Vanessa's passion for active transportation began in Chicago, where she worked as a social worker supporting adults with developmental disabilities. She saw firsthand how critical access to safe walking routes and public transit was for individuals who could not drive to lead healthy and independent lives. After returning to her hometown of Tucson, Arizona, Vanessa joined Living Streets Alliance, a local non-profit advocating for safe and vibrant streets for walking, biking, and public transportation. There, she led the city’s Safe Routes to School program, working primarily with Latinx working-class families in low-income, Title 1 schools. She fostered youth and resident leadership to promote safe walking and biking. This grassroots engagement in school communities helped to build momentum for two successful policy campaigns: one for a citywide adoption of a Complete Streets policy, nationally recognized for its equity-focused elements, and another for a $225 million, voter-approved bond to fund safe routes to parks, schools, and other key destinations.

Vanessa also has extensive experience coordinating creative placemaking and tactical urbanism projects in low-income communities, using these projects to help neighbors transform their neighborhood streets, improve safety, and uplift neighborhood pride and stewardship.

Prior to joining the Safe Routes Partnership, she worked at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, developing initiatives to improve access to healthy food and active living within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed).

Vanessa holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Loyola University Chicago.