Staff and Board

Sarah Dingivan

Executive Director

Sarah joined SALSA, then CJP, in 2017 as its first Managing Attorney before she was selected as SALSA’s Executive Director in December 2019. Sarah previously spent six years on active duty with the United States Air Force as a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, where she represented the Air Force, active duty service members, and retirees on topics ranging from civil legal assistance to criminal law.

Although she now calls San Antonio home, Sarah is originally from Mobile, Alabama. Sarah attended college and law school at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she developed her desire to pursue public interest legal work. Sarah is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a recipient of the Emory University 40 under 40 Award, San Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40 Award, and the San Antonio Bar Association’s President’s Award.

Whitney Thomas

Managing Attorney

Whitney joined SALSA as Interim Managing Attorney in 2023. She joins with legal experience in the practice areas of estate planning, probate, and guardianship. In addition to private practice, she has previously served in the role as Outreach Attorney for the San Antonio Bar Association.

Whitney is a proud graduate of Hampton University and Southern University Law Center. During her final year in law school, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Race, Gender, and Poverty. She has been named as one of San Antonio’s Outstanding Women in Law for the past two years and a 2023 Rising Star S.A. Lawyer by Scene in S.A. magazine. In 2023, Whitney was awarded the Future Legend Award by the San Antonio Black Lawyers Association.

Whitney is an active leader of her local and national legal community. Locally, she serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Bexar County Women’s Bar Association & Foundation, Committee Chair for the Lawyer Referral Service and Vice-Chair of the Technology Section for the San Antonio Bar Association, a 2023 Class member of the L.E.A.D. Academy of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Foundation and she is an active member of the San Antonio Black Lawyers Association and the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association. Nationally, Whitney serves as a member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Service. 

Kristen Adams

Staff Attorney – Housing & Homelessness

Kristen, a self-proclaimed underdog and lover of people, leads SALSA’s Housing and Homelessness Program. Prior to joining SALSA, Kristen worked at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) in both Laredo and San Antonio. During her time at TRLA, Kristen worked on cases including farmworker litigation, environmental law, and civil rights.  

A graduate of St. Edward’s University and St. Mary’s University School of Law, Kristen always knew that no matter what she did—she wanted to help others. She served as a Staff Writer and then on the Editorial board of The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice. A first-generation attorney, Kristen’s experience on The Scholar encouraged her to pursue a career in public interest law and she hasn’t looked back since. Kristen is eager to collaborate with her colleagues, San Antonio’s private bar, and SALSA’s valuable community partners to provide legal assistance and resources to individuals experiencing or facing housing instability in San Antonio.

Joe A. Pina

Staff Attorney – Veterans Program

Joe Pina is a Staff Attorney with SALSA’s Veterans Legal Services Program. Joe has more than 34 years of legal experience. His areas of practice range from Family, Civil and Criminal, to Military and Real Estate Law.

As a retired Army Major with experience in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and as an active participant in the Veteran’s Treatment Court (VTC) of Bexar County, Joe has the insight and understanding necessary, to assists our Nation’s veterans in the legal affairs of civilian life.

A proud local boy, Joe attended Harlandale High School and St. Mary’s University, before receiving his law degree from University of Texas in 1985.

Todd Tagami

Staff Attorney – Veterans Program

Todd Tagami is a Staff Attorney with SALSA’s Veterans Legal Services program. Todd, an El Paso native, spent 20 years in the U.S. Army as an enlisted infantryman prior to attending law school. He completed his undergraduate degree while on active duty at American Military University and in 2018 retired from the Army. He earned his J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2021, earning a Pro Bono and Public Service Certificate for his extra-curricular activities.

As a retired Sergeant First Class and former platoon sergeant, Todd believes in taking care of service members and works to ensure our nation’s veterans receive the benefits they earned. His role as a Staff Attorney for the SALSA Veterans’ Benefits program allows him to serve the veteran population and their families.

Tashawna Taylor-Hall

Pro Bono Coordinator

Tashawna Taylor-Hall is a pro bono coordinator with SALSA’s Veterans Legal Services program. Tashawna joined our team in 2018 and has been the backbone of the program during our transition to a full-service pro bono organization. Tashawna has over five years experience exclusively working with underserved residents in Texas, beginning her pro bono services career with Houston Volunteer Lawyers.

Tashawna takes pride in helping veterans, as she comes from a military family. She completed the University of the Incarnate Word Paralegal Certificate Course in 2020.

Miranda McCardle

Communications & Outreach Manager

Miranda McCardle is SALSA’s Communications & Outreach Manager. She earned her BA in Marketing at University of the Incarnate Word. Her upbringing in San Antonio impassioned her to give back to her community by empowering artists, small businesses, and non-profits through her marketing and digital design capability.

She has over seven years of legal experience from working as a legal assistant and business manager in a small law firm. Miranda aims to use her multifaceted skill set to help facilitate SALSA’s rapid growth and commitment to closing the justice gap though creating connections to vital legal resources for those in need.

Clarissa Galindo

Pro Bono Coordinator

Clarissa Galindo is a pro bono coordinator with SALSA’s Housing & Homelessness program. Clarissa earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication-Public Relations from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She is originally from the Rio Grande Valley but has made San Antonio her home and has close to ten years of experience in non-profit organizing.

Her background and work in non-profit and government have fueled her passion for working towards an equitable future for her community. Through her work, she has experience in organizing to help impact communities in a positive and meaningful way.

Alison M. Guillemette

Pro Bono Coordinator

Alison is a pro bono coordinator with SALSA’s Estates & Disabilities program. Alison graduated from Texas A&M University – College Station in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Like many who call Military City home, her family history was shaped by the diversity and experience of growing up as a child of the military. She has 9 years of experience working with legal practices & non-profits in San Antonio; including over 2 years as a Pro Bono Coordinator for SALSA.

Alison is passionate about giving back to the community through her work with estate planning & disability assistance services. She looks forward to the services that SALSA is able to provide to people receiving assistance from The Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland.

Robert Mihara

Staff Attorney – Estates & Disability

Robert is a staff attorney and legal fellow with SALSA’s Housing and Homelessness Program. Bob began in the legal profession as a solo practitioner in elder law, specializing in special needs planning.  As a law student, he participated broadly in indigent legal work, representing clients in eviction cases at St. Mary’s Center for Legal and Social Justice and interning with both the Public Defender Service for D.C. and the Federal Public Defender office in San Antonio.

Before entering the legal profession, Bob served in the US Army for twenty years, before retiring in 2019 as a lieutenant colonel. He is a graduate of West Point, Texas A&M University, and St. Mary’s University School of Law. In 2020, he was selected as Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation for his commitment to giving a voice to the disenfranchised as well as his record of accomplishment. He is a member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Casey Dunn

Legal Fellow – Housing & Homelessness

Casey is a legal fellow with SALSA’s Housing and Homelessness Program. Casey went to St. Mary’s University for her Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary’s University School of Law. Casey graduated with a Pro Bono and Public Service Award in recognition of her commitment to justice and outstanding pro bono service in the community.

Although Casey grew up in a small town in Michigan, San Antonio has become her home. Casey is excited to be a part of SALSA and serve the San Antonio community.

Mónica Palma

Legal Fellow / Staff Attorney – Estates & Disability

Mónica Palma, SALSA’s first Equal Justice Works Fellow, leads the legal home at the Multi-Assistance Center (MAC) at Morgan’s Wonderland. Mónica is a proud Colombian-American and grew up in Connecticut. Mónica attended the University of Hartford for undergrad majoring in special education, prior to teaching in public, private, and charter schools. Mónica later earned her Master of Education at Texas State University where she graduated with a concentration in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Mónica obtained her board certification in behavior analysis and as a BCBA served as the director of clinical operations for an ABA clinic in San Antonio, TX. Mónica then decided to pursue a law degree so that she could better serve the special needs community she loves. Mónica graduated in May of 2023 from St. Mary’s University School of Law earning the Dean’s Award, Adele Advocate for the Poor Award, and the Catherine Stone Rock of Justice Award. Mónica is on the Board of Directors of Mission Alpha Advocacy (MAA), a non-profit advocating for world class healthcare for military families.  

Mónica is thrilled through Equal Justice Works and the sponsorship of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation (TAJF) to be leveraging the collective-impact model to provide effective legal services and education to the special needs community at the MAC at Morgan’s Wonderland.