As the organization’s first Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer, Dr. Ortiz-Licon brings more than 25 years of experience creating policy change for Latino students

Los Angeles, CA – Latinos for Education announced today that Dr. Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon has joined the organization as its first ever Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer. Under Dr. Ortiz-Licon’s leadership, Latinos for Education will broaden and deepen its work at the national level to advance policies that create equitable Latino representation within the education sector and teaching profession, improve outcomes for Latino students from birth to college, and ensure the voice of Latino leaders is shaping the national education agenda.

“Feliza lives and breathes the type of change that Latinos for Education was founded to create. As one of the few Latinas that has served on a state board of education, she not only understands why we need to create opportunities for Latinos to be in decision making positions, but she has used her position to eliminate barriers that prevent Latino students from accessing equitable education opportunities,” said Amanda Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of Latinos for Education. “We are excited to have her build and lead our national policy and advocacy work, especially as we build back from a pandemic that has had devastating impacts on Latino students, educators, and parents.”

The proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, Dr. Feliza I. Ortiz-Licon has invested nearly twenty-five years in the field of education working in various capacities, but primarily focused on issues of diversity, access, and equity for Latino students and English learners. Prior to joining Latinos for Education, Feliza served as the Principal of Education Programs at UnidosUS, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

As Principal of Education Programs at UnidosUS, Feliza provided leadership, oversight and support to the education data and curriculum team, the family and community engagement work, national leadership fellowship programs and the K-16 portfolio of programs that fell under the following areas of focus: youth leadership development, STEM, college and career readiness and post-secondary programs. Feliza also founded and led the organization’s National Institute for Latino School Leaders (NILSL) Fellowship program designed to bridge the divide between practice and policy by infusing the voice of school leaders in the policy-making process to better address and meet the needs of Latino students and English learners.

In 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Feliza to the CA State Board of Education where she served for five fulfilling years. Feliza holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in Political Science, a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley in City and Regional Planning, and a doctoral degree in Education Leadership from the University of California, Irvine.

“Education has played such a significant role in my life, that I know first-hand the transformative power it can have on the lives of Latino and immigrant children. But I’ve also seen how easy our education system often dismisses these very students, and that’s why I say that my love language now is crafting policy that meaningfully serves and empowers Latino students,” said Feliza Ortiz-Licon. “My first order of business is to take stock of the multiple ways this pandemic has hurt Latino students, and push for meaningful solutions that ensure Latino students don’t become an afterthought in our post-COVID education system.”

To find out more about Latinos for Education and its national policy work, please click here.

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About Latinos for Education:

Latinos for Education is a national education non-profit organization focused on developing, placing, and connecting essential Latino talent in the education sector. The organization is mobilizing a network of skilled education leaders to ensure the voice of students and families is not only heard but factored into decision-making in schools, communities and education institutions throughout the U.S. The organization also ensures Latino education professionals have access to a nationwide network of peers as well as career and professional development opportunities across the country through the members-only EdCentro network. For more information visit: https://www.latinosforeducation.org/

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