Terri Villa-McDowell is Senior Human Relations Consultant with the Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging & Community Services/Commission on Human Relations. She is currently working on a L.A. County Anti-Hate Campaign to protect vulnerable communities against political hate rhetoric which has increased hate crimes, hate acts, and bullying. For over 12 years, Ms. Villa-McDowell worked to disrupt the “school to prison pipeline” by providing racial equity/impact of poverty trainings for school district staff. She developed highly regarded social emotional learning and mental health services to children and families at various high-need school districts, realizing that social emotional supports for many children growing up in poverty-impacted homes is an educational equity issue. Her work in education garnered millions of dollars in grant funds for federal programs such as the inaugural School Climate Transformation Grant and Project Cal-Well Grant, as well as state and local grants, such as the Early Mental Health Initiative. Ms. Villa-McDowell has over 25 years of experience as a public interest attorney and has worked on programs at agencies such as Legal Aid; Public Counsel and the National Immigration Law Center, addressing issues of low-income families, juvenile justice, immigrants/refugees, domestic violence and access to needed government services, including special education, nutrition, health care and mental health services. She has also litigated in federal and state courts. Her professional and personal associations demonstrate her strong commitment to the issues surrounding children, youth and their families.