Executive Director

Raised in historic Mira Loma, Sabrina Gonzalez has dedicated her professional career to strengthening relationships in the community and capacity-building through her work with youth and systemically excluded populations. As a first-generation college graduate, Gonzalez says she was molded by community mentors and her family’s emphasis on hard work, lifelong learning, and community care.

Moving from the Inland Empire to Boston University exposed her to the deep social, educational, and economic divides in American society. It inspired her to make a career that promotes educational opportunities to address disparities among diverse communities. Gonzalez served as a substitute teacher and coach for the Jurupa Unified School District. She worked as a senior teacher-counselor with the Cambridge Housing Authority, where she supported young people living in public housing with social services, life skills, and career training. Gonzalez holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Northeastern University and most recently directed an intercultural educational program for international youth.

As the inaugural executive director for the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Gonzalez collaborates with the board of directors, diverse groups and individuals to advance the mission of the Civil Rights Institute across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Civil Rights Institute is a center for community meetings, grassroots organizing, historical archives, civil rights exhibits and year-round educational programming.