“Virginia is an adult we look up to. She’s a mentor who listens, shows up, and pushes for change that actually helps students. She doesn’t just care about us. She knows us and advocates for us.”
Meet Virginia.
I'm a proud parent of a recent PPS graduate and a current PPS high school freshman. They've spent their lives watching me fight for students—year after year—as a proven problem-solver and advocate.
I come from a family that worked hard to make ends meet. My parents juggled multiple jobs while going to school and supporting our family. I got my first job at 16, working the counter at McDonald's (would you like fries with that?) and saved up to buy my first car—an old VW Super Beetle.
I worked my way through college, always holding down two or three jobs at a time to cover groceries, rent, and tuition. That experience shaped me. I'm resilient, determined, and deeply committed to public education and our communities.
With over a decade of hands-on involvement in PPS and a professional background that began in the concert industry 30 years ago, Virginia brings a creative, solutions-oriented approach to her work. Her experience in strategic communications and coalition-building has powered major initiatives that have delivered lasting results for students and families. She is known for bringing people together, listening deeply, and pushing for practical, high-impact solutions that center equity and student well-being.
“Virginia brings so much heart—but she also delivers. She starts lasting class traditions, shows up in tangible ways, and follows through every time. You feel her love for students because she puts it into action.”
From Classroom Volunteer to Student Advocate
Virginia’s advocacy journey began over 13 years ago, volunteering for first-grade math “pull-outs” to help teachers meet students at their rate and level. Since then, her work has grown into a powerful record of driving change at both the school and district levels.
Leading on Environmental Health & Safety
Her early efforts to raise the alarm about lead paint hazards in PPS elementary schools sparked a broad district response to environmental health risks. Her leadership helped secure major health and safety improvements across PPS—including the removal of lead from paint and water, asbestos removal, and the creation of the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee for Harriet Tubman Middle School. That committee oversaw PSU’s air quality study, leading to $10 million in improvements to ensure students breathe clean air in a school perched above a freeway.
Fighting for Future-Ready Schools
Virginia also played a key role in advocating for bond funding that enabled the modernization of McDaniel, Lincoln, Benson, and Kellogg plus $150M that helped fund seismic upgrades for multiple schools, ensuring more equitable, future-ready facilities for Portland students.
As co-founder of the Grant Bowl Community Coalition, Virginia is leading efforts to secure long-term upgrades to Grant High School’s athletic field. Her work has helped expand access and improve equity for student-athletes and band students—many of whom face chronic absenteeism due to travel for “home” games held elsewhere. She’s also played a key role in advancing playing field improvements at multiple PPS elementary and high schools in the current bond proposal, working closely with community stakeholders and school leaders to build support. She believes that in this age of technology, students need every opportunity for in-person engagement for their mental wellbeing.
Policy Wins for Equity and Engagement
In the realm of policy, Virginia successfully pushed PPS to centralize TAG (Talented and Gifted) funds after discovering that financial resources were going unused by individual schools—ensuring greater equity and district accountability to reach every student. Most recently, she contributed community feedback that helped inform PPS’s new “Off and Away” cell phone policy, which has led to more focused classrooms and stronger student engagement. She was also part of the Oregon Department of Education workgroup that helped improve the state’s school district complaint process—an experience that deepened her commitment to ensuring families are heard and supported when issues arise.
Virginia currently helps lead the Grant Bowl Community Coalition, and serves on Grant High School’s Site Council and PIL Foundation Board.
