Jeff Barrera

he/him

Communications Director

San Diego, CA

Jeff Barrera tells the stories of our network and shapes narratives that advance multiracial feminist democracy. He leads our communications team, develops press and digital strategies for our campaigns, and builds the narrative capacity of our network.

Thanks to a community organizer father, Jeff worked on his first campaign at age six — with the mission-critical job of cutting apart rolls of stickers. In high school, he debated careers as an action movie director, web developer, or policy wonk, then discovered advocacy communications combined most of his interests (there are fewer explosions).

Prior to joining PowerSwitch, Jeff spent 5 years at Silicon Valley affiliate Working Partnerships USA, building their communications department and using data and digital tools to amplify the power of organizing. At WPUSA, he led communications strategies for campaigns that won better jobs for service workers on tech campuses, stronger renter protections, and over 2,000 affordable homes and a $150 million community-governed fund as part of Google’s San Jose mega-campus. Jeff has also worked for San Diego affiliate the Center on Policy Initiatives, the Center for American Progress, and the first-in-the-nation Opportunity to Work ballot initiative.

Jeff holds a BA in Urban Studies and a Masters in Journalism, both from Stanford University. After a decade in the SF Bay Area, he now lives in San Diego. When not behind a screen, he can usually be found swimming laps, falling off a surfboard, or practicing martial arts.