Biography

Sara is the founder and CEO of Progress Initiative for Latino Advancement & Success (PILAS), LLC dba PILAS Consulting, an education consulting company focused on providing public agencies, non-profits, and the private sector with a wide range of services to meet unique and evolving community and client needs.  PILAS works to assist stakeholders address challenges rooted in structural and institutional barriers. Through innovative solutions, PILAS leverages public and private sector partnerships to develop sustainable community solutions. Sara received a Bachelor of Social Work from La Sierra University, a Master in Public Administration from California Baptist University, and most recently a Doctorate of Social Work from California Baptist University. Her research focuses on the disproportion of Latino matriculation and retention in higher education among first-generation college students. For the past 14 years, she has administered the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program at the local government level.