As Rocketship Bay Area Regional Director, Marie is responsible for the planning, growth, and success of Rocketship’s network of high-quality, elementary charter schools in the Bay Area. Marie has been building community linkages through collaborative partnerships with public, private and nonprofit organizations. She spent many years advocating for children with special needs, creating and expanding community health programs, organizing healthcare workers to find their collective voice and advocate for their rights, and working to advance opportunities for people of color. Her work has been instrumental in bridging the gap between community and socio-economic institutions including health and human service agencies, educational systems, law enforcement and legal justice agencies. Marie grew up in the Bay Area before moving to Mexico to be near family, coming back in her early career to work for a better future for marginalized families.