Sarah Hernandez joined the McKnight Foundation in 2004. In her current role as program officer for the Vibrant & Equitable Communities Program, she works to advance the program’s goal to build a vibrant and equitable future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation.

Prior to McKnight, Sarah worked in corporate public affairs at Honeywell in Minneapolis. She began her 12-year tenure at Honeywell as a legislative and policy analyst and later served as its policy and community affairs program manager. Sarah earned a bachelor of arts in sociology at the University of Minnesota and holds a master of arts in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Sarah has served on several advisory boards, including the Neighborhood Funders Group, the Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and Nexus Community Partners. She currently serves as co-chair of the Minneapolis Northside Funders Group, the Saint Paul Eastside Funders Group, and the We Are Still Here MN philanthropic subcommittee. She also serves on the Minnesota Compass steering committee at the Wilder Foundation.