Cecilia Vaca Jones
Executive Director of Breathe Cities
Cecilia is the Executive Director of Breathe Cities, a global initiative delivered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clean Air Fund and C40 Cities that supports cities to clean the air and enhance public health.
With over 25 years in social development and people-centered urban policy, Cecilia served as Ecuador’s Coordinating Minister of Social Development, where she led integrated policies to strengthen services and wellbeing for children, youth, women, Indigenous communities, older adults and people with disabilities. She was Executive Director at the Bernard van Leer Foundation, advancing early childhood development through urban planning, public-space design and behaviour-change approaches, and served as Senior Advisor to the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority supporting the emirate’s Family Friendly initiative.
Why Cecilia works for Clean Air Fund:
Every person has the right to breathe clean air, and cities around the world are showing that air pollution is not inevitable. I’ve seen what’s possible when political will is matched with strong data, technical expertise and community leadership. Breathe Cities is a powerful platform for scaling proven solutions and ensuring cities have the partnerships and resources they need to act. I’m honoured to lead this initiative and help accelerate action for healthier cities where everyone can breathe freely and thrive.