Karla Lopez, M.Ed., brings over 20 years of dedicated service to diverse educational settings in Los Angeles. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and the Fine Arts from Eastern Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Cal State, she has worked collaboratively to foster partnerships and leverage resources supporting students' social-emotional development. As a certified trauma-informed educator, Ms. Lopez currently serves as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Adviser in L.A. Unified’s Division of Instruction. In this role, she has orchestrated district SEL Symposiums, contributed as a content developer for the Social Emotional Learning micro-credential, and authored the social-emotional children’s book, “In the Heart of the Coop.” She has been a presenter at the 2024 Cal Hope SEL Summit, the 2023 CASEL Exchange, and the 2018 & 2019 SEL In Action Convening.