In 1992, Marcia was doing community work in LA when she met LAEP co-founder Peggy Funkhouser. Marcia was an attorney, and she had always been involved in working with youth and helping children learn more about careers open to them.
A few years later, Marcia began volunteering for LAEP through career days. She then joined and was an active member of LAEP’s Resource Council, which is an alliance of professionals in various fields with a commitment to grow and develop LAEP’s network of volunteers and programmatic opportunities. Over the years, she also participated in Early Head Start graduations.
Through this involvement, she saw that LAEP’s work was making a difference. So, when she was asked to join the Board of Directors in 2016, she jumped at the opportunity to be more integrally involved with LAEP.
“There are a lot of community needs in Los Angeles. I don’t feel like I can make a significant difference on my own, as an individual, but I can have an impact through an organization like LAEP.
“With LAEP, I feel that there are outcomes and benefits to the children and families we serve that are palpable. The outcomes are impactful, touchable, visible, and sustainable. We make a difference in a child’s life – and their family’s life.”
Marcia had a distinguished, 39-year career with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where she served as a prosecutor and then as general counsel to a variety of city departments and programs. She retired in 2019.
In addition to her work with LAEP, Marcia has served on the governing boards of several education and social service organizations, professional associations, and alumni organizations. The first Mexican-American woman to graduate from Princeton, she is very active with her alma mater, volunteering to recruit and interview students from local high schools.