Lisa Carlos began her career in Washington, D.C., monitoring federal migrant farmworker education programs. She worked as a policy analyst for both the US Dept. of Education and then the congressionally-created Migrant Education Commission.
In California, Lisa spent a decade advising state and local policymakers as the director of policy research for two non-profits, WestEd and EdSource. After witnessing the impact of Silicon Valley’s rapid growth on local communities, Lisa volunteered as an advocate for more affordable housing and better urban planning in Redwood City.
In 2016, Lisa moved back to her hometown, Santa Barbara. She established the #SBHS Strong program in response to the Thomas Fire disaster while serving as Vice President of the Foundation for Santa Barbara High School. As Chair of the Learning Enrichment Grant (LEG) program for the PTA, Lisa administered a grant program for teachers.
Currently she serves on the Board of the League of Women Voters for Santa Barbara and the League’s Housing Committee, where she monitors, analyzes and presents on city affordable housing policy. Lisa is also in her second term as a board member of the Riviera Association and chairs the Fire and Safety Committee.
Lisa attended public schools in Santa Barbara, earned a BA in political science from Stanford, and an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.