Jacki Cisneros, President of the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation, has a deep personal passion for empowering first-generation, college-bound Hispanic and Latino youth. She champions effective education policies and helps families gain a deeper understanding of the life-changing opportunities that higher education provides
Jacki spearheads the Foundation’s efforts to cultivate a vibrant and supportive community for Hispanic/Latino and Veteran students in higher education.
From Jacki’s perspective, the positive impacts of higher education reach beyond individuals and play a pivotal role in strengthening entire communities. She actively collaborates with community stakeholders to foster and support education initiatives.
Recognizing the unique challenges first-generation, college-bound Latino and veteran students face, the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation advocates for effective education policies. It raises awareness of the specific circumstances these students encounter. The foundation uplifts and encourages inclusive, effective, and sustainable educational environments for Latino and veteran students.
Jacki believes that the journey toward college should begin as early as kindergarten. She is passionate about partnering with the community to organize kindergarten book giveaways and promote early literacy skills in young children. The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation has provided more than 5,000 books to kindergartners in Southern California, nurturing a love for reading and inspiring children to dream big.
Before her foundation work, Jacki enjoyed an outstanding 18-year career in broadcast journalism, covering news and entertainment in Los Angeles. She is a two-time Emmy award winner and was an assignment editor at several Los Angeles news stations.
Jacki currently serves on the USC Board of Counselors.
Jacki grew up in both Pico Rivera and Yorba Linda, California. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.
Gilbert Cisneros serves as the Veterans and Education Advocate for the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation. He is passionately committed to improving the level of Hispanic education in the United States.
Gilbert, along with his wife, Jacki, has devoted his life to philanthropy, making their first donations to their alma mater, the George Washington University, and the University of Southern California, to endow scholarships for Hispanic students. This was followed by endowing a scholarship with the Navy Supply Corps Foundation. They soon partnered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the City of Pico Rivera, California, to create Generation 1st Degree-Pico Rivera, with the goal of putting a college degree in every Hispanic household in the city. Their philanthropic journey eventually led them to form the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation in 2011, funding it with an initial $20 million and expanding their programs across the San Gabriel Valley and beyond.
Gilbert currently serves as the U.S. Representative for California’s 31st Congressional District, having been sworn in as a member of the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025. Prior to his election to Congress, Gilbert served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for the U.S. Department of Defense. As Under Secretary, he was a senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense, managing recruitment, military readiness, as well as the education and health benefit programs within the Department of Defense. This included the 160 schools the Department operates across 11 foreign countries, seven states, and two territories. During his tenure, Gilbert oversaw the expansion of Universal Pre-Kindergarten for all military families.
Before his appointment with the Department of Defense, Gilbert was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California’s 39th Congressional District from 2019 to 2021.
Gilbert proudly served as a Supply Officer in the U.S. Navy, completing both a Mediterranean and a Western Pacific Deployment. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He received a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship.
Gilbert is a staunch educational advocate, having graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from George Washington University. He received his MBA from Regis University and his M.A. in Urban Education Policy from Brown University.