Candidate for
Board Member; Palo Alto Unified School District

Gina is a candidate for a chair on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board. Gina serves as the senior program officer, education at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In that role Gina leads the education portfolio for SVCF, she heads the regional effort to support Silicon Valley school districts to adopt the new Common Core State Standards, and is a leading public advocate for educational excellence for all students in our region.

Gina served as a member of the California Department of Education's STEM Taskforce Advisory Committee. She is a member of the National Common Core Funders Steering Committee and an Advisory Board Member of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.

Prior to SVCF, Gina was director of innovation at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, managing education engagement programs, community leadership groups and advocacy efforts. Before moving to the United States, Gina held several positions in the federal and state public sector in Mexico, related to urban economic development and regulatory economics.

In the Palo Alto Unified School District, Gina served on Ohlone Elementary's Site Council, volunteered for the Strong School's Bond, participated in PALY's WASC process and started the group for Spanish-speaking parents. Gina is a member and contributor for Latinos for America. Her personal interests include art, yoga and traveling. Gina holds a Bachelor of Science of economics from ITAM in Mexico City, a Masters in Science of economics from the University of London and a Master of Arts in international policy studies from Stanford University.

She resides in Palo Alto with her husband, Gabriel, and two children Jacques and Tess, who have attended Ohlone, JLS and PALY.

Biographical Highlights

• Occupation: Senior Education Program Officer
• Employers: Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Law and Economics Consulting Group (LECG)
• Two teenage children
• B.A. from ITAM (Mexico), M.Sc. Economics from University of London, M.A. International Policy from Stanford University
• Former college professor
• Member of the California Department of Education's STEM Taskforce Advisory Committee
• Member of the National Common Core Funders Steering Committee