In this episode of Women of Color Rise, I speak with Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez, President & Lead Executive Officer of The Leadership Academy, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to developing transformational leadership for educators at all levels. Nancy also serves on the boards of The Hunt Institute, brightbeam, and The Neurodiversity Alliance, and is the Board Chair of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC).
Nancy is the co-author of Stay and Prevail: Students of Color Don’t Need to Leave Their Communities to Succeed (2023), which shares powerful stories of leaders who choose to give back to their home communities. She shares her own journey serving East San Jose, the very place where she grew up—and where her mother once attended the school Nancy would later lead.
When asked to step into the principal role at that school, Nancy said to herself: “If I don’t step into this, who will?”
Nancy shares how building trust required:
-
Listening deeply—not just to hopes and dreams, but to generational trauma. She asked, “How have schools harmed you?”
-
Reflecting back what she heard, to show the community she was listening.
-
Taking visible action—like redesigning the student referral system. Instead of referring students only for misbehavior, teachers began referring students who exhibited excellence. Families started receiving calls from the principal to celebrate their children—flipping the script on what school leadership could look and feel like.
Nancy now leads work that supports school leaders across 40+ states. Her story is a beautiful example of what it means to stay, to serve, and to prevail—not just locally, but nationally.
Thank you, Nancy, for your powerful leadership and for sharing your story with us.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/episode-109-stay-and-lead-in-your-home-community-with-dr-nancy-b-gutirrez-president-lead-executive-officer