Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island is thrilled to welcome Francis Nuñez (she/her/ella) as the new Director of Organizing and Campaigns.
"I started my passion for community organizing work by being a peer educator for Planned Parenthood in high school, said Nuñez. “It feels right to be back on the Planned Parenthood team working with community members to get ourselves the rights we deserve. I'm so excited to see what we will build together.”
Nuñez comes to PPSNE from Community Voices Heard in New York where she served as the Campaign Director for the Follow Black Women campaign. Demonstrating her strategic prowess, she planned and executed a collection of over 3,000 surveys, a task that covered 20% of New York's geographic landscape.
Previously, Nuñez served as the Program Manager and Lead Community Organizer at FaithActs for Education in Bridgeport, Connecticut.. In this role, she led a state-wide campaign to end education discrimination in Connecticut. Her efforts led to a$160 million increase in the state education budget for 2021, followed by an even more impressive $300 million increase in 2022.
Nuñez’s journey as a community organizer began when she worked as a parent and community organizer at Excel Bridgeport, and successfully built a grassroots base of more than 100 grandparents. These dedicated folks worked tirelessly to reduce the barriers they faced as legal guardians to Bridgeport students. As a result, $12 million in local funds were allocated to support grandparents who were raising their grandchildren. This accomplishment is a testament to Nuñez’s organizing ability and commitment to ensuring communities have the resources and skills they need to advocate for the change they deserve.
Nuñez’s holds a B.S. in Social Science/Political Science from the University of Bridgeport.As Director of Organizing and Campaigns at Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island, she plays a pivotal role in our organization, managing our organizing staff and providing the visionary leadership needed to shape the strategic direction of our organizing and campaign efforts
“We are thrilled to welcome Francis to our team. Her skills, experience, and fresh perspective are exactly what we need to elevate our efforts in the continued fight to expand access to reproductive freedom in Rhode Island,” said Vimala Phongsavanh, Senior Director of External Affairs for PPV!RI.