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Shana Hazan

Shana Hazan

 

Biography

Shana Hazan is President of the San Diego Unified School Board and Vice Chair of the state of California’s Children & Families Commission. She is a district parent, nonprofit executive, former public-school teacher, and community leader who has demonstrated her longstanding commitment to building systems that allow children and families to reach their full potential. 

Shana’s unyielding belief in the transformative power of education and commitment to disrupting cycles of poverty launched a career that started as a public elementary school teacher in under-resourced communities and evolved as she took on roles designing and leading projects including a statewide school fitness program, an active transportation policy network, and a nationally recognized model for youth leadership development through service-learning. Shana also designed and secured funding for the Linda Vista Kindergarten Readiness Network, a family-centered project that utilized a collective impact model to address barriers to kindergarten readiness for children and their families. She was also the visionary leader behind the Hunger Advocacy Network, an innovative initiative comprised of social service agencies, anti-hunger organizations, and nutrition advocacy organizations that collaborate to advocate for state policies that increase food security.

Over the years, Shana has become a respected nonprofit executive and community leader with experience executing innovative projects, managing large teams and budgets, and making data-driven decisions that drive impact. Today, she serves as president of Hazan Strategies, a social impact consulting firm where she works with nonprofits and social enterprises to build stronger, healthier, more inclusive communities. Previously, Shana was Chief Philanthropy Officer at Jewish Family Service where she oversaw the organization’s Development, Institutional Giving, and Public Affairs teams, which secured nearly $30 Million annually to help low-income children, families, and older adults reach their potential. Shana’s unique combination of programmatic, government relations, and fundraising expertise resulted in new partnerships and funding to expand urgently needed services while shaping public policy.

Shana was appointed to and currently serves as Vice Chair of California’s Children and Families Commission by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, where she works to ensure California’s youngest children receive the best start in life by shaping state policy and investing hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs, research, and advocacy. She is also on the board of Impact Cubed, and was Chair of the City of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission, which she served on from 2014-2022.

Shana has been actively involved in our schools for many years. She served as president of the Friends of Franklin Elementary School Foundation and on Franklin’s School Site Council, and on San Diego Unified’s Superintendent Search Committee, the District Advisory Board for Compensatory Education, and the Advisory Board for Kearny High School’s Stanley E. Foster School of Engineering, Innovation, and Design.

A fourth-generation San Diego Unified graduate, Shana studied political science at the University of Wisconsin and with an eye toward building a better education system earned a master’s degree in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. She lives in Kensington with her husband and two daughters.

Shana is committed to partnering with students, families, and educators to build a school district where all children can thrive.