Sarah Burgess

President

Sarah Burgess began her relationship with Neighbors Abroad in 1975 when she participated in our Oaxaca exchange program while a student at Palo Alto High School. That experience sparked a lifelong love of Mexican culture, the Spanish language, and cross-cultural connections. She returned to Neighbors Abroad in 2018 as a member of the Oaxaca Committee, subsequently assuming the role of Oaxaca VP, then elevated to President in 2023.

She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and UC Hastings College of the Law. She previously was a partner in a boutique litigation law firm.

Sarah raised her three children in Palo Alto and has deep ties to the community and local schools. She has served on numerous boards, community, and academic organizations, including as Site Council Chair at Walter Hays Elementary School and on the board of the Parent Teacher Association at Palo Alto High School. She has long been a member of the board of directors for the Gamble Garden Center, including as Chair of the Governance Committee.

A project leader for many of Neighbors Abroad’s initiatives in recent years, Sarah was a key member of the team that installed a rainwater capture system in the indigenous village of Yaxe, Oaxaca, where 50 families were the beneficiaries of a life-changing initiative that allows for the collection of rainwater for crop-growing and other purposes. The project was recognized with a 2022 Innovation in Humanitarian Assistance Award from Sister Cities International.

​You can contact Sarah at ​sarah.burgess@neighborsabroad.org.