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, and at various scales, but primarily focused on issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity, specifically as it relates to Latino students and Emergent Bilinguals.

A committed and equity-focused champion for all students, Feliza currently serves as Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at Latinos for Education. In this role, Feliza leads the organization’s federal policymaking and national advocacy efforts to create equitable, educational opportunities for Latino students. This current position truly enhances her passion for reshaping the narrative and opportunities afforded to Latinos by proposing responsive policy recommendations that improve educational and life outcomes for this underserved community. Prior to joining Latinos for Education, Feliza served as the Principal of Education Programs at UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

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. In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Feliza to the CA State Board of Education where she served 6.2 million students for five fulfilling years. Feliza is happily married to a seasoned educator in the Long Beach Unified School District, and they have two children attending a dual language program in the same district.