Laura Ponce

Laura Ponce is Executive Director of Project BRAVO, a Community Action Agency in El Paso, Texas, serving over 11,000 residents annually with an $11 million budget.

With three decades in the non-profit sector, Laura is committed to co-creating a healthy, empowered borderland community. She serves on the boards of UnidosUS, Executive Forum, Borderplex Community Capital and the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies.

Laura holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.P.A. from the University of Texas at El Paso. Under her leadership, Project BRAVO received the 2020 UnidosUS Capital Award for Public Service for its response to the migrant crisis and the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso.

Laura has been recognized with the Outstanding Service Award from the American Association for Public Administration, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing equity, opportunity and resilience for communities across the border region and beyond.

Past Media Experience: 

• El Paso Matters: Trump administration rescinds grant freeze, but El Paso groups prepare for future fights, January 29, 2025 

• El Paso Times: Funds to help low-income families in El Paso with summer electric bills are stretched thin, July 29, 2024