Mary Thomas

Mary Thomas serves as the Community Impact Operations Manager at Sobrato Philanthropies, where she leads program strategy and operations to strengthen alignment and cohesion across the program team. Drawn to Sobrato’s deep commitment to social impact and its place-based approach to philanthropy and equity, Mary is inspired by the organization’s mission to drive meaningful, community-centered change.

Before joining Sobrato, Mary served as Senior Director of Training and Evaluation at SMART, a San Francisco nonprofit supporting first-generation college-bound students from low-income households. There, she led professional development, data systems, and program evaluation efforts. Earlier in her career, she was a high school History and Economics teacher in the Oakland Unified School District, where she also contributed to school pathway redesign initiatives.

Mary’s career reflects a steadfast dedication to community-driven, equitable systems change. She was named a 2021 Surge Institute Oakland Fellow and honored as the 2025 Surge Alumni of the Year.

She holds a Master’s in Urban Education (M.Ed.) and a teaching credential from Holy Names University, along with a B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego. She also holds professional certificates in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace and Program Evaluation.