First Latina elected to the Buffalo Board of Education (November 2025). Fifth-generation West Side resident, attorney, mother, and lifelong advocate for equity. Defeated three-term incumbent Jennifer Mecozzi with 1,686 votes (48%) in a three-way race. Part of the "Buffalo Forward" movement bringing younger, more diverse leadership. Selected for The Allstate Foundation Executive Leadership Program Class of 2026. Open Buffalo Emerging Leaders Class of 2015. Former Vice Chair and Executive Secretary of National Latino Law Students Association (NLLSA) national board.
Serving
About
Family & Heritage
Fifth-generation West Side Buffalo resident. Paternal grandmother emigrated from Puerto Rico in straitened circumstances and became a civil rights activist, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1963 March on Washington. Her grandmother had only a third-grade education when less than 50% of Puerto Rican students were in public schools. Biracial, bicultural, and bilingual Latina. Single working mother raising her son on Buffalo's West Side. Raised in a proud union household.
Political Career
Before Politics
Associate Director of West Side Promise Neighborhood at SUNY Buffalo State University Office of Civic and Community Engagement; Health Equity Coordinator at Seneca Street Community Development Corp; Say Yes Coordinator for Volunteer Lawyers Project managing free civil legal clinics in five Buffalo Public Schools; Associate Civic Engagement Director at Buffalo State University; Program Coordinator at PATH (People Against Trafficking Humans) working with human trafficking survivors; Advocate in the foster care system; Internship with U.S. Court System focused on combating violence against women and human trafficking; Radio host of "Talia Talks" on WBNY 91.3 FM; Columnist; Small business advocate; Creator of New York State's only Latina Exclusive Business Directory.
Education
J.D. from University at Buffalo School of Law (2015); M.A. in Public Policy from SUNY Empire State University (2012); B.A. from St. John Fisher University (2010). Was the only Latina from Buffalo to graduate from UB Law in her class of over 200 graduates. Passed two of three bar qualifying examinations.
Key Issues & Priorities
Educational equity and closing opportunity gaps
Multilingual learner support and ESL programs
Food justice and year-round nutrition programs in schools
Student-centered discipline reform through mediation instead of suspensions
Support for vulnerable populations including homeless students, parenting students, foster youth, and justice-involved youth
Arts education as essential for intellectual development
Data-driven policy decisions using Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Addressing Buffalo Public Schools' $78 million deficit while protecting West Side bilingual schools
Community engagement and technology access.
Endorsements
Buffalo Forward movement