Vanessa Aramayo has worked to deliver lasting and positive systemic change at the local, state, and federal levels. She brings a rich background of working in the private, public, and now non-profit sectors. Her experience working in the California State Assembly and the U.S. Congress helped shape her vision of changing public policy to address inequities by engaging those directly impacted by systems. For over ten years, Vanessa has served in top leadership positions for local and statewide non-profit organizations working to improve conditions for immigrants, low-income and communities of color. Her experience working on public policy spans over 20 years and her issue areas of responsibility have included public education, college access, health care, economic development, immigration, security and public safety, and environmental.
One of Vanessa’s notable achievements is the development of training programs that have empowered and cultivated thousands of community leaders, developed effective public policy agendas, and led campaigns to cultivate electoral power in key, under-represented communities. Vanessa’s dedication extends to diverse policy advocacy efforts, from initiatives focused on increasing parent engagement within local school districts to championing a more equitable state budget in California. Additionally, she played a key role in health care reform with the delivery of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform at the national level.
Vanessa currently serves as the Executive Director of a Los Angeles based non-profit organization, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC) which works to advance social, economic, racial equity and justice for the Latino/a community and the Los Angeles region.
Vanessa is the daughter of immigrant parents and a first generation college graduate. She is a proud UCLA graduate and lives in Northeast Los Angeles with her husband and twin daughters.