Sandra Viera, Director                           

Email: Sandra_at_preventioninstitute_dot_org

Sandra Viera (she/her/ella), MPA brings 20 years of health equity and movement building experience to her role as a Director for Prevention Institute.

As a strategic advisor and implementation partner to the St. Joseph Fund since 2016, Sandra co-designed and directs the Intersections Initiative, a multi-site, multi-year community of practice focused on building the capacity of community based organizations to engage in local policy and systems change. Presently, Intersections builds the capacity of an emerging collaborative of BIPOC-led organizations to advance anti-displacement and youth leadership development goals in South King County, WA. The Initiative is also launching a healing-centered planning phase for small, racial justice organizations in Altadena, CA working on recovery and rebuilding efforts after the 2025 Eaton Fire.

Sandra directs People, Parks, and Power (P3), the first national funding initiative in the U.S. to support power building by community-based organizations to reverse deep seated park and green space inequities in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities across the country. In her role as Initiative Director, Sandra provides oversight and guidance to a highly skilled team of PI leaders and external subject matter experts managing P3’s national grantmaking program, peer learning community, strategic communications, and field-building efforts. She’s a contributing author on several academic research articles and the recently released policy brief “Public Land for Public Good: Advancing Community Stewardship of Public Land”.

Prior to joining Prevention Institute, Sandra was part of a grassroots, power-building organization working to improve the lives of immigrant communities in Orange County, CA. Sandra holds a Master in Public Administration degree with a focus in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Relations. A Southern California native and resident of Los Angeles County, Sandra is based in PI’s Leimert Park office.