Dr. Sugeni Pérez-Sadler is a social impact leader with over 20 years of experience driving systemic change at the intersection of education, workforce development, and economic mobility. Raised in a low-income NYC community as the daughter of Dominican immigrants, Sugeni’s personal journey as a first-generation college graduate drives her commitment to creating equitable pathways to economic mobility for historically excluded communities.

As Senior Director of Student Pathways Policy and Evaluation at NYC Public Schools, she leads efforts to ensure more than 500,000 high school students across 500 high schools gain the skills, experiences, and networks necessary to achieve long-term economic security Previously, Sugeni served as Senior Director of School Counseling Policy, overseeing K-12 career development integration for 850,000 students across 1,600 NYC schools. She has successfully managed multi-million-dollar budgets, built cross-sector partnerships, and developed data-driven systems to improve student outcomes.

Beyond her professional roles, Sugeni serves on the board of Summit Academy Charter School and the programs committee of Goddard Riverside Community Center. She also leads efforts to promote inclusion and belonging through The B.L.E.N.D., an employee resource group focused on career development for Black and Latino professionals in NYC Public Schools.

Her leadership and impact have been recognized with honors such as being named one of El Diario’s Mujeres Destacadas in 2024 and receiving the New York State School Counselor Association’s 2021 State Administrator of the Year award.

Sugeni earned her Doctorate in Education from St. John’s University, where her dissertation examined the college pathways of racially and economically minoritized students. She also holds dual master’s degrees from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University.