Aida Pacheco was born in New York City, raised in New Jersey, and has been a resident of Hanover County, Virginia for over 29 years. She was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college and the first Latina from New Jersey to be accepted to Princeton University in 1973. Aida graduated in 1977 with a degree in Sociology, a teacher certification for secondary education, and a program certificate on Latin American Studies.
Her work history crosses multiple disciplines: education, workforce development, health and human resources, and public safety. She has extensive experience in program development and management, provision of technical assistance and consultation, networking and building collaborative partnerships, and community organizing and planning.
Possessing a strong sense of community, Aida was influential in establishing MECHA, the first Hispanic human service agency in Mercer County, New Jersey, serving thousands of low-income families. In Virginia, she was one of six Latinos working in the Governor’s Office in 2006. Aida was hired to assist the Senior Advisor to the Governor for Workforce reform in the Commonwealth’s Workforce Development System. As a Program Administration Specialist for the Virginia Community College System, Workforce Development Services, Aida managed various federally funded grant initiatives, and provided strategic leadership and policy direction to program sites. She also worked with various groups and organizations toward the development of policies that address the needs of sub-populations who face multiple challenges to employment.
Aida was a gubernatorial appointee on the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Board. She was the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the Latino Advisory Board, and she was reappointed in June of 2018 to serve another four-year term. Additionally, she was appointed to the Virginia Complete Count Commission in December 2018. Aida is a Board member and former Vice-President of the Association of Latino Princeton Alumni (ALPA). She also serves on the Boards of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. She is also a member of the Princeton Alumni Association, volunteers for the Virginia Latino Higher Education Network, and works with other various initiatives with a focus on civic engagement and voter registration.