PPS-SF Welcomes New Executive Director Vanessa Marrero

Hello PPS-SF community,

As we all launch into the new year, PPS-SF is ecstatic to announce the newest addition to our team, Executive Director Vanessa Marrero. Vanessa joins our PPS-SF team with much knowledge and wisdom, including over a decade of experience working within the K-12 school districts, community colleges across California, and other organizations supporting education and student outcomes. Vanessa has received a multitude of awards, including a Letter of Recommendation by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to work with the Biden-Harris Administration in 2020 and Latina of Influence in 2021 by Hispanic Lifestyle.

Vanessa has extensive experience and expertise, including her involvement as the Senior Director of Outreach and Engagement for the statewide initiative focused on organizational capacity development and technical assistance in continuity planning and intersegmental data linkages across secondary schools, community colleges, and universities. Vanessa also has deep ties to SFUSD where she served as a Community Schools Coordinator, Wellness Director, and Learning Support Professional/School Social Worker early in her career. Vanessa will bring PPS-SF closer to bridging the gap for equitable access with all of the communities across the school districts.

Vanessa is the parent of three children—all of whom attended public schools in California. Of her three children, one is an individual with a disability and another identifies as a part of the trans community. 

We sat down with Vanessa for a Q&A and invite you to read it and see for yourself her passion and excitement for her new role and how her lived experience will shape PPS-SF in the future. 

Q: What is your vision for the future of PPS-SF?

Vanessa: PPS-SF recognizes the value in social, cultural, and civic approaches in family engagement. 

I believe that PPS-SF is the statewide solution to the ever-evolving problems we are experiencing as a community. 

Founded on principles of social justice and equity, policy awareness, and the advocacy of strategic equity enrollment, PPS-SF is well-positioned to address systemic inequities. I am passionate about leading PPS-SF because our team and I seek to ensure a promise to elevate outcomes of families and their communities now and in the future.

PPS-SF will accomplish this in a way that promotes the partnership of families and communities within their schools, as well as their larger communities, making for stronger cities.

Q: What makes you most excited about joining PPS-SF as the Executive Director?

Vanessa: As the Executive Director of PPS-SF, I will have the opportunity to facilitate a cutting-edge approach to educating for equity founded on the cornerstones of social justice, awareness of educational policy, and school-family partnerships.

I am energized by the potential of this position because I am driven to focus a team effort on employing a cross-functional model to eliminate the plethora of educational barriers to access within impacted communities. 

This approach leads us to effectively build upon the competencies within our community of adult and student learners—while developing new organizational outcomes. More specifically, I use a people-centered approach that focuses on improving local communities’ self-reliance, social justice, and participatory decision-making.

Q: What are some fun facts about you?

Vanessa: I am an antique hot wheels collector. I have collected more than 100 hot wheels and my oldest one is from 1963.

Vanessa officially began her career at PPS-SF earlier this month. Please join us with a warm welcome to Vanessa for joining our PPS-SF team! 

Warmly, 

The PPS-SF team