Amber Arellano, MPP

Amber Arellano, MPP, is a social impact executive with deep expertise in public policy, strategic communications and journalism. She has led major communications campaigns, innovative policy work and cross-sector coalitions in the public education and policy spaces for more than a decade.  Her work and leadership have been recognized by New America, the 2024 SXSW Festival, Bellwether, the Pahara Institute, the Education Writers Association, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the Society of Professional Journalists, among others.

At The Education Trust – one of the nation’s leading organizations working to close opportunity gaps for Black, Latino/a and low-income students – she oversees development and operations, policy and research, communications, government affairs, community engagement and consulting for the Midwest division. Under her leadership, Ed Trust-Midwest has become an influential backbone organization to dozens of organizations working collectively to advance greater opportunity and improved academic outcomes for all students. She has been the founder and co-founder of multiple successful organizations, partnerships and collective change efforts that reach across diverse sectors. Presently she co-chairs the Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity coalition, which successfully advocated for an innovative new school funding system that was passed into Michigan law in 2023. She’s particularly proud of the public campaigns that Ed Trust-Midwest has led on fair funding, becoming a top ten state for public education and issues of school transparency and accountability.

A prolific writer and speaker, she frequently authors op-eds and other pieces. Her work has appeared in and/or contributed to The New York Times, Education Week, Huffington Post, The Detroit Free Press and Michigan Public Radio, among many others. A long-time journalist, Arellano’s versatile work was awarded in the areas of commentary and opinion writing, investigative reporting and breaking news.  The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) awarded her with Commentator of the Year for her crusading reporting and groundbreaking columns on urban education. Her reporting ranged from issues as diverse as race relations in Michigan to bilingual education in California and the auto industry in Mexico.

She is a 2022-2024 Pahara Fellow, a fellowship for distinguished American education leaders. She has served on many boards including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Growing Michigan Together Council’s PK-12 work group; the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation’s board; and the alumni board at her graduate school alma mater, the Ford School of Public Public at the University of Michigan.

A Latina American of both Mexican and Irish descent, throughout her career Arellano has worked to build bridges across racial and other divides based on shared values and collective purpose. She is the blessed wife of an amazing economic development leader and urban designer and mom to an incredible, thoughtful and creative tween.