Senior Leadership

Justin G. Fuentes serves as Chief Schools and Operations Officer. Fuentes has served in public education for the last 25 years/ his extensive experience and leadership spans across various roles, which commenced with his position as a mathematics teacher at M.B. Lamar High School. He served as the founding Dean of Students and the second Principal at Challenge Early College High School and later as principal at R.S. Sterling Aviation High School. He has worked at the district level as a School Support Officer supervising 22 high schools, Director of the High Schools, and lastly as the Executive Director for School Choice in support of 1288 magnet programs. Fuentes earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Education in School Leadership at the University of Houston. 

Graciana “Graci” Garces is a resolute public servant who has prioritized the progress of communities across the state for more than two decades. Her work as a public affairs professional in both public and nonprofit sectors puts her at the forefront of numerous Houston community-empowerment initiatives. In all facets of work, she attributes her impact to the power of partnerships and collaboration.

Garces’ tireless commitment to advocating for equity through systemic changes is rooted in her philosophy to finding common ground. She has been instrumental in building consensus for policy like the contentious expansion of the 2005 smoking ban in Houston, which led to her recruitment as the Grassroots Director for the Smoke Free Texas Coalition where she gained bi-partisan support.

In 2013, Garces ran for Houston City Council. After losing by 183 votes in a low turnout run-off election, Garces heightened her commitment to civic engagement in the non-profit sector. She leveraged her experience and knowledge to spearhead BakerRipley’s expansion in civic engagement. Under her leadership, close to three hundred people from diverse neighborhoods across the area graduated from the BakerRipley Community Engineers Leadership Program and the organization tripled its impact in voter engagement with a concentration in low propensity precincts. That is three times the people leading civic engagement conversations in their communities, advocating for the dismantling of systems that create inequity and holding decision makers accountable.

Garces has cultivated and leveraged partnerships to secure the necessary resources to complement the mission of the organization to provide resources, education, and connection to more than half a million people annually. She built and led a high performing team that secured approximately $400 million in contracts and grants in one year alone, reignited volunteer engagement (post COVID 19 pandemic), and served as a consultant on government relations to the C-Suite, regularly providing strategic guidance that balanced bold leadership and cautious approaches against any risks to the organization’s public contracts.

Garces earned her Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas State University. She serves on the League of Women Voters of Houston Board of Directors, is a Houston in Action Steering Committee Member, was part of the Morehouse School of Medicine National COVID-19 Resiliency Network National Community Coalition, and served as Co-Chair of the Harris Houston Census Complete Count Community Subcommittee. She strives to set an example as a strong Latina and dedicated public servant for her daughter, Zyenna Dahni and son, Zekiel Anthony. 

We are excited to introduce and welcome Mr. Antonio Zambrano, our new Chief Financial & Operations Officer. Mr. Zambrano's B.S. in Business Administration and Texas teaching certification allow him to blend financial expertise with a passion for education seamlessly. Mr. Zambrano has a proven track record as the Director of Finance and Operations at Amigos Por Vida - Friends for Life Public Charter, along with similar roles at Distinctive Schools and Flow-Quip, Inc.  Known for his strategic thinking, bilingual proficiency, and tech-savviness, Mr. Zambrano brings a dynamic skill set that will support our organization's unique structure as a non-profit with both community-based programs and a Public Charter School District. From optimizing budgets at AVON Cosmetics to succeeding in educational roles, Mr. Zambrano is a collaborative and decisive leader, adept at contributing to cross-functional teams. Whether it's navigating financial landscapes or enhancing educational processes, Antonio Zambrano is our go-to professional for excellence in finance and operations.