Dr. Ana Ponce

Board Secretary
CEO, GPSN

Dr. Ponce is the Chief Executive Officer GPSN, and the former Chief Executive Officer of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (CNCA). CNCA is a neighborhood network of 5 elementary and secondary schools serving over 2000 students within the greater MacArthur Park neighborhood near Downtown Los Angeles. Under her supervision, the CNCA schools have won the Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, the California Association of Bilingual Education Seal of Excellence, and the California Distinguished Schools award.

Originally from Mexico, Ana grew up in the neighborhood where her schools are located. An alumni of Teach for America and a veteran of the California charter school movement, she spent 3 years in the classroom before becoming one of the founding teachers and administrators at The Accelerated School in South Los Angeles. Under her instructional leadership, The Accelerated School was named elementary school of the year by Time Magazine in 2001.

Dr. Ponce has a master's degree in Bilingual-Bicultural Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her administrative Tier 1 credential and second master's degree from UCLA through the Principal's Leadership Institute (PLI) and a Doctorate in Education from Loyola Marymount University.