Vanesa Gutierrez joined the Seattle Foundation team in early August 2021. She has a varied professional background from working on television to leadership roles in international non-profits, community-based organizations, and local government. Since 2014, Vanesa has served the Pacific Northwest community in the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Mayor’s Office, King and Snohomish County Executive Offices.


With a background in law and her lived experience as an asylee in the US, Vanesa interned at a non-profit that supports the work of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and UN Women. She has previously contributed efforts to the Youth Olympic Games Committee to bring the games to her hometown, Medellin, Colombia. She is a former Commissioner for the City of Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission and currently serves as a board member of several local organizations.


In her free time, Vanesa enjoys learning new languages, solo hiking and traveling locally and abroad.