Paola Maranan (She/her), LT’97, Flagship Program Manager

As Flagship Program Manager, Paola is responsible for overseeing and executing the 10-month program. Prior to LT, she was consultant with Imago and operated her own firm, ArcBend Consulting. Her consulting work focused on helping organizations strengthen and operationalize their commitment to racial equity – from understanding the connection of equity to their mission to exploring barriers to success to drafting action plans. 

As Executive Director of Children’s Alliance, she helped build a racial equity-focused public policy practice that secured health care coverage for every child, historic investments in early learning, and more food to feed hungry kids and families. Her work also included integrating racial equity into every facet of the organization – from staff development to board governance to operations. Paola’s support for hardwiring racial equity into child advocacy organizations across the country was recognized by her peers in 2019 with the Florette Angel Award from The Partnership for America’s Children. 

Paola’s previous work to move justice for communities also includes United Way of King County, Washington State Family Policy Initiative, Washington State Commission on African American Affairs, Alabama Prison Project, and the Civil Liberties Union of Alabama.

She has served local and national organizations and coalitions, including Children of Color Organizers and Advocates, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, Seattle Human Services Coalition,  Washington State Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee, Voices for America’s Children Member Leadership Council (Vice-Chair), Voices for America’s Children Equity and Diversity Committee (Co-Chair), KIDS COUNT National Steering Committee, (King County) Communities of Opportunity Governance Group, and Magic Cabinet (Beacon Hill-Seattle Cohort Advisor).

Paola is a Seattle native who remembers when all of the sports teams started and is still waiting for the Mariners to win their national championship.