Maria is a compassionate and dedicated leader with  a unique background that has informed her approach to providing services. Maria's personal experiences have also played a significant role in developing her professional perspective. She spent 15 years journeying through homelessness and poverty, which instilled in her a deep passion for destigmatizing the experience of homelessness and approaching healing from a whole person, holistic lens.

In her current role, Maria applies her unconventional approach to attract and develop talent from a diverse range of backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on lived experience. She previously worked in programs at A Woman’s Place before transitioning to her current  role in human resources. Maria graduated from  the California Institute of Integral Studies with a bachelor’s degree in critical psychology. She is a lifelong learner with a hunger for knowledge, justice, and exploring the interconnectedness of the world and human behavior. Maria enjoys spending time with her two teenage daughters, partner, and dog.