and needs are represented. Passionate about project management within PWNCR, she is dedicated to fostering connection, collaboration, and opportunities that support women in their professional growth.
Victoria Flores Mora
Fiscal
Victoria “Vity” Flores Mora is an Industrial Engineer and graduate of the University of Costa Rica with more than 26 years of global leadership experience in operations, finance, supply chain, logistics, and organizational transformation. She currently serves as Logistics and Operations Shared Services Manager at Lutron Electronics, following a distinguished career at Intel, where she held several senior leadership positions across multiple business functions.
Passionate about developing people and fostering continuous improvement, Vity has been an active mentor to women of all ages and backgrounds since 2011, helping them grow personally and professionally. She is deeply committed to empowering others and creating opportunities for future generations of leaders.
Outside of her professional life, Vity is a proud mother of two teenagers and enjoys spending time with her family, experimenting with new recipes, gardening, and gathering with friends and loved ones.
As our Fiscal, Vity brings strategic vision, operational excellence, financial stewardship, and a collaborative leadership style to the Board. She is dedicated to strengthening our professional community and advancing opportunities for women to thrive and lead.
A few of the tasks/positions where we are currently seeking new volunteers include:
- Social Media Manager
- Newsletter Coordinator
- Speaker Coordinator
- Events Coordinator
- Videographer/Photographer with experience streaming on YouTube
- Blogger