Nancy Gannon Hornberger (she/her) is President and CEO of Social Advocates for Youth, San Diego (SAY San Diego), a youth, family and community strengthening organization. She joined SAY San Diego in 2013 as a nationally recognized leader with three-plus decades of experience in social justice and equity, public policy and system reform, education, and human services.

Prior to joining SAY San Diego, Nancy was executive director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and co-convener of Act-4-JJ. She also held executive leadership positions with the National Crime Prevention Council and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. She began her career in the early 1980s as a special education teacher in day treatment and residential settings in Boston and San Francisco, with a passion for working with adolescents who had experienced trauma. She was also a home visitor and respite partner for families with special needs children.

Prior to joining SAY San Diego, Nancy received a commendation from President Bill Clinton and an award from the Public Relations Society of America for her youth advocacy. Since joining SAY San Diego, she was awarded with a fellowship for Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Program, an Exemplary Leadership Award from the National Network for Social Work Management, and the Outstanding Faculty Award from SDSU Weber Honors College. Nancy serves on the California Child Welfare Council’s Prevention Committee, and the board of directors of the Urban Collaborative Project.

Ultimately, Nancy’s reasons for being are to uplift, honor, and include all of members of society to work together toward personal, familial, racial, and social healing.