Maria Jose Vides

Maria Jose "MJ" Vides is a community and policy advocate. MJ believes that all communities deserve safe, well-resourced and opportunity rich environments where they can thrive. MJ is a former educator and, more recently, a policy advocate with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Her work in LA County helped secure multi-million dollar investments in legal services for immigrant communities, as well as significant pandemic recovery supports. In her current role at the Vera Institute of Justice, MJ supports campaign development, advocacy initiatives, and power building in Los Angeles and the Bakersfield/Kern County regions to advance care first investments and jail closures. MJ grew up undocumented and is a first-generation college graduate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from Pomona College and a master’s degree in urban education from Southern Methodist University. In her free time, MJ enjoys visiting new restaurants and boba shops.