SPEAKERS

Silvia Paz attended public schools in the Coachella Valley, where she was taught the value of leadership, determination and community. Her career in community development started when she was in high school. She helped organize and lead a series of events that influenced the decision of community leaders to—among other things—build the first health clinic in the rural community of Mecca. In her years of teaching with the Coachella Valley Unified School District, Mrs. Paz remained an active advocate in the community, often engaging students in local government and participating in Teachers Association community activities and school improvement efforts. More recently, Mrs. Paz worked in the Office of State Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez as Senior Policy Assistant. In this role she worked on issues impacting our local communities; including the Salton Sea. Her policy expertise is in housing, infrastructure, and economic development. Currently, she is the Director for Building Healthy Communities, Eastern Coachella Valley; a health equity initiative of The California Endowment. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Desert Recreation District. Mrs. Paz holds a B.S. (summa cum laude) in English from the University of San Diego, and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University.

​

< BACK