Rebecca Villarreal is a senior director in the Center for Justice & Economic Advancement at JFF. She helps stakeholders advance comprehensive talent development strategies that increase individuals’ economic opportunities and communities’ economic prosperity, with a focus on people with criminal records.

Her skills and areas of expertise include:

• Postsecondary education and workforce training
• Partnership development
• Program design and development
• Leadership development
• Community and economic development

Before joining JFF, Villarreal was director of education philanthropy at Ascendium, an organization committed to increasing socioeconomic mobility through postsecondary education and workforce training for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Educational background:

• Bachelor’s degree in strategic communications, University of Missouri School of Journalism
• PhD and master’s degree in higher education policy and leadership, University of Maryland