Victoria Tafoya is a program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she works in the foundation’s priority place of New Mexico to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities. Tafoya identifies and cultivates opportunities for effecting positive systemic change within communities and executes programming efforts that are aligned with Kellogg Foundation’s goals. She works closely with colleagues across the organization to ensure integration and
coordination of efforts, with a particular focus on early childhood education. Tafoya has over 20 years of experience as an education professional. She began her career as a teacher for the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). Proceeding APS, she was an assistant
principal, site Administrator and district Administrator for Rio Rancho Public Schools in New Mexico. During this time, Tafoya also served as executive director of Federal, Bilingual and Native American Programs where she planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated various state and federal grants to assist English Language Learners, Native American students and opportunity youth.

Prior to joining the foundation, Tafoya was director of operations for Dual Language Education of New Mexico, where she contributed to the organization’s strategic planning, finance, staffing and marketing efforts. She served as a Dual Language advocate engaging all
levels of education and educational leadership throughout the state of New Mexico. Tafoya holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership, both from the University of New Mexico. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.