SBOE Member District 3
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Marisa B. Perez-Diaz (D) P.O. Box 701342 San Antonio, TX 78270 (210) 294-6140 marisa.perez@sboe.texas.gov |
Board Term: Jan. 1, 2023 - Jan. 1, 2025
Marisa B. Pérez-Díaz, the District 3 State Board of Education member, was elected to the Board of Education in November 2012 and took office on Jan. 1, 2013. She is the most senior Democrat on the board, currently serving her fourth term having been re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Perez-Diaz served on the Committee on Instruction from January 2013 to December 2016; served as the vice chair of the Committee on School Initiatives from January 2017 to December 2020; and now serves as the vice chair on the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund. She is also a founding board member of the Permanent School Fund Corporation, governing over the investment of the largest education endowment in the country.
During her time on the Board, Pérez-Díaz has been instrumental in the redevelopment of high school graduation requirements, the update and approval of the Long-Range Plan for Texas Public Education and the rebranding of the Permanent School Fund. Additionally, she has been a leading voice in the fight toward representation and inclusivity in curriculum and instructional materials having been at the forefront of the Ethnic Studies courses for high school credit movement in Texas.
Pérez-Díaz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, with a minor in psychology, from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas in San Antonio. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from UTSA and is a former Graduate Fellow with several published works.
Pérez-Díaz’s passion for child advocacy and public service manifested itself during her tenure with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She spent the last decade as a district-level administrator in several Texas school districts before joining the Firstmark Credit Union team as the founding Executive Director of the Firstmark Foundation. In January 2024, Pérez-Díaz was named Vice President of Impact and Marketing for Firstmark Credit Union where she now leads the organization’s brand awareness and community engagement efforts.
Pérez-Díaz serves on several local and national non-profit boards and is an active member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
Pérez-Díaz is married to Rafael Diaz, Jr., an education software company executive. They are the proud parents of three children, Catalina Yaretzi, Rafael, and Santiago Jadiel.