At the direction of the Vallejo City Council, the city created a new position to serve the youth population in Vallejo. After an exhaustive search for a Youth Coordinator, the City of Vallejo has selected Vallejo native Victoria Grace-Barksdale. Born and raised in Vallejo, Victoria attended K-12 schools in the city, eventually earning her BA in Sociology with a minor in Education and Applied Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Before joining the City of Vallejo, Victoria worked as an Academic Support Provider for the Vallejo City Unified School District while also serving the Vallejo community as an event coordinator and youth advocate. Victoria has always been an active community member and is passionate about improving opportunities for youth and helping connect youth and families to the resources they need. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Vallejo Together and the Vallejo Sister City Association. Her career path and affiliation with these boards have allowed her to focus on the areas she’s most passionate about, addressing solutions for at-risk youth and homeless populations, academics, civic education, international diplomacy, leadership skill building, and volunteerism.
“Vallejo is my home, and I am so honored to be able to put my passion for improving opportunities for youth to work as the Youth Coordinator for the City of Vallejo. It is important for us, as a city, to invest in our youth, utilize our resources, and collaborate with the community to help better Vallejo for generations to come.”
In her free time, Victoria focuses on building partnerships and collaborating with different non-profits, schools, churches, businesses, and other community organizations to improve the lives of youth in the Vallejo community.
“We are excited to fill this critical position with the right person for the job,” said Vallejo City Manager Mike Malone. “As a Vallejo native who is already actively engaged in the community, Victoria clearly exudes a passion for what she does; Vallejo is lucky to have her on staff.”