Latinx services director at Sonoma County's TLC Child and Family Services wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award

Daniela Bravos arrived in the U.S. from Mexico with her parents when she was five years old.

“When I was growing up and even into my young adulthood, I lived as an undocumented immigrant. I never use to share that detail, but I now recognize that the struggles I faced during that time helped shape my values of hard work, perseverance, and empathy for others.”

Embracing “my bicultural/bilingual personhood” she pursued a professional life to help others. She volunteered at the Sonoma County Rape Crisis Center, and, as a graduate student, began to work at Alternative Family Services.

As she did more, moving from mental health clinician, to assistant program director, clinical supervisor and program director, Bravo says she remains, “excited to continue to grow and learn from innovated and passionate professionals dedicated to serving the most vulnerable in our community.”

Personally, living in Sonoma with her partner and two children offers the chance to be near her family, an opportunity she describes as “priceless.”

In a business sense, what is the greatest thing about being under 40; and then what is the worst?

“You have the credibility of experience (years in the field) to be taking seriously by those around you and still have the excitement and eagerness to expand your professional self.

“For me, possibly the worst part is the internal dialogue that still tells that by 40 I should accomplish way more and that I am not on track to do that.”