Joined First Place: 2017

As Director of Education and Employment, Stephanie Garcia provides strategic oversight, leadership, and quality assurance of statewide education and employment programming; including program development, management, fidelity oversight, and external workforce development, education, and training partnership management.

Stephanie previously served as Regional Education and Employment Manager overseeing multiple counties in Northern California and has held various positions within First Place for Youth and externally, which she contributes to grounding strategy with a connected understanding of direct service work. Stephanie is motivated by connecting opportunities and supports to youth dreaming, or yet to dream, about the amazing community contributors and difference makers they will become but lack the supportive resources. In Stephanie’s current role as Director of Education and Employment Programs at First Place for Youth, she is able to feed this passion in overseeing 6 counties across California, supports develop managers and teams to assist transition age youth develop the education and employment skills to reach self-sustainability. She develops and maintains external workforce development and education partnerships to increase youth access to opportunities.