Jenny Montoya Tansey
Senior Program Officer, Just Democracy
(she/her)

Jenny is inspired and energized by the work of organizations advancing justice and equity. She sees her work as redistributing power and resources and feels blessed to support movements that inspire social change.

“Skyline’s grantees are incredible. I learn so much from them day to day that makes me a better grantmaker, and I feel blessed to work at a foundation that endeavors to collaborate with a spirit of trust and curiosity,” says Jenny. As Senior Program Officer for Just Democracy, she leads grantmaking to advance economic security policies, increase democratic participation, and ensure access to news and information, especially for communities that have historically been excluded.

Jenny earned a law degree at Stanford University and studied English Literature and Latino Studies at Columbia University. Prior to Skyline, she worked to advance criminal justice reform, workers rights, and civil rights through leadership roles in nonprofits and government and served in the Obama Administration. In her previous roles, Jenny focused on criminal justice reform, including building support for sweeping criminal sentencing reform at Californians for Safety and Justice, as well as increasing access to those reforms through creating a model for automated record change at Code for America. At Public Rights Project, she developed a legal case that helped return millions of dollars in stolen wages to house cleaners in California.

Born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, Jenny has lived in Oakland for over a decade. You can find her swimming in the ocean, backpacking, and making music. She reads a lot of books and would appreciate your recommendations!