Sharon trusts that communities have the answers and is an unapologetic believer in young people, the brilliance they carry, and the adults that uplift them. Sharon joined Communities In Schools of Central Texas as its first Chief Operations Officer, and within three years was promoted to the Chief Operations and Equity Officer for her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work within the agency. In this role, Sharon led all aspects of programmatic strategy, the agency’s systems, and infrastructure, and embedded DEI into the fabric of the agency. Sharon was named the new CEO of the organization in September 2022.
Prior to joining CIS, she spent 10 years working for the community and youth-serving agencies focused on reducing health disparities and access to services based on race, ethnicity, geography, and economic status by addressing the social and physical determinants of health and internal systems for access. The through line in her career is her commitment to building equity through community-based organizations. Beyond her work history, she has a master’s degree in Executive Leadership and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on multicultural bicultural education. As a lifelong learner, she continues to further her education through professional development programs at Georgetown University, Cornell University, Leadership Austin Essential, and the Hispanic Austin Leadership Program.
Current role