Yanela Montoya

Yanela Montoya is an experienced education and advocacy professional currently serving as the Director of Education for Southern Dallas Thrives at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas since July 2024. Previously, Yanela held the position of Director of Advocacy at Dallas Afterschool from December 2021 to June 2024 and worked as Special Assistant to the CEO at Texas 2036 from June 2019 to November 2021, providing key organizational support to enhance executive efficiency. Earlier experience includes serving as a Bilingual Elementary School Teacher in the Dallas Independent School District, where over 90 kindergarten and first-grade students achieved 95% mastery in district exams. Yanela's academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Austin College and a Master's degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education.