Able Works is pleased to announce the addition of a new leader in its management team. With a strong passion for social equality and extensive experience in advocating for troubled youth and their families, Ana Andrade, PhD, joins Able Works as the Central Valley Regional Director.
Born in El Salvador and raised in Patterson, California, Ms. Andrade knows first-hand what life in an immigrant family is like. She brings this personal life experience and a wealth of professional experience to this leadership role.
Before joining Able Works, Ana dedicated her professional time advocating for renter’s rights and counseling housing providers. Prior to that, Ana spent over a decade working as a Deputy Probation Officer in San Joaquin County. There she served on the Department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee and was the Department’s United Way Campaign leader. She also participated on the Stanislaus County Probation Department’s Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R.E.D.) committee.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to influence and direct the economic wellbeing of youth through our programs, FutureProfits and AchieveAble,” said Ms. Andrade. “As an educator and advocate, I love that Able Works identifies and works to teach young people how to navigate and overcome the systemic barriers that prevent economic freedom.”
Ana holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Stanislaus State University and a M.A. in Leadership Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California. Earning a PhD in Transformative Studies from California Institute of Integral Studies, her dissertation work focused on uplifting the voices of Latina Probation Officers and their perceptions of professional advancement.
Among her long list of achievements, Ana is a senior fellow graduate of Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley’s Latino Board Leadership Academy, a Board Member with the Latino Community Roundtable, a member of the Stanislaus County Giving Circle, and an advisor for Invest in Me, a young women’s leadership program based in Patterson. Most recently, Ana was named Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County by Stanislaus County Commission for Women.
In her free time, she mentors individuals interested in probation careers, volunteers for campaigns that advocate equality and supports social justice causes.