Katie Albright, J.D., is an attorney and children’s advocate with more than thirty years of legal and non-profit executive experience. She currently serves as the founding Executive Director of Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood at the University of California-Berkeley, an interdisciplinary public impact alliance dedicated to advance early childhood learning and wellbeing through research, policy, and practice. She also serves as a Senior Advisor with Alliance for Community Advocacy providing strategic and programmatic consulting services to state and county governments, institutions of higher education, foundations, and nonprofits to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in health, safety, education, and well-being.
Katie previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Safe & Sound, a San Francisco-based non-profit dedicated to improving the safety, health, and well-being of children and families through service, education, collaboration, and advocacy. Prior experiences include San Francisco Deputy City Attorney; San Francisco Education Fund Policy Director; and, Preschool California Co-Director of Policy & Outreach. She also served as an associate at Latham & Watkins and clerked for the United States District Court in Maryland.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently appointed Katie to serve as Chair of the First 5 California Commission of Children and Families, and Mayor London Breed appointed her to the San Francisco Homelessness Oversight Commission. She serves as a member on the boards of The Aspen Institute and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
Katie earned her B.A. in History graduating with honors from Williams College and J.D. as a Public Interest Law Scholar graduating cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. She is an inaugural Ascend Fellow with The Aspen Institute and received a Social Entrepreneurship SEER Fellowship at Stanford University.
Professional Experience
WORK EXPERIENCE
UC Berkeley, Equity & Excellence in Early Childhood, Berkeley, CA 2024 – present
Executive Director. Lead UC Berkeley’s cross-campus initiative to transform California’s early childhood systems through research, teaching, policy, and practice. Build strategy, funding, and partnerships to drive systems change that improves outcomes for children and families.
Albright Future, San Francisco, CA 2023 – present
Principal. Provide strategic and programmatic consulting to state and county governments, institutions of higher education, foundations, and nonprofits to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families in health, education, economic prosperity, and well-being. Advise on child welfare reform initiatives with Alliance for Community Advocacy in Los Angeles and Safe & Sound at the state level. Support counties and state in policy design, leadership development, and systems change.
Safe & Sound. San Francisco, CA 2007 – 2023
Chief Executive Officer and President. Led nationally-recognized, multi-service organization dedicated to improving the safety, health, and well-being of children and families through direct programming, education, collaboration, advocacy, and policy advancement.
San Francisco Education Fund. San Francisco, CA 2004 – 2007
Policy Director/Director of Public Engagement. Initiated, led, and managed strategic, broad-based, and multi-year public engagement campaign to improve educational outcomes for San Francisco public school students.
Preschool California. Oakland, CA 2003 – 2004
Co-Director of Policy & Outreach. Co-managed multi-sector initiative to develop a sustainable and integrated early care and education system in California. Co-developed and implemented strategy for statewide campaign.
Office of the City Attorney. San Francisco, CA 1996 – 2003
Acting General Counsel & Deputy General Counsel, San Francisco Unified School District. Represented San Francisco Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools on matters of civil rights, education, governance, labor and employment, and risk management.
Deputy City Attorney. Represented city and county in litigation, legislation, and policy development on matters of civil rights, constitutional, municipal law, labor and employment, and public safety.
Latham & Watkins, L.L.P. Los Angeles, CA 1995 – 1996
Litigation Associate
Honorable J. Frederick Motz, U.S. District Court Judge. Baltimore, MD 1994 – 1995
Law Clerk
Kayole-Gitau Nursery School and Community Center. Nairobi, Kenya 1991
Co-Founder and Teacher
Massachusetts Attorney General. Boston, MA 1989 – 1991
Paralegal, Government Bureau
Selected Leadership & Governance
University of California–Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy, Policy Advisor 2024 – present
University of Denver, Korbel School of International Studies, Trustee 2023 – present
First 5 California Commission, Chair 2023 – present
San Francisco Homeless Oversight Commission, Commissioner 2023 – present
The Aspen Institute, Trustee 2022 – present
The Aspen Institute Ascend Pre-Natal-to-3 Learning & Action Community, Co-Chair 2020 – 2023
San Francisco University High School, Chair/ Trustee 2015 – 2021
Stanford University, Social Entrepreneurship SEERS Fellowship 2015
The Aspen Institute/Ascend Fellowship, Inaugural Class 2012 – 2013
San Francisco Juvenile Probation Commission, Vice Chair/Commissioner 2008 – 2013
San Francisco Board of Appeals, Commissioner 2005 – 2008
Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Board Member 2002 – 2005
NARAL Pro-Choice America, Board Member/Leadership Council 1997 – 2008
