Staff

 
 
 

Anna Dyer
Executive Director

For more than three decades, Anna has provided leadership in nonprofits focused on expanding access to resources that help community members thrive. Her career began in social work and early childhood initiatives, supported by studies in psychology and a Master’s in Social Work. She went on to co‑found Prospera (formerly WAGES), a cooperative incubator empowering immigrant women to build financial security, and later spent 17 years at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, where she led programs that brought nutritious food to hundreds of thousands of people.

Anna’s commitment to Upward Scholars is personal. Living in Mexico, teaching English, and learning Spanish gave her firsthand insight into the challenges of adapting to a new language and culture. Later, supporting her first husband, a Mexican immigrant, as he progressed from adult school English to community college and ultimately graduated as valedictorian, all while navigating immigration hurdles, instilled in Anna a deep respect for the tenacity and talents of Upward Scholars' students.

Anna brings compassion, gratitude, and a commitment to inclusion, shaped by her life experiences as a breast cancer survivor, sister to a brother with Down’s syndrome, daughter who lost her father to suicide, and member of a multi-generational LGBTQ+ family. These experiences fuel her belief that everyone deserves the chance to flourish, access opportunity, and feel a true sense of belonging. Anna has worked or volunteered with more than 15 local nonprofits and lived in seven Peninsula communities. She resides in San Mateo with her husband, pandemic pup Honey, and snake Fred, and enjoys softball, her faith community, and live music on weekends.