Yvanna Cancela is the political director at UNITE HERE’s Local 226, the Culinary Workers Union. The Culinary represents 55,000 casino workers on the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. In her role, Yvanna develops the political training, strategy, and mobilization programs for members.

Yvanna’s work has focused on community involvement and political mobilization. In 2014, Yvanna was named a White House Champion of Change for her work in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Prior to her work at the union, Yvanna moved to Las Vegas to work as a field organizer for Senator Harry Reid’s re-election campaign in 2010.

Yvanna has dedicated herself to ensuring workers have a strong voice on the job and in their communities. She believes all jobs should give people the opportunity to provide for their families and themselves. Yvanna graduated from Northwestern University in 2010 with a degree in communication studies.