Terri Villa-McDowell, J.D.
Director of Social Emotional Wellness Programs
Ms. Villa-McDowell uses her legal and educational experience to advocate for and develop, implement, and evaluate programs in educational agencies to address issues of low-income families, juvenile justice and school-based mental health issues. She has a strong commitment to the issues surrounding children and their families, particularly children and families who lack resources to provide for positive outcomes. Ms. Villa-McDowell has experience in the adoption and development of Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems (PBIS), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), counseling and mindfulness-based programs for teachers and students.
Ms. Villa-McDowell has had experience in positions including:
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Executive Director, ABCUSD Education Foundation.
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Alternative Dispute Resolution Facilitator & Program Coordinator, Safe Schools Program, ABC Unified School District.
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Assistant Executive Director, Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.
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Staff Attorney, National Immigration Law Center.
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Deputy City Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Villa-McDowell’s experience as a public interest attorney has provided her with expertise in conflict resolution in highly-charged community settings, community building, capacity building and resource development.
Ms. Villa-McDowell has been a successful grant proposal developer and strategist, procuring federal ($3.9 million); state ($1 million); public ($1.7 million); county ($746,000) and private grants in the past six years for ABCUSD, as well as providing program compliance for the district.