Our Team

United States Offices

Candace O’Brien, Esquire
Executive Director
CandaceO’Brien is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois. Candace spent many years as an attorney and corporate executive overseas. Candace has worked in the field of international and domestic adoption for over 10 years and she is passionate about helping people regardless of gender, religion, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation to build families. Candace believes that surrogacy provides a fantastic solution for many families who increasingly face barriers in international and domestic adoption Candace brings her passion, knowledge, commitment to excellence and integrity to surrogacy as does the entire team at Advocates for Surrogacy.

Esther Rodriguez
Director of Client Services
Esther has been the Office Manager at AdoptInternational for the past three years. She became fascinated with adoptions when she adopted 2 boys 15 years ago and has pursued a career in helping others achieve their dream of creating a family. She brings with her an Associates Degree in Business Management and over 15 years of Business Management experience. She is also a current member of Phi Theta Kappa and is currently pursuing a Degree in Law.

Dr. Robert Hernandez
Psychological Care
Dr. Robert B. Hernandez is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with eleven years of clinical experience dealing with children and families. His expertise combined with his ability to evaluate and assess not only the functioning of clients served, but to establish a warm rapport and connection that is indispensable in his practice.

KarenChristensen,R.N.,B.S.N.,T.N.S.
Medical Consultant
Karen is a registered nurse with a bachelors of science in nursing. Her career is concentrated in critical care with a specialization in trauma nursing. She has a vast experience with critical care patients, working all over the country from community based hospitals to top ten hospitals in the nation. Not only does she have experience in the United States, she has worked in clinics in Bolivia and Guatemala as a medical missionary. Karen is committed to providing compassionate care to all.

Bobbi Butler
Case Manager
Bobbi has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Special Education. Bobbi is the mother of 2 daughters and 1 son whom she adopted from Guatemala. She is passionate about using her education and experience to help form forever families. Bobbi works with surrogates, egg donors and intended parents in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Pennsylvania.

Guatemala Surrogacy Program Team

Miriam Monterroso, Esquire
Legal Counsel, Guatemala Office
Miriam Monterroso is a very well respected Guatemalan lawyer in the adoption field. Ms. Monterroso completed hundreds of adoptions. She is very knowledgeable of the law and knows the inns and outs of governmental offices in Guatemala. Ms. Monterroso developed one of the most successful adoption programs in Guatemala, whose team of dedicated professionals who will continue their work for our surrogacy program. Ms. Monterroso is also a very well known environmentalist around the world, she is presently the Executive Director of one the most successful wildlife preservation and advocacy organization in Latin America that includes a wildlife rescue center in the northern part of Guatemala, where her organization hosts more than 500 different animals to be released back into the wild, and she also manages the most successful turtle hatchery in the Pacific Coast of Guatemala.

Liliana Lainfiesta,
Director of Psychological Care Services
Guatemala Office
Ms. Lainfiesta is a licensed Psychologist in Guatemala and a graduate of San Carlos University. Prior to obtaining her degree in Psychology, she was an educator. In 1980 she was the psychologist in charge of evaluation and treatment for minors at the Office of Child Welfare of Guatemala. She also runs her private practice.